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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

This route using a real mixture of old packhorse routes, roads and lanes. Heading north towards Ladybower Reservoir on the Thornhill Trail. Before climbing up New Road to Stanage Edge, and then up through the edge via the causeway.

Traveling past the Stanage Pole and down to Redmires reservoirs. Connecting across to Houndkirk via some minor back roads. At this stage you have the option of a loop of lady Canning trail.

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!

This route takes in two large climbs, via classic peak district trails on the downs, with big views over the glorious peak district.

Heading up towards Ladybower reservoir, taking the trail up onto top of the moorland via Crook Hill farm. Descending back down to the side of Derwent Reservoir via Gores. A rocky fast trail, giving you a taste of classic trails of the area.
The second main climb takes you up onto Derwent Edge, a bridleway of three sections. A short steep climb, a flat section along below the edge and a singletrack downhill back towards the waters edge.

This ride is a perfect sample of the Peak District and the variety of trails it offers, from the old railway lines of the Thornhill Trail to the rocky technical descents of The Beast.

The 11 mile loop has something for everyone and provides some incredible views over the Mam Tor Ridgeline. The Beast descent is challenging and does require a certain amount of bike control and confidence, large rocks and loose stones can throw experienced riders off however it is a brilliant descent if you have the confidence.

From here the route is all offroad and it has a huge range of surfaces, the first bridleway climbs roughly 370ft over 1.1 miles, it has a couple of gates along the way so respect the land owners and close them once you have got through them. On the day of filming (21st June, 2018) the bridleway was running perfectly and even a bit dusty but note that trail conditions can change, recent work by Peak District Mountain Biking has vastly improved the drainage so it should be ok regardless of the weather.

After following the bridleway for just over a mile you get to the highest point of the ride, if the weather is clear you will be rewarded with brilliant views of the Peak District and the Mam Tor Ridgeline. You will see a green sign identifying the footpath up to Win Hill and the bridleway that you have just ridden up, the Beast of Hope Cross continues away from Win Hill towards Hope Cross via some grassy, sandy bridleway. The climb to Hope Cross is a fairly technical one, it is loose and rocky with a number of steps along the way, keep it in a low gear and make sure the legs keep spinning! Once at the top of this climb the route turns right to go down The Beast, this is the main feature descent of this loop dropping you 330ft over 0.5 miles. The Beast is rocky, loose and often changes so make sure you keep an eye on the trail in front of you, on this run I found a log down across part of the trail! Towards the bottom of The Beast the route goes through the gate towards the large firetrack that runs along the bottom of the Ladybower Reservoir. This wide firetrack is followed for around 3.2 miles before joining onto the Thornhill Trail, it is easy to speed down the road and miss the trail so look out for it on the right hand side as you pass the reservoir. The Thornhill Trail is followed for 1.5 miles before joining back onto Water Lane and through the recreation ground before getting back to the shop.

This loop provides riders with a perfect mix of terrain and riding without having to cover mega milage or altitude. If you are hiring a bike from the Bike Garage it works perfectly as you are able to start and finish from the hire point! This ride took just over one hour to complete but it is safe to allocate up to two and a half hours depending on how long it takes to climb, how many stops you take and how fast you descend. There are a number of scenic spots along this route making it perfect for someone wanting to take it steady and enjoy the views.

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