2 1/2 hours drive from Sheffield

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This topic has 37 replies, 25 voices, and was last updated 11 years ago by grum.

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2 1/2 hours drive from Sheffield
simonm
Free Member

I don’t get many weekend rides each year, but have Sunday to ride. What’s a must do route, 2 1/2 hours drive max ish from Sheffield . Not a trail centre. Howgills ? Brant Fell ? Swaledale ? Cross Fell ? any thing else a must do ?
Probably not the Lakes. ta.

Posted 11 years ago

jekkyl
Full Member

ladybower & cutgate is probably under an hour from you? likewise all the dark and white peak trails.
The 3 shires from matlock?
Macc Forest? Cannock if you fancy trail work?
christ there’s tons.

Posted 11 years ago

Simon
Full Member

For something different you could come and ride my local stuff with me.
Can’t do this Sunday though, got a tree to cut down.
But maybe some other time.

Posted 11 years ago

thisisnotaspoon
Free Member

Probably not the Lakes

The Lakes 🙂

That’s assuming the Peak is ‘local’ and therefore excluded? That or North Wales.

Posted 11 years ago

Superficial
Free Member

Sherwood Pines? 😆

Seriously though, Calderdale / Hebden bridge has IMO the best English riding outside of the Peaks / Lakes, that I’ve discovered. I’m sure someone can come up with a decent route.

Posted 11 years ago

christhetall
Free Member

Have you ridden around Macclesfield ?

Only an hour from Sheff, but had completely escaped my attention until I went there a few months back and was gobsmacked. Did a 38 mile loop with a hefty amount of technical singletrack.

Swaledale is lovely if you want to drive further, but I wouldn’t do it as a day trip

Posted 11 years ago

clarkpm4242
Free Member

I suggest go North East to hopefully get the best weather.

Swaledale or North Yorks Moors.

🙂

Posted 11 years ago

sicklilpuppy
Free Member

Snowden, though I agree with jekkyl, why go any furthe than Ladybower/Edale. Can’t be more than 30-40 minutes from the far side of sheffield, spend more time riding and less time driving, and more bale out options if the weather turns bad.

Posted 11 years ago

simonm
Free Member

Sorry, yes. Not the Peaks as its local, this is my “special board approval” riding day so usually ride somewhere different. Cut Gate is 14mins from home 😉

Hebden, thats a good idea… Are all the good routes known to locals though ?
Maccs another good idea.

Posted 11 years ago

gravity-slave
Free Member

Ladybower is 15 minutes from my house, pretty sure it’s a couple of mins less for Simon so within easy reach, guess he’s looking for something different.

I’ll also have an eye on this thread as since I stopped racing DH I rarely venture far with the bike, but living where I do there’s not much motivation and I need persuading!

Posted 11 years ago

gravity-slave
Free Member

Ha, simultaneous posts! Told you 😉

Posted 11 years ago

FOG
Full Member

I drove to Reeth on Saturday from Sheffield in 2 hours easily with wife in car therefore didn’t exceed 65mph, had 5 hour hard ride, followed by tea and cakes at the Dales Bike centre. Steady drive home, was back for 6.30ish. Result, I had a great ride , herself pottered around drinking coffee, eating cakes in lovely surroundings (this is her only hobby), everybody happy.

Posted 11 years ago

mr-potatohead
Free Member

Mary Townley loop or parts of it , you could google a map and decide , which bits and where to set off from, anywhere between Rochadale and Hebden Bridge

Posted 11 years ago

thepodge
Free Member

We’re doing Snowdon instead of riding the same 10 loops round ladybower

Posted 11 years ago

simonm
Free Member

Hehe Phil, pretty good estimates 😉

I’m liking the look of Hebden.

Posted 11 years ago

sprocker
Free Member

Another vote for the dales if you do not fancy the lakes. I did a 40km ish route provided by the guy at the dales bike centre. Nice route and we only saw 2 other riders and 2 fell runners on the entire ride, interesting lunar landscape on part of it to.

(got a pint of yorskire tea in a cafe on the way round for £1.30 to)

Posted 11 years ago

br
Free Member

Driving 2.5hours from Sheffield would pretty much get you anywhere MTBing you’d want to do in England, plus the Welsh centres and even 7-Stanes/Borders, with your foot down 🙂

I’d probably look at Snowdonia or The Lakes for something different.

Posted 11 years ago

jfletch
Free Member

Why spend 5 hours in the car. Just go for a 5 hour longer ride from home!

Posted 11 years ago

chestrockwell
Full Member

Settle – Malham loop? Always a good ‘un, especially when it’s dry. You’d get there in 2 1/2 hours easy.

Posted 11 years ago

johnellison
Free Member

Seriously though, Calderdale / Hebden bridge has IMO the best English riding outside of the Peaks / Lakes, that I’ve discovered. I’m sure someone can come up with a decent route.

^This. My happy hunting ground. Although it may be worth staying out of Todmorden for a week or two. I can set you up with routes if required. I may be persuaded to do a bit of guiding on Sunday if necessary…

Failing that, the Dales. Can’t beat it.

Except if you go to the Lakes. Oh wait…

Posted 11 years ago

jekkyl
Full Member

I had a great ride along the ridgeway in Oxfordshire, not partiularly technical but a great XC ride with some lovely views coz that be the only hill round them parts.

Posted 11 years ago

simonm
Free Member

“Why spend 5 hours in the car. Just go for a 5 hour longer ride from home! “ Pay attention at the back !

Johnellison, I was just wondering what local conditions are like after this week.

Posted 11 years ago

johnellison
Free Member

TBH not been out on the trails since last weekend, I’ve been road riding mainly. That said I can’t see it being too bad, the ground is so hard and baked that the rain’s just been running off – hence the severity of the floods in Todmorden this week.

That said, I will probably venture out tonight and report back…

Posted 11 years ago

simonm
Free Member

Cheers, decided on Hebden. Highlights to aim for would be appreciated, Pecketwell BW, looks good, and mast to town Northwest of town. Any thing else ?

Cheers.

Posted 11 years ago

Houns
Full Member

Wyre forest

Posted 11 years ago

gazc
Free Member

you need one of these

and one of these

and go for pot luck! 😀

Posted 11 years ago

simonm
Free Member

Thats far more exciting than planning 😉 Like it.

Posted 11 years ago

simonm
Free Member

also liking the way you centred the map so nothing south of Manchester 😉

Posted 11 years ago

munrobiker
Free Member

The Lakes, Simon. It is by far the best riding in England.

Posted 11 years ago

nick1962
Free Member

If no one offers to show you round Hebden, use the explore option in Strava.Lots of decent bits on there(not all ) that you can link together yourself with an OS map or just follow someone else’s route by clicking on the date in any of the segment’s leaderboards.A good loop is to go up from Hebden up to the Gorple/Widdop/Hurstwood resovoirs then return along the bridleways above Tod. drop down then up and over Stoodley Pike and back down to Hebden. Too many variations to list.Lots of the Hebden honey pot descents start in and around Heptonstall as well as the Pecket Well one you mention.

Posted 11 years ago

thejesmonddingo
Full Member

That bridleway at Pecket Well is a right hoot,it’s made me go and buy a Reverb 😯

Posted 11 years ago

DaveyBoyWonder
Free Member

Simon – a ‘mutual acquaintance’ asked me to ping you some Hebden details. So I have.

Once you’d read the mail, you have to destroy it as it contains sensitive information 😉

Posted 11 years ago

simonm
Free Member

Cheers Davey, got that many thanks, appreciated.

Posted 11 years ago

simonm
Free Member

thanks nick.

Posted 11 years ago

simonm
Free Member

Had a great Ride around Hebden, fantastic place to ride. Many thanks to all who gave me tips on where to ride.

Got stung on the forehead by a wasp while on Blue pig descent ! but cured it with a pint in the Blue Pig, two quid a pint.. how goods that !

Posted 11 years ago

wl
Free Member

+1 Calderdale if you really don’t want to hit the Lakes. Lakes trumps Hebden IMO, and I live in Hebden.

Posted 11 years ago

simonm
Free Member

V luck. Hardly saw any riders out, which surprised us.

Posted 11 years ago

grum
Free Member

Just moved to Hebden, woop! I would agree the Lakes is better (though not ridden that much here yet) but there’s possibly more trails in a smaller area here than most bits of the Lakes.

Pecket Well descent comes out a few hundred yards from my house – never had trails right from the door before. 😀

Posted 11 years ago