Which bike for route 6 Lancaster to Nottingham?

Hi,

I’m riding route 6 from Lancaster train station to Nottingham over a weekend and wondering what the surface is like from Lancaster, through the peaks?

I ride the Nottingham to Sherwood pines bit occasionally and that goes from quiet back road to slightly rough forest double track.

I’m staying overnight with family so I don’t need a full bike packing set up.

Choice of bikes

Hardtail with 160mm forks, 2.6′ 29 tires and a 32 tooth chain ring .

Hardtail with ridgid forks, 50c gravel tires and 36 tooth chainring.

Road bike, 30c tires with tubes and fairly compact for a road bike gearing.

I could live with the few miles on track and roads near Sherwood pines, but if it’s mixed surface would prefer to be on the significantly slower gravel bike. If it’s rough MTB stuff the hardtail with the big fork would be better.

It will be the second week of January, I assume miserable weather. All three bikes have mudguards.

Any suggestions for which bike would be thr best compromise? Obviously each would be best for some bits and worst for others.

Thanks

The 6 seems to end in Salford and then restarts again in Castleton in the middle of the peak – will you be going up over the “south” route via Chapel-en-le-Frith and over via the roads or the “North” route via route 62 to come in via Barnsley/Rotherham?

Where 6 starts from Castleton and heads to Sheffield is mostly a mix of small metalled back roads, a steep climb on a road after Bamford then a steep loose gravel descent in to Sheffield. I would do it all on my road bike, but if I was on my road bike I’d prefer to descend in to Sheffield down Ringinglow road and take a left down Hangram lane or Common lane to skip out the steep loose descent.

Once you’re through Sheffield it’s a mix of metalled and consolidated gravel cycle paths to Kiveton, then you join the Chesterfield Canal to Worksop. This is narrow in places, close to the edge of the canal and can get muddy and claggy in the depths of winter. My mudguards have gotten jammed up there before but not on the solstice when it wasn’t too wet. I was on 40mm g-one all roads and would have appreciated some shoulder knobs for some better grip. I wouldn’t enjoy it on 30c if it was properly wet.

Past Worksop you get in to Clumber Park which is double track but muddy. Again I’d rather be on gravel tyres than road tyres.

I don’t know anything about route 62 if that’s the one you’re planning on taking sorry.

Thanks!

I was planning on slavishly copying this route

https://www.wheremywheelsgo.uk/routes/ncn-6-london-to-carlisle

Sounds like the gravel bike is a better bet

Definitely the gravel bike.

The towpath south of Lancaster can be highly variable and there’s enough other towpath/trail mix like the Outwood Trail into Manchester and Reddish Vale on the exit to make a road bike a total slog.

Same with the towpath between Disley and Whaley Bridge. It’s hard packed gravel but with cobbled bits under the bridges, it’ll be splashy and gritty. Definitely one for bigger tyres.

LittleMissMC may reconsider Lancaster as her uni choice if she knew I could ride there!

It’s about 140 miles on the bike path, less on the road.

It’s not like you are going to be popping in for a cup of tea in the morning?

She’s probably mostly safe from parental medalling