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Peak District cycling - general informationThe Peak District offers many opportunities for on and off-road cycling so this is a popular activity, especially on summer weekends. |
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  | Apart from mountain biking, the main centres for cycling are the trails set up along former railway tracks, plus the Upper Derwent Valley and the area around Carsington reservoir. There are six trails - the Longendale Trail, Sett Valley Trail, Monsal Trail, Tissington Trail, Manifold and Hamps Trail and High Peak Trail - ranging from the north of the Peak to its southern and eastern edges. ) Longendale Trail View The Sett Valley Trail runs from Hayfield to New Mills, along the route of the former railway. It is mostly fairly level cycling with some nice views, though much of the area is quite built-up. The Monsal Trail has recently had £2.5 million spent on it to open it up fully for cycling - mainly opening up closed tunnels - and now makes a spectacular route along the Wye valley from Bakewell to a few miles east of Buxton. The best return route is along the trail itself. Cycle hire is available at Hassop Station (near Bakewell) and at Blackwell Mill (the Buxton end of the trail). ) On the Tissington trail The High Peak Trail is perhaps the most interesting of the trails because this railway was not level but had several quite steep inclines, which now provide variety for the cyclist - even though you are advised not to cycle down them. It is also much less straight than other railways, with sharp curves which seem to give frequent changes of view. Cycle hire is available at Parsley Hay and Middleton Top. ) On the High Peak Trail To the west, the Manifold and Hamps Trail runs from Hulme End to Waterhouses, with cycle hire available at the old station in Waterhouses. Like the Tissington Trail, this offers possible round trips using the trail as the outward route and quiet country lanes for the return. Further north, the Upper Derwent Valley is a popular venue for cyclists, with routes for both mountain bikers and other cyclists. A simple route from the Fairholmes centre up the valley following the small road alongside the reservoirs is a pleasant ride - especially on Sundays when most traffic is banned. A circuit of the reservoirs is also a fine excursion, but it is a long way and much of it is rough going on unmade roads and tracks, so it is best done on a mountain bike. Finally, in the south of the region, the area around Carsington Reservoir offers good opportunities for cycle rides. There is a marked-out trail around the reservoir which follows a mixture of cycle ways and small roads. This is a fairly long ride (approximately 10 miles or 16 kilometres), but there are also plenty of opportunities for shorter rides in the area. Maps required are the Ordnance Survey 1:50000 sheets 110, 118 and 119, or the White Peak and Dark Peak 1:25000 Outdoor Leisure series. Cycling Photo Gallery - click on the images to enlarge- Click Here for a slide show
Useful links:Peak National Park Cycle Hire The cycle hire stations operated by the Peak District National Park. Peakdays Mountain Bike Mountain bike courses and guiding Mountain Biking in the Peak District Mountain bike maps, routes and guides Peak Tours - cycling and walking tours Peak Tours offers Cycling & Walking tours in the Heart of England – The Peak District | |||||||||
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