Routes

November 8 2025

Discover the Best of the Peak District: Our Hand-Picked MTB Routes!

We’ve ridden, tested, and hand-picked 11 incredible mountain bike routes, totaling over 217 miles of trails that all start and finish right at our shop door! Whether you’re a beginner looking for a scenic cruise or a seasoned rider hunting for a technical challenge, we have the perfect loop for you.

Check out a breakdown of our Peak District routes by difficulty:

Easy Ride

Route 6: Thornhill/Upper Derwent Valley Trail
- Distance: 2-23 Miles | Elevation: 1,475ft
- A versatile, traffic-free loop perfect for all abilities. Cruise along the Thornhill Trail and circle the stunning Ladybower, Derwent, and Howden Reservoirs. Adjust the distance to suit your day!

Medium Adventures

Our medium routes offer a great mix of terrain and challenge, perfect for a solid day in the saddle:

Route 1: Shatton Mast
- Distance: 7.2 Miles | Elevation: 850ft
- A short, punchy route packed with great singletrack, fast descents, and superb views—ideal for a warm-up or a quick spin.
Route 2: The Beast of Hope Cross
- Distance: 11 Miles | Elevation: 1,220ft
- A perfect sampler of the Peak District, featuring a variety of trails from the old Thornhill railway line to the technical, rocky descents of ‘The Beast’ itself.
Route 3: Upper Derwent Classic
- Distance: 17 Miles | Elevation: 1,770ft
- A classic medium-distance loop that circles Ladybower and Derwent reservoirs, offering two significant climbs and descents amidst beautiful scenery.
Route 5: Stanage and Lady Cannings Explorer
- Distance: 19.5 Miles | Elevation: 2,000ft
- This explorer route mixes old packhorse routes, roads, and lanes, taking you past the iconic Stanage Edge and incorporating the flow trails at Lady Cannings.
Route 11: Lords and Ladies
- Distance: 21 Miles | Elevation: 2,150ft
- A medium-technical loop that links lanes and bridleways along the south of the Hope Valley, climbing up to Mam Tor and Lords Seat before a thrilling drop down Chapel Gate.
Route 10: Grindleford, Eyam and Edges
- Distance: 27 Miles | Elevation: 3,375ft
- A longer, less technical option that links lanes and light off-road tracks into the White Peak, looping back along the scenic Curber and Froggatt Edge.

Medium/Challenging

Route 7: Hope Valley and Hucklow
- Distance: 26 Miles | Elevation: 3,400ft
- A long ride featuring classic Dark Peak climbs and descents, including breathtaking views. You’ll tackle Hope Cross, descend Jaggers Clough, and climb up toward Mam Tor.

Hard/Challenging Epics

Ready for a real test? These demanding loops cover significant distance and elevation, featuring technical terrain:

Route 4: Shatton Ladybower Enduro
- Distance: 20 Miles | Elevation: 3,000ft
- A challenging ride that rewards your effort with four brilliant descents, ranging from wide grass tracks to tight, exhilarating singletrack.
Route 8: Chinley to Bamford A to B
- Distance: 19 Miles | Elevation: 3,200ft
- A different type of ride: take a short train journey to Chinley, then enjoy 2+ hours of riding that hits the highest point in the Peak District and follows a great section of the all-weather route.
Route 9: Caves and Castle
- Distance: 24 Miles | Elevation: 4,500ft
- The most demanding loop on the list, featuring six significant climbs and six rewarding descents. Expect a mix of everything, from the fast, open grass of Win Hill to the very technical boulder fields of Cavedale.

Need a Guide? Hire one of our Wahoo GPS devices, preloaded with all these routes for seamless navigation!

For complete guides, elevation profiles, and GPX files for all 11 routes, visit our full routes page: www.bikegarage.co.uk/routes

October 19 2025

Monkeyspoon.com Back Online

James Irwin Routes, Trail news, Workshop 0

Monkeyspoon started 20 years ago as a website I created to practice my web editing skills during a time before social media and Instagram. It evolved into a platform for sharing our collective passion for mountain biking in the Peak District, as well as participating in races in nearby areas and beyond.

Over the years, Jeff and I, along with many others, have contributed content to the site. Although we don’t post new material frequently anymore, we decided to refresh the website because much of the trail and route information remains relevant.

Much of my trail knowledge for the Bike Garage routes came from decades of riding in the Peak District.

We both still live locally and continue to ride, being founding members of Peak District MTB, which acts as a voice for mountain bikers in the region and helps with trail maintenance.

January 8 2025

Route 11 – Lords and Ladies

James Irwin Routes Edale, Hope Cross, Lords Seat, Mam Tor, Routes

GPX File

Route Map

Lords and Ladies

Difficulty: Medium

Length: 21 miles

Elevation: 2,150 ft

A middle distance, medium technical loop linking lanes, off-road tracks, & Bridleways along the south of the Hope Valley before climbing up onto Mam Tor and Lords Seat. Before dropping down Chapel Gate into the Edale Valley.

This is a great route for those looking for a varied route that covers a good variety of trails and landscapes. It is shorter than some of the other routes and less technical. There are some good options for refreshment stops and additional technical descents. The route name Lords and Ladies comes from as it passes over Lords Seat, the highest bridleway in the Peak District, and around the South side of Ladybower (Ladies)

Map and Elevation Profile

The Route

Beginning at the Bike Garage, exit the site, take a right onto Hope Road, and then make the first left over the small bridge across the river into Shatton.

Follow Shatton Lane until you reach a fork. Take the right fork onto Townfield Lane, leading you through a ford. Continue along this track as it gradually climbs. After about one mile, you’ll encounter another fork; take the right-hand option through a gate onto the gravel track that runs along the edge of the field—another gate and a short descent down to Brough Lane before meeting the much wider Stretfield Road.

Dirtlow Rake with the Valley behind.

Dirtlow Rake

The route continues

Taking a right, riding along the road for just under a mile into Bradwell, the first village on the route. Taking the right, up the side of the park via Gore Lane. Look out for the bridleway on your right once you reach the top corner of the park.

This bridleway passes through the grounds of the cement work and brings you out at the bottom of Pindale, the first significant climb. Pindale is an old quarry that provides a technical yet rewarding challenge. As you come out the top of the quarry, a short tarmac section before splitting off right and climbing Dirtlow Rake, a long, relatively mellow gravel climb. With excellent views back down the valley on a good day.

The Top of Dirtlow Rake

This is the longest climb on the route; the track turns towards Mam Tor and to a tarmac surface. Before meeting the more major Sheffield Road, turn right and follow the road before passing the National Trust car park on your right. Turn to climb up the road towards Mam Tor; just before the summit, look for a bridleway on the left up onto Lord Seat; this is the highest bridleway in the Peak District and a great view from the ridge at the top.

Following the bridleway downhill, after 0.8 miles, turn right and head down Chapel Gate, which drops you downhill into the Edale valley. This is the longest descent on this route. Chapel Gate joins the Edale road and follows it down the Valley.

Time for refreshments

Edale provides a good stop-off point for refreshments at the Penny Pot Cafe or The Rambler Inn near the train station.

View of Lords Seat from Mam Tor

Climbing towards Jaggers Clough

Down through the woods

The final climb

The route continues east down the Edale Valley, passing through Nether Booth after 0.3 miles. Look out for the gate and bridleway on the left. This trail ascends towards Jagger Clough, where you’ll encounter a stream crossing followed by a steep, rocky, and technical climb up to the Hope Cross junction. Instead of descending at Hope Cross, the route takes a less technical option by dropping down into Elmin Pits. From there, you’ll enjoy an easy-going ride around the south side of Ladybower, eventually returning down the Thornhill Trail. This provides a nice and gentle finish to the loop.

Top of Elmin Pits

Trail through Elmin Pits

Woods below the farm

Ladybower Res

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February 28 2024

Route 10 – Grindleford, Eyam and Edges

James Irwin Routes

Route Map

GPX File

Grindleford, Eyam and Edges

Difficulty: Medium

Length: 27 miles

Elevation: 3375 ft

A longer but less technical loop linking lanes and light off-road tracks into the White Peak. Before looping back around and returning along Curber and Froggatt Edge.

Map and Elevation Profile

Track past Offerton Hall

The Route starts from the Bike Garage. Leave the site and take a right-hand turn along Hope Road, before taking the first right over the small bridge over the river into Shatton. Take the first left turn after you climb a small hill and pass through a row of houses. The path initially has a Tarmac surface but changes to a gravel track once you go through the big gate.

The track continues climbing up and passing through Oferton Hall before returning to the tarmac and snaking around the hill to join the more significant Abney Road. At this point, you turn left and follow the Road downhill for around 1 mile. Where the Road meets the B6001, and you have the Plough Inn Pub

Refreshment Stop

This would be an early opportunity for many to stop for refreshments or food. Turning right and climbing up before taking the first right-hand

You are turning right and climbing a steeply narrow lane into Leam, a route that offers breathtaking views of the countryside. Riding along this beautifully lined country road, you’ll join Sir William Hill, another scenic spot. At this time, you have the option of turning left and dropping down Sir William Hill into Grindleford, or you can turn right and add an extra descent via Eyam, both routes offering picturesque landscapes.

After dropping down into Grindleford, you will want to turn right opposite the Sir William pub before turning right again onto the main Road heading south. After a short but manageable Road climb, you’ll reach the junction of New Road and Main Road where you want to take the right-hand split onto the narrower New Road. Please note, this Road is a dead end due to a landslide, but it’s ideal for cyclists as it’s lovely and quiet, ensuring your safety and peace of mind.

The beutiful tree lined road between Plough Pub and Sir William Hill

After climbing up New Road for 0.8 of a mile you want to take the left-hand turning dropping down Jacob’s ladder into Stoney Middleton. This is a short rocky track descent that brings you down into the back of Stony via the Church.

At the bottom of the hill, you join the Nook Road which meets the A623. Turning left at this junction heading downhill for around half a mile before turning right immediately after the football pitch on your right-hand side.

Longest Climb

You’ve reached the bottom of Coombs Dale which is a long quarry-style rocky track climb up the bottom of Coombs Dale. The climb is around 2 miles in length with an average gradient of five degrees. When you get to the top there is a crossroads where you want to turn left and left again. Which brings you back along the south side of the dale with views back down into the climb you’ve just made. The bridleway then joins Bramley lane which drops down to cross Hassop Road.

Where you want to continue straight across on Bramley lane this little lane drops you into the back of Baslow. This marks the furthest south you will be going on this route from here you begin to head north back along the edges.

Jacobs Ladder down into Stoney Middleton

Coombs Dale

Track along the top of Coombs Dale.

After passing through Baslow over the bridge, you pass the church on your right, taking the next left onto the school lane. The next section is one of the steepest on the route. At the top of the school lane, you take the left-hand fork onto Bar Road.

Following the bar, Road uphill before taking the left-hand split onto the bridleway, climbing up to the back of Curber edge.

View from the top

With stunning views down onto Chatsworth and the Derwent Valley, keep heading north along the bridleway to Curber Gap. This is where the road climbs up through the edge. Pass straight across the road and up onto Froggat Edge. It’s always worth stopping once you’ve got to the top of the edge to admire the view. This is a fun section of the Bridleway. It’s a rocky path along the top of the edge that eventually drops down to join the A625.

Froggat Edge

Along Froggat Edge

After a short Road section pass the Grouse Inn. Shortly after taking a left turn onto the Longshore Estate. Passing by Longshore House where there is a cafe. Heading on straight across Grindleford Road, dropping down to take the right-hand split straight over Hathersage Road onto the Burbage Valley track. This is a long gradual incline up to Burbage Bridge. Following uphill through the car park, before taking the right-hand split onto Dale Road. Heading downhill below Stanage Edge. Before turning right onto North Lees Road. The road bears right around a small woodland you want to take the left and turn onto the Bridleway. Which will drop you down onto Birley Lane. Follow Birley Lane and at the junction with Coggers Lane. Where you want to take a left followed by a right down to the Hope Valley Ice Cream.

Almost at the end of the ride so a good place for a relaxing stop.

Following the farm track down to the main valley road. Turning right and using the cycleway on the pavement bring you back. Turning right when you get to the petrol station following the road uphill turning left at Mytham bridge, across the footbridge and back onto the Garden Centre.

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April 18 2023

Route 9 – Caves and Castles

James Irwin Routes Hope Cross, Mam Tor, Route, The Beast

GPX File

Komoot Route

Caves and Castles

Difficulty: Challenging

Length: 24 Miles (38km)

Elevation Gain: 4,500ft (1370m)

This is a demanding loop with six significant climbs followed by six brilliant descents. There is a mix of every trail here from the fast flowing open grass descents of Win Hill to very technical boulder fields of Cavedale. Make sure you have your climbing legs as this route climbs almost 4,500ft (1,370m) over 24 miles (38km).

Route Profile

Route Summary

Starting at the Bike Garage cross over the road to Shatton Lane. Follow this quiet lane before taking the first left. Follow this lane for 0.3 miles until you get to a gate, through this gate is a bridleway through a field that has a short steep climb followed by a quick descent before getting to the next road.

From here follow this road up to the next bridleway on your right, this bridleway takes you up towards the start of the first climb of the day up to Shatton Mast.

Gate – Track towards the mast

Once through this gate you follow the bridleway for just under one mile through the open moorland before joining the top of Shatton Lane where it becomes a wide gravel trail. Continue following this lane past the mast, through a few gates then around to the top of the Bradwell descent.

The first descent

The Bradwell descent is a brilliant little singletrack, it is just shy of half a mile (0.8km) descending roughly 350ft (106m). It can be a little slippery if there has been some rain down and keep an eye out for other trail users. After dropping down to Bradwell it is time to climb back up to the top of cavedale. This is the second climb of the day, it is a long one at 3 miles (5km) and climbing 810ft (245m) so settle in and get ready for the upcoming Cavedale descent.

Cavedale

Cavedale is a very popular descent with all trail users. It starts out at a gentle gradient through open fields before dropping into a very tough, technical boulder field. Lasting approximately 1.3 miles (2km) and descending 675ft (205m) you will come across a wide range of trail surfaces that will test your technical skills and brakes! If you are descending

Watch out

Cavedale on the weekend you should anticipate other users to be on the trail, it is a very popular one for walkers. Once you have reached the bottom of the descent you will find yourself in Castleton where you will work your way towards the Old Mam Tor road, also known as the broken road. This is a 0.6 mile (1km) section of abandoned road due to historical landslides giving it a very post-apocalyptic feel. This climb will take you up towards the next descend of the day, Greenhills.

Mam Tor – Greenlands

Hollins Cross – Edale

Back Tor

By now you are 13 miles (21km) into the ride – over halfway! The next descent is a Peak District classic, Greenlands. This is a brilliant 0.5-mile (0.8km) descent down the grassy slopes of Mam Tor. It is a mix of wide sections and deep rutted lines so be sure to keep an eye on your line!

After reaching the end of this descent it is back up

To the great ridgeline and Hollins Cross, a 0.6 mile (1km) climb covering more rutted sections and some natural steps towards the top – Kudos if you are able to clean it. Once at Hollins Cross it is a turn to the left, dropping down to Back Tor farm.

After the short climb another descent

This is a similar descent to Greenhills dropping 450ft (137m) over 0.6 miles (1km) to the Edale road where you take a right and follow the road for 0.8 miles (1.3km) before taking a left through a date to start climbing the bridleway towards Jaggers Clough.

Elmin Pits Climb

The climb up from Jaggers Clough to Hope Cross is a steep one, ideal if you have hired an e-bike, it is popular in both directions so once again, keep an eye on other trail users.

Once at Hope Cross continue straight to The Beast

This is another Peak District classic, it is 0.3 miles (0.5km) starting with a rocky descent into the woods before becoming much more boulder covered twisting down the hill side. Keep an eye out for the gate on the right at the second major left bend, you are going through here onto the fire track that runs along the south side of the Derwent reservoir. Follow this fire track for 0.4 miles (0.6km) and turn right after the gate to start climbing up Elmin Pits, this climb takes you back up just south east of Hope Cross putting you on for the final descent of the day.

Run for home, Aston BW

Turn left at the top of Elmin Pits and follow the top of the ridge towards Win Hill for 1.1 miles (1.7km), keeping an eye out for the bridleway dropping to the right you take this down to Aston.

This is the last descent of the route

It is a fast flowy way to finish the day. You descend for roughly one mile (1.6km) dropping 365ft (111m) providing a really good finish to this ride with brilliant views over the Peak District. Once you hit the road at the bottom turn left and follow it through to Thornhill, when you see the red phone box turn right, drop down the hill and turn left onto Water Lane. From here follow the lane for 0.4 miles (0.6km), turn right onto the Bamford Recreational Ground and follow the trail back to the Bike Garage.

With this you are done, you will have covered 24 miles and roughly 4,500ft of climbing through six brilliant descents.

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November 7 2019

Route 8 – Chinley to Bamford A to B

James Irwin Routes

GPX File

Komoot Route

Chinley to Bamford A to B

Difficulty: Challenging

Length: 19 Miles (30.5km)

Elevation Gain: 3,200ft (975m)

This is a different type of ride involving a short 20 minute train journey for 2+ hours of riding, taking in the highest point in the peak district and a good portion of the peak district all weather route. With the option for two coffee stops and roughly 2,500ft of descending there is something here for everyone to enjoy!

This ride suits itself to those wishing to hire a bike from the Bike Garage for a proper day in the peaks. Starting at the Bike Garage a short trip to the Bamford train station is the first step, make sure you go to the Manchester side of the tracks as you don’t want to set off towards Sheffield! Get on one of the frequent trains through to Chinley, this is only a 20-minute ride so be sure not to miss your stop.

Route Profile

Once in Chinley leave the station via the footbridge onto station road, from here follow the road left to Green lane then left again onto Stubbins lane. Now it is time for the first climb of the day, follow Stubbins lane for roughly a mile before turning right onto the bridleway just after the paved driveway, this is the start of the offroad section. This stretch of the bridleway is followed for another mile before reaching a wooden gate, pass through this gate and follow the bridleway for the first descent down to Chapel road. This is a nice little descent with amazing views of the Peak District and the route to come.

View towards Kinder

After joining onto Chapel road turn left and then right at the building, this is only a short road section but is quite a fast road so be careful for traffic. From Chapel road, it is a short half a mile climb up to a very nice descent that drops you down to Coldwell Clough and the foot of the climb up towards Kinder Scout. This descent is a fast-flowing wide grass descent that drops into a more rugged bridleway before joining the small lane, as you get to the end of the descent keep right so you don’t miss the road.

Now it is time for the climb up to the top of Jacobs Ladder, this is a long climb that brings you up just over 900ft over the space of 1.5 miles. It is peppered in loose boulders so can be quite a challenge but the views from the top and the upcoming Jacobs Ladder descent make it well worth it. It’s worth noting this bridleway can be very popular, especially during the weekends in summer so respect other trail users moving in either direction. By the time you have reached the top of the climb at Edale Cross you will be on for roughly 6 miles, the next 3.6 miles are all downhill and come nicely to Edale where you can stop for food and drink. But before coffee and cake it is time for the Jacobs Ladder descent, this is a rugged steep descent that drops you almost 600ft in just less than a mile!

Keep an eye out for other trail users coming up in the opposite direction and make sure you spot your line as there are some little drops that can catch up on you quickly if you are not careful! After this descent follow the bridleway for roughly 2.5 miles taking you through Upper Booth, joining the road into Barber Booth then turning left on the Edale road and following it into Edale.

Jacobs Ladder MTB Classic

When you arrive in Edale you have two options, you can push on with the route climbing up to Hollins Cross or take half an hour to get some food and drink from the Penny Pot Cafe.If this takes your fancy ride into Edale turning left at the junction with the red phone box opposite it, just up here you will see the signs for Edale train station and just before the station is the Penny Pot Cafe, they have outdoor seating around the back and it’s a very worthwhile stop to refuel before the next half of this ride.

And just before the station is the Penny Pot Café. Under new enthusiastic ownership since March 2019 you can be sure of a warm welcome. Open all year round you can treat yourself to some simple home cooked food, a piece of cake or if you just need a water bottle refill they are more than happy to oblige. If it’s a cold day you can relax by the log burner and on the warmer days take a break on the terrace before you set off fully recharged for the next half of this ride.

: Penny Pot Cafe Edale

After following the bridleway for almost a mile you will get to a gate, the route goes through this gate and turns right through another gate, the bridleway continues through the field along the stone wall be careful not to follow the footpath that runs parallel with the wire fence. After following through the field for a short while you get to a gate, go through this and continue along the wall to a second gate, the trail gets narrower as it runs along the bottom of a hill before becoming a fun singletrack descent down to a property. Join the road and follow it to a second property and look out for the limestone way sign near the rusted gate, this is again a grassy trail that you follow to the A623 where you take a left following it to a back road just after the first property you come to.

Hollins Cross before the drop-down to Back Tor

Once you have got into Edale or finished at the cafe it is time to climb up to Hollins Cross, the next significant climb on this route. The lane taken to the bridleway is on the right as you come into Edale, it is just before the red phone box you use to find the cafe. You follow this lane for just half a mile before taking the bridleway on the left and climbing up to Hollins Cross. This is another good climb over half a mile climbing almost 300ft, it offers some amazing views over the valley and really pays off during the summer months. After the final kick up to Hollins Cross the route takes the descent to the left down to back tor farm, this is a fast flowing descent that drops into some deep skinny sections, it’s not one that is covered too often due to its location on the hill but works perfectly for this route. After dropping down here you join back onto the Edale road where you turn right, under the bridge and follow for just shy of one mile before joining the bridleway that passes round the back of Clough farm.

This bridleway is followed for 1.5 miles up to Hope Cross, on this section you drop down and climb back up Jaggers Clough, this is a steep climb that is popular in both directions so keep an eye out for other users in each direction. After the final climb up to Hope Cross you get the option to descend down The Beast, turn left to go down to Spud Alley or follow to the right to drop down towards the Roman Road. This route follows down to the Roman road and follows it for half a mile before turning left after the gate climbing up towards Hope Brink and on towards Win Hill. At this point you can follow the Roman Road down into Hope if you want to have a second cafe stop at Cafe Adventure. If you don’t fancy a cafe stop take the left up towards Win Hill. After climbing up here you will see the sign for the bridleway pointing to the right, drop down here for the final major descent of this route, this drops you down to Aston on the Aston Bridleway, this is a 400ft descent that is just over one mile long before joining the road again. At the road take a left and follow it through to Thornhill for just over one mile then take a right at the red phone box before dropping down the road then turning left onto Water Lane. Follow water lane for 0.7 of a mile then turn right into the recreational grounds then through to the garden center under the train bridge back to the Bike Garage.

View from Hope Brinks, final long descent back down to the shop.

This route comes in for 19 miles climbing roughly 3,200ft taking in some significant climbs and descents with a couple of cafe stops on the way. It is perfect if you are wanting to hire a bike from the shop, check the website for availability.

You can download the GPX of the route by following this link.

Want to explore this route? Book your bikes online now!

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January 26 2019

Route 7 – Hope Valley and Hucklow

James Irwin Routes

GPX File

Route Map

Hope Valley and Hucklow

Difficulty: Medium/Challenging

Length: 26 Miles (42km)

Elevation Gain: 3,400ft (1,036m)

A longer ride taking in some classic dark peak climbs and descents with breathtaking views throughout. Starting and finishing at the Bike Garage this ride starts off heading north up the Thornhill trail to the Ladybower Reservoir before climbing up towards Hope Cross and descending down Jaggers Clough.

A quick road section to Edale leads you up to Mam Tor then south towards the Peak Forest and on for some gravel road action along the dark/white peak boundary into Abney and on for a final descent from Shatton Moor down to the Bike Garage. This ride makes for a perfect loop for those wanting a longer ride covering a satisfying span of the Peak District.

Route Profile

The bridleway up to Wooler Knoll

This ride leaves the back of the Bike Garage towards the Thornhill Trail. The trail is followed for 1.5 miles, it is a perfect warm up to get the legs going before turning left for the climb up to Wooler Knoll, be sure not to fly past the turn off, it is seen just by the bench on the left of the trail. Drop it into a low gear and spin away up this climb until you leave the wooded area and see a large gate on the left, this climb is just over a mile climbing 260ft. Once at the gate head through it for the final climb out of the woods up to Hope Brink giving way to incredible views of Lose Hill and the valley leading to Edale.

Link through to the ridge

After taking in the views the route follows the ridgeline to the right through to Hope Cross, this is a tough little climb with a number of step ledges in it. Once at the top turn left to follow the rocky descent down to Jaggers Clough, before the river crossing get into a low gear for the climb up the other side. The climb out of Jaggers Clough is loose and again has a few steps making it a little technical towards the top. Once at the top the trail meanders along to Clough Farm before dropping down to Edale Road via a narrow singletrack descent through the trees. From, here the route heads towards Edale for 1.7 miles before turning left and heading up towards Hollins Cross.

The short climb to Hope Cross junction.

The climb to Hollins Cross is a 0.65 mile section climbing 250ft, it is possible to ride up it without stopping thanks to the recent maintenance carried out by Peak District MTB. At Hollins Cross the route turns right following the stone slab trail towards Mam Tor, this is a perfect location for a few photos and a good halfway point for some lunch with a view. When you get to the second gate keep to the right as this is the bridleway that runs along the north side of Mam Tor unlike the footpath that goes straight to the peak. Follow this bridleway down to the road then it’s time for another road section. Follow the road to the left through the middle of the hillside then down the south side to the junction with Sheffield Road, turn left and follow down the hill and around the sharp right hand corner for 0.7 miles. On your left shortly after the turn off for Winnats Pass you will see a sign for Rowter Farm, go through this gate and follow the part paved part gravel track for just short of a mile.

Past Rowter farm

Leaving the wider track and heading over the field.

This back road is followed for 1.5 miles then you turn right onto a gravel track as the road turns sharply left, follow this track to the end where it joins onto Forest lane, follow this road for a quick mile into Little Hucklow. Once in Little Hucklow turn right and then a very sharp steep left through the village to the junction with the B6049, straight ahead is a second gravel track that climbs a little bit and has a significant gulley in it making for a fairly technical section that is followed for almost a mile into Great Hucklow. Ride through Great Hucklow keeping an eye out for the side road opposite the phone box, this climbs up to the school, follow this road behind the school as it becomes an off road trail climbing up through Great Hucklow woods to another back road. At this back road turn left and follow it for 1.7 miles enjoying the incredible scenery before getting to Abney.

Straight over the road and up to Great Hucklow.

Keep an eye out for a red phone box in Abney, opposite it is Duper Lane, the trail that climbs up to Shatton Moor. This is the final notable climb of the ride and once at the top the bridleway is followed to the right towards the mast. After the mast the trail descends quickly for oly 0.4 of a mile before going into the fields through a wooden gate. This section of trail is then followed for 0.8 miles descending into Offerton. Take a left once you get to the road and ride through the small collection of houses and take a left onto another offroad trail that is followed through a few more fields before coming out onto Shatton Lane after one mile. From here turn right and follow to the junction with the A6187 and it’s back to the Bike Garage!

The view from above Shatton, leaving the road and turning onto the Bridleway.

This is a good ride for those wanting to go a little further than they might usually but take in some incredible views throughout. I would recommend hiring an e-bike for this one so you can enjoy it a little more. A full suspension bike would also be fine however due to the mainly gravel trails with only a few steep/technical sections you would be fine on a hardtail bike as well.

You can download the GPX of the route by following this link.

Want to explore this route? Book your bikes online now!

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January 26 2019

Route 6 – Thornhill/Upper Derwent Valley Trail

James Irwin Routes

Route Map

GPX File

Thornhill/Upper Derwent Valley Trail

Difficulty: Easy/Medium

Length: 2-26 Miles

Elevation: 1475ft

Traffic free loop ranging from only a couple of miles up to a longer ride your choice. Starting on the Thornhill trail, heading up to and round Ladybower/Derwent and Howden Reservoir. With miles of smooth traffic free explore at your own pace.

The Thornhill trail once carried materials to construct the Derwent and Howden. It is now a traffic-free trail and the perfect way to get from our shop up to the Ladybower Reservoir. It is a wide smooth trail and means you can enjoy the view and chat as you head out.

Once you get to the Ladybower you pass the dam wall and continue to head north towards Fairholmes visitor centre and the Upper Derwent Valley. The route has no significant climbs but undulates around the edge of the water.

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January 26 2019

Route 5 – Stanage & Lady Cannings

James Irwin Routes

Route Map

GPX File

Stanage and Lady Cannings Explorer

Difficulty: Medium

Length: 19.5 miles

Elevation: 2000ft

A reliable 19.5 mile route climbing just over 2000 feet of elevation, taking in the views of stanage edge the enjoyment of Lady Cannings with some lovely ice cream from Thorpe farm.

This ride has a little bit of everything for everyone whether you want to race around or make a day of it enjoying the ice cream and the numerous pub stops.

Route Profile

This ride starts out at the bike garage turning left out of the car park and following the A6187 towards Hathersage for 1 mile before taking another left and climbing up towards Thorpe farm. The owners of Thorpe farm have been kind enough to allow us access through the farmyard on this route, please be respectful of other users of the trail and any personnel working on the farm. Thorpe farm also makes and sells its own ice cream so be sure to stop by to get yourself home along with a refreshing drink!

After passing through the farm the route to climbs further up following coggers lane for a little over a mile before taking the Stanage Causeway up to the top of Stanage Edge. You will pass over a cattle grid and the road will take a sharp right-hand turn where there is a small car park, follow the gravel bridleway continue straight ahead and follow this all the way up to Stanage Pole.

The climb from the start of the causeway up to Stanage pole is a little over 1.5 miles climbing 360 feet, on a clear day you can see the majority of the Peak District from the top of the edge, making this an incredibly satisfying climb. From Stanage pole the route drops down towards Redmires Reservoir, this is a wide gravel descent descending just short of 1 mile and dropping you down 260 feet, it can be a fast descent so be careful of other trail users both coming up and going down. The route now follows the road for 3.5 miles taking you along the top of redmires reservoirs before taking a right turn onto Soughley lane, up Roper hill and towards Ringinglow. Ringinglow is a good spot to stop at for a refreshment drink at the Norfolk Arms before heading up to Lady Cannings.

Lady Cannings

At this point in the ride it is up to you on how many laps of Lady Cannings you want to do. Lady Cannings offers two mountain bike trails, the older of the two being Blue Steel, a very fun, flowy trail with a small climb at the end to get back onto the main fire track. The second trail is Cooking on Gas this is a more pedaly descent with the top section being relatively flat but still very fun! Cooking on Gas feels longer, however both descents are the same length with Blue Steel being more downhill focused and cooking on gas having some flatter sections. It is up to you how much of Lady Canning’s you ride but once you’re finished the route continues over Houndkirk towards the Fox House pub. The ride over houndkirk is just shy of 2 miles meandering over a wide sandy byway.

Houndkirk Road

After Houndkirk there is a short half mile road section passing the Fox House before turning right onto the bottom of Burbage valley. Burbage valley is a very similar trail surface to Houndkirk however it is considerably smoother with less loose rocks. It is a nice gentle 1.5 mile climb up to the top to gain the last bit of elevation for the main decent back to the bike garage. At the top of Burbage valley turn left and instead of following the road, pass through the car park as a short steep little technical climb cuts out the long road bend and keeps you off the road just for a little bit longer. After the last little climb from the car park the road forks into two, this route follows it to the right hand side before dropping down on a road section to the bottom of Stanage Edge. Just before the cattle grid turn right onto North Lees road, follow North Lees road for half a mile before turning right again just before the cattle grid. On the left-hand side there is a bridleway that drops into the woods, take this and follow the trail through the woods and into the fast rolling field behind North Lees campsite and into Cottis Side.

North Lees Permissive BW

This is a really enjoyable route that holds up in most weather conditions, it has a little bit of something for everyone and regardless of the weather it is always a good ride out! If you were to make a day of it in the summer make sure you stop at Thorpe farm for some locally made ice cream, the perfect way to start or finish a ride.

Coggers Lane

The Trail at Lady Cannings was crowd-funded by the local riding community. Organised by Ride Sheffield a trail advocacy group run by volunteers. We have supported their work over the years and would encourage you to support them with either your time or cash donations to help maintain the trails in and around Sheffield.

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January 24 2019

Route 4 – Shatton Ladybower Enduro

James Irwin Routes

GPX File

Route Map

Shatton Ladybower Enduro

Difficulty: Hard

Length: 20 miles (32km)

Elevation Gain: 3,000ft (914m)

This is a slightly more challenging ride that offers four brilliant descents ranging from wide grass routes to tight, exciting singletrack.

The route does have some tough climbs that can test a rider if they don’t pace themselves, it is best to take it steady putting the effort in on the climbs and descents while recovering on the flats. Hope is positioned just before the halfway mark making it a perfect place to stop for some food and drinks before starting the second half if you need it!

Route Profile

Map and Elevation profile

The route starts at the Bike Garage in Bamford before a short but steep road climb to Offerton, after 1.7 miles and roughly 380ft of climbing the route moves onto a bridleway climbing up towards Shatton Lane. This bridleway works along the hillside through an open field before joining up onto Shatton Lane, a gravel road providing brilliant views to the right with a few gates along the way. This bridleway is followed for roughly 2.2 miles before turning left at a gate with a large chain on it, keep an eye out for this as it is very easy to fly past.

Top of Brough Lane split for Bradwell Edge.

At this point the route has its first major descent from Bradwell Edge down to Bradwell. It is a 0.5 mile route dropping just over 350ft, it is a fairly tight singletrack descent that is a little overgrown in some places and has a couple of gullies you need to keep an eye out for. Once at the bottom of this descent the route shoots through a straight offroad section that comes out onto a farm track before taking a left and finally dropping into Bradwell. From Bradwell the route joins onto the bridleway that takes you behind and through the Breedon Hope Cement Works, this is a cool industrial area that has a number of bridges going over the top of the bridleway and gives it quite a unique feel, just be aware of vehicles at the crossing points because this is an active worksite! After the bridleway joins onto Pindale Road turn right and follow it for roughly one mile down into Hope, here you can stop for some food and to fill up your drinks.

Turn in the road after the Bridge on Fulwood Stile Road

From Hope the route follows the Edale Road for almost a mile before joining Fullwood Stile Lane and then going on to the Roman Road, the turnoff is just after a narrow bridge and continues in the direction you are riding up towards Win Hill. The Roman Road climb is about a mile and a half long and climbs just over 250ft before taking you to Hope Cross.

Top of the Roman Road, views of the Edale Valley

At Hope Cross the route follows straight towards a descent called spud alley (Google Maps calls it the Roman Road), this is one of the longest descents on this route. Spud Alley is a wide rocky descent with thousands of small lose spud sized rocks that move making the lines different each time, it is a tough descent but as long as you keep your speed and look out for the smoothest line you can get down fairly smoothly. The descent is just over half a mile long and drops you almost 300ft down to a small road that leads to the A57. The next climb is up to Rowlee Farm, the crossing over the A57 is fairly clear but be extra careful when listening out for cars as it is a fast road. The Rowlee Farm climb is all tarmaced but is quite significant as it covers almost 250ft in just under one mile. Once at the top of the climb the route turns right and heads down towards the Hagg Farm descent, signs are at the top of the climb showing the direction to Hagg Farm.

The Hagg Farm descent is a brilliant offering of five deep wide berms working their way into the woods for a finish on a rocky descent similar to Spud Alley but a little more tame, this descent makes for some brilliant pictures just be aware of the gate at the start of the woods. Once at the bottom of the descent it’s time to cross the A57 again and head down to the bottom of The Beast taking a left on the first significant right hander, from here the route follows the reservoir firetrack for just shy of a mile before climbing up the horrid climb (Strava name isn’t so PC).

After the horrid climb the route takes a left towards Win Hill before dropping down the Aston Bridleway into Aston then following Thornhill Lane and turning left onto Water Lane, this is an easy turn off to miss so keep an eye out for the wooden post with the white sign on it (See picture below). After following Water Lane for half a mile turn right into the Thornhill Recreation Ground and back into the Garden Center and Bike Garage.

This loop is a really good day out and is currently running the best it has been for a while. It covers 20 miles over 3,000ft of climbing with four solid climbs and four rewarding descents ranging from wide rocky trails to tight singletrack. The views over the peak district from the Roman Road are of the best in the Peak District and the option to stop in Hope for refreshments makes it perfect for someone wanting to take it steady and make a day of it as well as those who want to push themselves.

You can download the GPX of the route by following this link

Turning onto Water Lane after the drop down from Thornhill.

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Routes

​ Easy Ride

​ Medium Adventures

​ Medium/Challenging

​ Hard/Challenging Epics

Lords and Ladies

A middle distance, medium technical loop linking lanes, off-road tracks, & Bridleways along the south of the Hope Valley before climbing up onto Mam Tor and Lords Seat. Before dropping down Chapel Gate into the Edale Valley.

The Route

The route continues

Time for refreshments

The final climb

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Grindleford, Eyam and Edges

A longer but less technical loop linking lanes and light off-road tracks into the White Peak. Before looping back around and returning along Curber and Froggatt Edge.

Refreshment Stop

Longest Climb

View from the top

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Caves and Castles

Route Profile

Route Summary

The first descent

Watch out

After reaching the end of this descent it is back up

After the short climb another descent

Once at Hope Cross continue straight to The Beast

This is the last descent of the route

With this you are done, you will have covered 24 miles and roughly 4,500ft of climbing through six brilliant descents.

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Chinley to Bamford A to B

Route Profile

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Hope Valley and Hucklow

Route Profile

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Thornhill/Upper Derwent Valley Trail

Traffic free loop ranging from only a couple of miles up to a longer ride your choice. Starting on the Thornhill trail, heading up to and round Ladybower/Derwent and Howden Reservoir. With miles of smooth traffic free explore at your own pace.

Stanage and Lady Cannings Explorer

A reliable 19.5 mile route climbing just over 2000 feet of elevation, taking in the views of stanage edge the enjoyment of Lady Cannings with some lovely ice cream from Thorpe farm.

Route Profile

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Shatton Ladybower Enduro

This is a slightly more challenging ride that offers four brilliant descents ranging from wide grass routes to tight, exciting singletrack.

Route Profile

Map and Elevation profile

Want to explore this route? Book your bikes online now!

Easy Ride

Medium Adventures

Medium/Challenging

Hard/Challenging Epics