Peaks recommendations for the less technically capable

I’m on holiday in the Peaks in April – staying in Hope Valley, Bradwell – and I have been instructed to Bring The Bike (hardtail), so I can entertain myself riding it when we’re not hiking. This is exciting.

So now I’m looking for things to ride in the area. I have a few routes saved – I think there might be some out-the-front-door stuff, I have an XC/gravel loop for a bigger day out, I have some of the Ladybower classic routes saved.

But I’m looking for other recommendations for routes/spots you’d recommend for the Highly Middling rider. I’d prefer things I can ride to (I do not mind putting in a bit of a road ride to a start, I spend enough of my life in lycra) than need to drive to, but could be flexible. Think: 2-3 hour loops, not day rides.

The thing is: I am not a super-experienced or technically-skilled rider. I enjoy offroad, ride a fair bunch of gravel, and am now enjoying my hardtail for rougher things, for confidence and capability, but am still not great at super-rugged, especially going down. I’m probably not going down Cavedale, for instance. (I’m also usually doubly careful/chicken knowing I’m the only driver for our holiday.)

Other query is tyres. I’ve got a pair of Specialized Ground Controls on it right now (for the XC/d*wn-country riding that resembles most of what I do). I’ve also got the Magic Mary/Hans Dampf the bike came with ready to go. I could swap to the more knobbly/rowdy tyres, even if rowdy isn’t quite my style. I am fully aware of how much of a bog everything is still likely to be.

So yeah: any recommendations / routes you like / thoughts for me to dab my way around some trails in a few weeks?

One of my favourite descents is into Bradwell, but it’s only easy when dry really. So weather/miracle dependant.

Ooo… Dirtlow Rake + Pin Dale is pretty weather proof. And there’s an easy bridlepath back to Bradwell from the bottom of it. Include that.

I’ll get you details of the other one….

None of the peaks bridleways (with the possible exception of Cavedale and even that isn’t *that* bad) are overly gnarly/technical. Rocky, yes, but that’s what big tyres and bouncy forks are for. Everything is hardtailable. You can pick your way down or you can think light and carry speed which often works out a bit less effort. The trails tend to be wide/doubletrack so you don’t need to be overly precise – I tend to think of picking an “antiline” (ie avoiding the bits where you MUSTN’T go) rather than picking a line where you MUST go.

It might well be wet and gritty (I was riding in streams most of yesterday) but if you’re sticking to the rights of way, won’t be that muddy. The big tyres will be good though.

Get an OS map of the area and most of the obvious loops will join themselves together pretty naturally. Most of the riding works fairly well both ways, depending on your personal tastes of up -v- down.

Possibly contentious opinion incoming…

Cavedale excepted, You’d have to go out of your way to find any descent on a well-trod route in the Peak that’s wildly out of reach for the “middlingly accomplished” rider, even on a hard tail.

Hmm… strongly suspect that I’m thinking of a footpath! Look at Bradwell Edge on the OS map. Think it might be the FP marked “Robin Hood’s Cross” that I’m thinking of. Just stick to the BP “if” wet. Still great views getting up on Shatton Lane and dropping into Bradwell off the edge.

A good intro route from Bradwell would be:-
Through the Cement Works, up Pindale, Dirtlow Rake, past the top of Cavedale and round the Limestone Way to the top of Winnats. Up to Mam Nick on tarmac, round the back of Mam Tor and along the Great Ridge to Hollins Cross. Pick one of the b/ways heading down the north side into Edale, turn right along the road for a bit, then up Jaggers Clough, down the Roman Road into Hope. Nosh in Cafe Adventure.

I’m with @nickc – the bridleways are the same ones people rode in 1999 on Tioga factory XCs and specialized Rockhoppers with 80mm Judys if you were gert posh.

(Or if not, theyve been flattened and rolled into gravel roads!)

You’ll be fine. Go steady if its tricky. Enjoy.

John and Nick have nailed it. There is almost nothing hard on bridleways in the area. I’d avoid Cavedale, but pretty much everything else is ok. Actually my missus walks the steep bit of Jacob’s too, so two trickyish trails.

But it’s not like the lakes where you can have an absolute mare for hours if you pick the wrong trail.

Highly middling rider you say….

*waves*

I think the folks above generally have it, but the Peaks is bit trickier for the non-Peaks-experienced than the Peaks-experienced tend to see it. Potato Alley, f’rinstance, is a bit daunting. I’m not saying it’s not doable, but there may well be points where it tips from ‘enjoyable challenge’ to ‘errrrrrrrm…’

Overall though you’ll be fine, and there’s nothing that can’t be walked.

It’s worth looking at the train line through Hope as well. It opens up a lot of possibilities for one-way rides. Train out to Chinley or New Mills (west) or Sheffield (east) and ride back.

From Bradwell you can go west up Dirtlow Rake, across the top of Cavedale (not down it!), along to Eldon Hill (that’s all gravel track), up the road climb to Rushup Edge then follow that edge path back east then over Mam Tor and off one of the many tracks down the side of that. Drop off north into Edale, turn right and then along to Clough Far and that track NE is Jaggers Clough. Up to Hope Cross then turn right and descend all the way back to Aston.

I am no stranger to just walking, and not embarrassed to. Points taken re: 26ers back in the day etc etc. I think I might be even less than middling frankly, you’d be amazed what I can dab down.

(This is all much appreciated, folks).

Depending on when you’re up here in April, happy to meet up and we can dab around together 🙂

Agree with what everyone is saying. If you want something even less techy but nice in its own way then the Eastern Moors loop to Curbar is nice. Grab the train to Gridleford or Hathersage and spin up the hill. Can extend to Houndkirk Moor if you fancy it.

https://www.cyclinguk.org/sites/default/files/event-files/vp-white-peak-mtb-eastern-moors-download.pdf

Also I’d be fitting the Magic Mary/Hans Dampf tyre combo.

Even Potato Alley if tackled steadily at worst will grind you to a halt if you run out of momentum over the rough stuff or feel a bit battered, and have you off and pushing for 50 yards. There’s no compulsory drops or anything to scare the horses.

My usual ‘Hope Valley’ route starts up at Ladybower, climb up to Hope Cross through the trees on the S side of the reservoir, then down from Hope Brink to Hope Village, up the road through Castleton then up the Mam Tor broken road, a bit more road slogging then BW to Hollins Cross. Drop into the Edale side via Greenlands (easiest way down) then turn right, a bit more road to Clough Farm, Jaggers Clough then back nearly to Hope Cross, turn left towards Blackley Clough, down potato alley, cross the A57 (or turn right to head back), up past Lockerbrook (may be in poor condition right now) and down to the reservoir. If you’ve still got legs after that, up and over Whinstone Lee Tor can be added.

Tyres – something with a bit of knobble. You could probably get away with Ground Control rear though.

I think the folks above generally have it, but the Peaks is bit trickier for the non-Peaks-experienced than the Peaks-experienced tend to see it. Potato Alley, f’rinstance, is a bit daunting. I’m not saying it’s not doable, but there may well be points where it tips from ‘enjoyable challenge’ to ‘errrrrrrrm…’

+1

Riding in the Peak is a skill in itself, Pindale, Potato Alley, Hagg Farm etc, are in themselves very much not-technical. They are however 1-4 miles of what resembles a dried riverbed of potato sized rocks. Which is as sketchy and hard to ride as it sounds.

Even something like the Plantation descent off Stanage Edge, the sum total of its’ technical bits are: A steep left hand corner (the one on every mountain bike guide book cover), a steep roll in, and a couple of narrow bit.

We used to take freshers out with the cycling club on allsorts of BSO’s, most of them survived (and went out and bought better bikes).

Another Peak local here. My take, fwiw, is that mostly stuff is straightforward, but there’s a lot of unrelenting rockiness / badly arranged rubble, as per Potato Alley or the so-called Beast / Fluffy Kittens. Ironically if you’re a newcomer to the area, lack of speed is actually likely to make it feel harder than it is because you lose momentum instead of skimming over / into / through the lumpy stuff. Stay loose, keep speed, avoid the really big rocks would be my take. Big tyres for sure.

The V-Publishing Dark Peak guidebook is decent if you want a written reference. The Jacob’s / Roych Loop, in either direction is probably the most obvious rocky, wet weather-friendly option, but with a few exceptions, the Peak does gritty slop more than proper mud, so I wouldn’t be too put off even if it is a bit wet. It dries pretty fast too once a combination of wind and sun gets on it, so by April it could be just like it is currently or bone dry depending on what happens in the interim.

But yeah, shout when you’re around, you’ll probably find someone happy to meander round with you.

Jon Edwards is crazy legs? ( with a goldfish memory)

No, JonEdwards is not CrazyLegs. We have met (Cy T’s house warming ride a very long time ago) but definitely not the same person!

@JonEdwards has pretty crazy legs, from the couple of times I’ve met him. Lovely chap though.

I’d echo above that there’s nothing too scary on Peak bridleways but if your experience is lovely flowy forest singletrack and trail centres then it can be a bit of a shock to the system. Loooooads of options though, and you’re in a great spot to explore.

but if your experience is lovely flowy forest singletrack and trail centres then it can be a bit of a shock to the system.

A lot of my experience is Kent and Dorset bridleways and natural trails which are frequently rocky, lumpy bullshit. Pretty much the opposite of trail centres.

(Thread continues to deliver. I will probably swap tyres and make a mess with some sealant.)

Everyone has covered what I was going to say. Except don’t forget to drop in to the lovely folk at 18 Bikes to say hello if you get the chance.

rocky, lumpy bullshit.

Peak District in a nutshell. Just add dozens of gates, hundreds of parked cars and vans, thousands of ramblers etc.

If your looking for an XC route how about.

Bradwell to Hope via the cement works. Edale Road, Fullwood Stile Lane, Hope Cross, Elm Pitts down to the reservoir. Turn right and follow the track to The Dam. Drop down the main road to Bamford and head up Hurst Clough, Bridleways to Coggers Lane, drop into Hathersage and head out up towards the railway station (but continue on the main road) turn right at The Plough Inn and pick up the track past Shatton Mast and finally take the left back into Bradwell.

https://www.plotaroute.com/route/2554925

Most ‘natural’ riding any where is in reach of most people, just might be some short sections you have to walk.

Its only bike parks with their billiard smooth motorways bashed in to a hillside with big jumps that are not possible for avg riders.

Can you tell I have no liking for bike parks ?!

if your experience is lovely flowy forest singletrack and trail centres then it can be a bit of a shock to the system.

Cuts both ways, I rode in the Chilterns for the first time in a decade or more last summer, and the joy of riding around a Jo Burt cartoon as opposed to my local dead-fern brown* moorland of my usual routes around West Yorks and the Peak had me laughing out loud. Any new riding away from your local can be a shock to the system.

* it’s a Farrow & Ball colour doncha’know?

A lot of my experience is Kent and Dorset bridleways and natural trails which are frequently rocky, lumpy bullshit. Pretty much the opposite of trail centres.

Unless Kent and Dorset have changed geologically since I last visited then you might be in for a shock about quite how rocky and lumpy a trail can be 😂

The Beast (aka Fluffy Kittens as it’s eroded now) used to be an impossible exercise in picking your way down/round wheel sized rocks, it’s actually now quite quick on modern FS bikes as long as you pick a line that doesn’t kill you (or cheat and ride the banks).

Cavedale weirdly is the opposite, it’s not mellowed at all. It tried to kill me several times around the millennium, and modern bikes haven’t made the steep section past the gate any less terrifying, the trail drops, gets very rocky and there’s a corner, and AFAIK there is no good line, you just hope the front wheel rolls through and you don’t die 😂.

But apart from that.

Unless Kent and Dorset have changed geologically since I last visited then you might be in for a shock about quite how rocky and lumpy a trail can be 😂

oh, I’m not under any illusions, I know it’s not Potato Alley round here, but just pointing it out I’m not exactly riding nice manicured dirt/towpaths out here. But see also my points about “less experienced” and “riding a hardtail”, and hence picking our way around boulders or having a quick stroll, given I have a modern-ish bike but emphatically not a FS.

No, JonEdwards is not CrazyLegs. We have met (Cy T’s house warming ride a very long time ago) but definitely not the same person!

Can confirm!
Equally, I’ll let @thegeneralist off because it’s been a couple of years since we last rode together in the Peak District (Alex – shout if you’re up for a ride anytime!)

@infovore – post on here again when you’re staying in Bradwell, loads of us locally who’d probably be up for a ride (and I very much fit into your “highly middling rider” description!)

Most ‘natural’ riding any where is in reach of most people, just might be some short sections you have to walk.

Its only bike parks with their billiard smooth motorways bashed in to a hillside with big jumps that are not possible for avg riders.

Hmmm. I don’t agree. I’ve done loads of natural rides which contain far more properly hard bridleway tech than the whole of the dark peak put together. Pretty much any of the decent Helvellyn loops for example

Can confirm!
Equally, I’ll let @thegeneralist off because it’s been a couple of years since we last rode together in the Peak District (Alex – shout if you’re up for a ride anytime!)

‘Twas just a jest as you both suggested pretty much exactly the same route:

From Bradwell you can go west up Dirtlow Rake, across the top of Cavedale (not down it!), along to Eldon Hill (that’s all gravel track), up the road climb to Rushup Edge then follow that edge path back east then over Mam Tor and off one of the many tracks down the side of that. Drop off north into Edale, turn right and then along to Clough Far and that track NE is Jaggers Clough. Up to Hope Cross then turn right and descend all the way back to Aston.

good intro route from Bradwell would be:-
Through the Cement Works, up Pindale, Dirtlow Rake, past the top of Cavedale and round the Limestone Way to the top of Winnats. Up to Mam Nick on tarmac, round the back of Mam Tor and along the Great Ridge to Hollins Cross. Pick one of the b/ways heading down the north side into Edale, turn right along the road for a bit, then up Jaggers Clough, down the Roman Road into Hope. Nosh in Cafe Adventure

Its a drive from where you are staying, but the eastern moors loops is a nice XC trail

https://www.cyclinguk.org/sites/default/files/event-files/vp-white-peak-mtb-eastern-moors-download.pdf

Eastern moors loop with a bit of lady Cannings added in is definitely the answer if you are genuinely nervous about the rocky stuff in hope valley. It is far more chilled – my partner happily rides all of it and she barely uses her mtb. Then move on to hope valley once you’ve got your head into it.

And as above, you could get train to grindleford if you don’t want to drive

Agree with everything @thisisnotaspoon says.

Some bits aren’t lakes hard, hard. But they are hard enough if you are not used to the terrain.

Cavedale on the slippery limestone I think is still properly hard. I’ve made it down many times no dabs, but hardly ever have I felt that I’ve ridden it cleanly

Just dropping in to let you know what ended up happening.

The forecast for the week was beyond vile, so in the end, I didn’t rearrange the car to fit a hardtail in. But! I did pack my riding kit, on the offchance of a good day.

Anyhow, it turned out that bar one tiny blip the weather was bascially completely fine all week. Yes, lots of wind for a few days (esp on the Great Ridge), and the odd completely bearable shower, but otherwise: not a bad spring week. So after a week of walking, I went over to the Bike Garage in Baslow (lovely folks), borrowed a Remedy, and went for a pootle up and over Stanage Edge, out to Lady Cannings, and then back around the base of Stanage, Baslow Edge, and back down into the Hope Valley. More road than perhaps ideal (but the things it linked up were great), completely within the wheelhouse of my legs / tekkerz (not really anything required tekkerz, just overcoming my fear of down), 32km/870m climb, smashing day out, and primarily dry under the tyres which helped a lot.

Hopefully I’ll get my own bike up there sometime, and slowly increase the difficulty. I did walk down the Bradwell Edge descent one day and right now that just felt… beyond my ability to commit to “down”. One day, maybe.

Anyhow, thanks for all your help, some useful suggestions that helped me a lot, especially in companion with a few other things. And the Bike Garage folk are great, nice shop, reasonable rental prices, well-looked after kit.

Bike Garage Bamford perhaps?

My bad, Bamford, yes, and I’ve passed the edit threshold. Apologies!