Has anyone riden any stretch of The Sustrans Pennine Cycleway (Peak District)?

I know a lot of it is the Tissington Trail but what is the rest of the route like in terms of terrain and surface?

From the map, it appears that it is majority traffic free or minor roads. Is that correct?

Some friends and I are looking for a long distance route around the Peak District that isnt mostly road. Has anyone got any other suggestions around the 80-100 miles distance?

Only riden the white peak bits on my commute and these were mainly back roads. For planning something with some of the best of the peak see Tim Woodcocks guides, and I’mm sure you can work it out from there;

http://www.sustransshop.co.uk/products/5464-high-peak-trails-mountain-bike-route-pack

Yes, done the full circular route over 2 days and it’s mostly on trails and minor back roads. The signage goes to shit around Sheffield though, they either weren’t there to start with or have been wieghed in by the local pikeys. We met up in Derby and went anti-clockwise back to Derby, stayed in youth hostel near Hadfield.

Why not look at the pennine bridleway? I think it’s pretty much entirely off road. You can ride it from Edale to the Mary Towneley Loop in the South Pennines.

Davey – I’ll have a look at that one.

Markenduro – probably wasnt gonna do the bit to the east. was thinking meeting at derby station, train to Penistone and the ride anticlockwise from there back to the cars and home (rather be riding towards home than away from it). Do you think that would be do-able in a day? Guessing at about 90 miles give or take.

quite a few variants but if you are looking at the section thru north sheffield and across towards chesterfield it is pretty grim – mostly of the lets do two sides of rectangle thru a housing estate type of route

if starting from penistone why not head over to the peak – cut gate / derwent or the strines road and pick up some offroad down towards matlock with plenty of good cafes en route?

the other two i’m gonna do this with aint hardened peak riders and would seriouysly struggle with cut gate.

The bit from Penistone down should be do-able in a day, it’s mostly downhill from Buxton to Derby, pick the right day though as the Tissington trail gets over-run with feral kids and red sock types on the weekends who have no idea how a shared path works.

Have a look in the back of the Dark Peak guide book, there is on called the lord of the loops, I haven’t done it but it is a 100km route and the vast majority looks offroad

lord of the loops

…well at least i suggested the alternative of the strines road to cut gate!

Pennine Bridleway as suggested but from the start at Middleton Top to Widdop Res (I think) on the other side of the Mary Townley Loop. Just under 100 miles and doable on a cyclocross bike in under 12 hours*

*If you have the fitness and abilities of Nick Craig. Otherwise, I’d factor doing it close to the summer solstice or doing it in two days.

cut gate isnt that technical, theres a couple of steps up top, then as long as you dont straighline the switchback and huck of teh cliff your fine.

And yes i have seen someone do that!