It’s that time of the year again when you are either scratching your head on what to buy folks or what to suggest if you are lucky enough for someone to ask you.
We’ve come up with a list of our own of the fave things that we stock and would like to appear in our stockings on Christmas day.
We hope you like our selection and it gives you a little bit of inspiration. Click here to see what we’ve selected.
Clumber Park is a popular spot with locals. The estate which was owned by the Duke of Newcastle is now run by the National Trust and is great for walking, cycling and relaxing.
This route starts at Chesterfield station and heads down the Transpennine Trail roughly following the Chesterfield canal and then a disused railway line. It the climbs over a hill via some quiet lanes and re-joins the canal at Kiveton.
Then it’s over to Worksop and follows the NCN route 6 through Worksop to Clumber. Then it’s through the Welbeck estate and Cresswell Crags where there’s a visitor centre and cafe.
The route then heads down the newly opened Clowne Branch line and down to Poolsbrook country park. It’s then back along the Transpennine Trail back to the start.
The route is more ultra-CX than pure gravel – do able on a gravel bike but a bit muddy in places, but not difficult enough to require an MTB.
There’s also a couple of places that you may have to get off and push your bike. Please be sensible and share with care.
Most of the routes I’ve posted are gravel based but every now and then I like to mix it up and get my MTB out. This is a variation of an after work ride I’ve done with a mate.
It’s got a healthy mix of fast descents, killer climbs and postcard quality views on a good day. It’s a tough little circuit, especially if it’s windy, but we like our routes with a bit of gnarl as that makes it feel like we’re getting value for money.
The start/ finish I’ve chosen is at one end of the closed road at Eyam, but there’s nothing to stop you starting elsewhere.
We’ve a soft spot for the White Peak. It’s often overlooked in favour of it’s bolder brassier Dark Peak neighbour, but has a wealth of trails that are worth discovering.
This gravel based route starts and finishes at Alport near Youlgreave. It’s a mix of gravel tracks, quiet roads and bridleways. There’s also a small section of the High Peak trail in there.
If it doesn’t kill you….
There are also some absolutely belting gravel based climbs for those who enjoy that type of thing. Climbs on the road in the Peak are tough. Doing it on gravel just turns the notch up a couple. Here’s a few of our favourites.
One of the Peak’s most famous climbs. This former A road is slowly heading towards the valley floor which leads to a dramatic post apocalyptic landscape.
Longstone’s rightfully a popular climb with local roadies. A tough little number, but you are rewarded with a fantastic view at the end, The gravel version is relatively easy and goes via a working quarry with quite an impressive hole !
Shatton’s one of those climbs that you don’t find in many guide books. It’s steep and a lot of it’s not gravel – it’s on precast concrete slabs that were put down so that vehicles could get to the transmitter mast at the top. However it’s a bit rough on a road bike and once you are the mast it’s full on gravel so it’s ignored by those who like lycra.
We used this on the Hardcore100 and got quite a bit of ‘customer feedback’ on it so it’s must be a toughie ! A good alternative to the normal road route, the first steep bit is on tarmac. Once you’ve got to the farms half way up the gradient settles down however the surface becomes very sketchy just to make up for that.
Stanage has a big mountain feel to it. The route has always been a fave descent but it also makes a cracking climb. There’s also one of the best views anywhere at the top.
Rowsley’s got a bit of reputation in road riding circles and this little climb that links Rowsley Bar to Beeley keeps that aura going.
This is Rowsley’s other climb. One of our fave’s that we’ve been using a for years and is a good ‘back way’ into Bakewell.
We used this towards the end of the Brutal Tootle. It’s a climb that just keeps on giving.
The man who was never lost never went very far – GHB Ward
Without GHB and those early pioneers we probably would not be able to run our events.
George Herbert Bridges or GHB or Bert Ward was born in the middle of Sheffield in 1876. In 1900 he put an advert in the Clarion newspaper for a walk around the highest hill in Derbyshire Kinder Scout. Back in those days you could walk around the plateau but the summit was private land.
On the back of this walk he formed the Sheffield Clarion Ramblers, the world’s first working class rambling club. This organisation became the chief organisation for campaigning for greater access in the Dark Peak. As early as 1907, 25 years before the famous mass trespass, they were organising walks across privately owned shooting moors.
In 1923 Ward was served an injunction to prevent him setting foot on land on the western, Hayfield side of the Kinder plateau which would have prevented him taking part in the mass trespass 9 years later.
Ward was also a Freemason. This may seem strange from a man who was a committed socialist. It however did give him access to some of the major local landowners.
Federation of rambling clubs were starting to form in northern cities like Liverpool and Manchester. In 1926 GHB was instrumental in forming a federation of the 18 Sheffield Rambling clubs.
A year later a meeting of all of the ramblers federations was held in Hope with the aim of forming a national body.
In 1931 another meeting was held at Longshaw Lodge, which had recently been purchased from the Duke of Rutland using an early version of crowdfunding. This established the National Council of Ramblers Federations, which in 1935 became the Ramblers Association.
In 1941 GHB retired to Storth Lodge on the edge of Holmesfield. Folks that entered the Brutal Tootle passed the entrance to this house.
Without the pioneering work of GHB we probably would not have had the access to the uplands we do at the moment.
Great advocacy work has been done locally to us by groups like Ride Sheffield and Peak District MTB, working with local landowners to improve access and help them maintain local trails.
The short MTB route below passes GHB Ward’s house and takes in several concessionary bridleways across the Eastern Moors Estate.
This is another route which is a fave of ours and part of it is the commute we do into Velotastic HQ. It starts and finishes at Chesterfield railway station, so there’s no excuse to drive to the start.
The route heads off down the Chesterfield canal which is a nice traffic free way out of the town. After a few miles there is a short climb through the village of Whittington followed by a bridleway to the quiet village of Hundall.
On a good day there’s a panoramic view over to the Peak and down the Drone valley. From here it’s onto Apperknowle and down a bridleway that’s just beyond the Travellers Rest pub. The trail goes round the back of an airstrip. It’s rarely used, so if you do see a plane it’s a bonus. Then it’s a short road section through Troway.
Next is a fun descent down into the Moss Valley which is followed by an inevitable climb. Using a set of bridleways the route traverses the valley onto Mosborough.
Then it’s more downhill to Eckington and off road to Barrow Hill. From here we rejoin the canal and take the Transpennine Trail towards Inkersall. Then it’s a fun descent through Westwood and onto Brimington Common. The ride returns to the start following the Transpennine Trail across Tapton golf course.
The route takes 2-3 hours so is an ideal Sunday morning or weekday evening ride. There’s plenty of places (pubs) on route to get a drink.
If you like this why not check out our events ?
To the flatlands.
There also used to be a railway between Lincoln and Chesterfield. Back in the Victorian era there was an ambitious plan to build a railway from Lincolnshire to Lancashire. All was going well until they reached Chesterfield and realised that things were going to get both tricky and expensive to cross the Peak so the plan was abandoned. Part of this route follows this line across a disused railway viaduct over the Trent.
The route starts by Chesterfield railway station and follows the canal for a while. From here it goes up the Clowne Branch Line which is a fantastic newly created shared use path.
Then the route heads past Cresswell Crags and through the Welbeck and Clumber estates. Then it’s off towards the Fledborough viaduct and into Lincoln itself. The route finishes with a cobbled climb up to the cathedral door.
One of the great things about this route is that there is a station at both ends which makes the logistics of it a bit easier. It’s also slightly downhill !
Enjoy this route ? Don’t forget to check out our cycling events.
Starting at Bakewell station, the route heads off down the traffic free Monsal Trail. Be careful, especially at weekends to watch out for dogs and children off their leads ! The route goes down the route of the former Derby to Manchester line and has some spectacular views, a few tunnels and a viaduct to keep you entertained.
Once you’re warmed up and have reached Millers Dale station, a short but brutal climb takes you up towards the hamlet of Priestcliffe. From here it’s across the A6 and onto a combination of sections involving gravel tracks and quiet roads and over to the High Peak trail.
We follow this trail for a while passing the former Parsley Hay station which has been converted into a bike hire and food kiosk and head south for a while.
From here we head off down a long green lane and off towards Middleton and Youlgreave. Here we head up another off road section and make our way back to Bakewell.
Instead of heading back to the start, there’s a short section along the A6 which takes us onto a bridleway that leads to the beginning of the Monsal trail.
If you love this route, don’t forget to check out our events that we are holding throughout the year.
A Game of Two Halves
Sheffield markets itself quite rightly as the Outdoor City. A big chunk of it is in the Peak District and the national park is easily accessible. This route starts (and finishes) at the Norfolk Arms. A popular watering hole with cyclists. From here it heads across the edge of the Mayfield valley and round the Rivelin Dams.
From there there is a punishing climb up to Stanage, which featured in the start of Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightly. Another hard climb (this time on road) follows round the bottom of the edge to one of our fave spots in the Peak – the Burbage Valley.
Then it’s onto the former country estate of Longshaw. From here you have two choices – cut the bottom of the route off and head off back to the pub or go south for some more exploring.
If you choose the latter it’s on to Moss Road, one of the few proper bits of gravel we’ve got in the area. Past the railway tunnel chimney and over Brown Edge over a little used trail. Then it’s across Big Moor and Ramsley Moor and up to Wellington’s Monument for a view down the valley towards Chatsworth (also in Pride and Pedjudice). Then it’s over to Curbar Gap and across the edges back to Longshaw.
From here pass through the estate and onto Houndkirk. At the end of Houndkirk (a short distance from the end) there is always the option, if time permits to go and have a play on the MTB trails at Lady Cannings.
A ride with a view
Starting at the National Trust’s Longshaw estate which has a popular cafe on site the route heads over Houndkirk Road and past the Lady Canning’s plantation which offers an optional play down one of the blue MTB trails.
Then a road section round the Rivelin dams and up onto Stanage Edge for one of the most panoramic views in the Peak. Then it’s a lumpy (but mainly downhill) to Yorkshire Bridge and down the Thornhill trail which is on the track bed of the old railway that was used to build the nearby dams.
Then onto Shatton and a lovely quiet trail via Offerton to one of our fave climbs – Abney. At the ridge summit you are rewarded with a cracking view of Stanage edge where you were earlier. Then it’s onto the pretty, historic village of Eyam. A closed road section is followed by a steady climb up Froggatt and back through the Longshaw estate.
A gravel take on an MTB classic
We’re lucky enough to live a couple of hundred metres from the route and have ridden it more times than we can remember. It’s great for an evening or afternoon ride and is very accessible from Chesterfield.
We thought we’d put out our own spin on the classic route that’s suitable for gravel bikes. There’s still a little bit of mud along the way, but generally it’s rideable in all weathers.
The route’s suitable for gravel bikes and hardtail MTB’s.
The route starts from Holmebrook Valley park and heads up a green lane and off into Linacre. From there its a nice gravel stretch over to Chandler Hill. There’s a short section on Baslow Road, but it’s not too bad as the road is nice and wide. Then a bit of a tough climb and onto one of our fave local gravel sections.
After that it’s a ride across the tops and a descent into Cordwell Valley. Then follows the best bit of the ride a couple of fast descents back towards Barlow (watch out for horses). And then it’s back over to the start.
Our fave eateries on the way are Hackney House at Barlow and the Peacock in Cutthorpe.
