Long Distance Off Road Cycle Route UK

[simonhill]

The Peddars Way is pretty flat.

[TrevA]

Middleton Top for High Peak Trail. Quite some years since I did a there and back on it but it was off road and great fun.

We did the High Peak earlier this year but from the Parsley Hay end. Rode down to Middleton Top, expecting the cafe to be open, but it wasn't, so we had to cycle down into Wirksworth to find a cafe. Then made the mistake of getting back on the trail at Black Rocks and having a 20% climb back up to Middleton Top! All off-road though. If you stayed near Parsley Hay overnight, you could do the Tissington Trail to Ashbourne the next day and possibly the Manifold Trail too.

All 3 trails are fine on a touring bike with panniers. I was on my Dawes Super Galaxy with 38mm tyres, but I have done the High Peak on a road bike with 25mm tyres.

[Dupont]

Middleton Top for High Peak Trail.

There's also the Tissington Trail, Manifold way, and Monsal Trail in the Peak.

The Rochdale canal from Sowerby Bridge to Manchester is pleasant from SB to Middleton, less so as it get closer to Manchester city centre.

The Kennet & Avon canal is very picturesque between Bath & Trowbridge, and Caen Hill locks near Devizes are spectacular. I don't know it beyond Devizes.

The only towpath I've regretted getting on with 700-38 tyres was the one leading south out of Lancaster, it quickly turned into a complete quagmire once out of the built-up area, and it was quite a few miles before there was an opportunity to get off it again. I used up some of my drinking water washing mud off the brakes and rims.

I have done the Tissington Trail twice. It poured with rain both times and I found it tedious going. I have heard good things about the Monsal Trail though.

[Dupont]

Has anyone done the Liverpool to Leeds canal on a touring bike? If so, how was It?

[nirakaro]

Variable. The first thirty-odd? miles from Leeds, up to Gargrave, is good smooth surface, except for a couple of unimproved miles near Kildwick. The moorland stretch above Gargrave is rutted and muddy, but improves to be quite reasonable IIRC as you get towards Barnoldswick. I’m sure someone else will brief you on the Lancashire section.

[Dupont]

Variable. The first thirty-odd? miles from Leeds, up to Gargrave, is good smooth surface, except for a couple of unimproved miles near Kildwick. The moorland stretch above Gargrave is rutted and muddy, but improves to be quite reasonable IIRC as you get towards Barnoldswick. I’m sure someone else will brief you on the Lancashire section.

Is Leeds to Liverpool the preferred direction?

[Paulatic]

Has anyone done the Liverpool to Leeds canal on a touring bike? If so, how was It?

YouTube can be a good resource for viewing routes.

[Traction_man]

I have done the Tissington Trail twice. It poured with rain both times and I found it tedious going.


Yes the TT is pretty exposed in places, high on an embankment for many stretches, great when there is no or little wind and the skies clear, but otherwise a slog, especially as the gradients are long and nagging, the Ashbourne-Buxton line itself was built quite late in the day, well engineered for steam haulage considering the terrain here.

Monsal Trail is mainly in the valley, and so less exposed, and of course the tunnels add to the interest

[rareposter]

I have done the Tissington Trail twice. It poured with rain both times and I found it tedious going. I have heard good things about the Monsal Trail though.

Monsal Trail is mainly in the valley, and so less exposed, and of course the tunnels add to the interest

Monsal Trail is quite nice, it's probably the most scenic of the options around there although it's far from a "long distance" trail - it's not much more than 6 miles between the two most popular points, Miller's Dale (car park, old station, cafe etc) at the Buxton end and Bakewell (old station) at the Bakewell end although the trail does extend a bit at either end but not with any really convenient joining/leaving points after Miller's Dale and Bakewell station.

However the Monsal Trail does form part of the (not yet complete) White Peak Loop:
https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/leisure/c ... -loop.aspx

It's about an 80km loop so ideal for 2 days of leisurely touring but do read the link above carefully for the "missing" bits where you may have to use roads.

[nirakaro]

Variable. The first thirty-odd? miles from Leeds, up to Gargrave, is good smooth surface, except for a couple of unimproved miles near Kildwick. The moorland stretch above Gargrave is rutted and muddy, but improves to be quite reasonable IIRC as you get towards Barnoldswick. I’m sure someone else will brief you on the Lancashire section.

Is Leeds to Liverpool the preferred direction?

Definitely, if you live in Leeds, and aren't doing all of it. Otherwise, I suspect not. The stretch into Liverpool used to have a reputation for running through some very rough areas, but that may be out of date.

[gloomyandy]

Has anyone done the Liverpool to Leeds canal on a touring bike? If so, how was It?

I did the section from Shipley to Gargrave on my fairly well loaded (four panniers) touting bike earlier this year. Most of that was fine however the section around Kildwick was tricky riding. The surface varies a lot on the part I covered, from pretty good crushed stone, to very broken tarmac and on the Kildwick section muddy ruts. Having said that I enjoyed the ride, there are a few places to stop off at along the way and although it was fairly busy with walkers, boaters, runners and a few other cyclists it was pretty easy to pass folks and everyone was very cheerful and sociable.

[Dupont]

I have done the Tissington Trail twice. It poured with rain both times and I found it tedious going.


Yes the TT is pretty exposed in places, high on an embankment for many stretches, great when there is no or little wind and the skies clear, but otherwise a slog, especially as the gradients are long and nagging, the Ashbourne-Buxton line itself was built quite late in the day, well engineered for steam haulage considering the terrain here.

Monsal Trail is mainly in the valley, and so less exposed, and of course the tunnels add to the interest

Nagging sums the TT up perfectly for me. Me and the wife cycle into Ashbourne a couple of times a year and it is enjoyable, but we are done with the TT.

I heard that the trail head into Monsal was closed, so I will wait for it to reopen before heading over that way.

[rareposter]

I heard that the trail head into Monsal was closed, so I will wait for it to reopen before heading over that way.

https://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/visitin ... l-closures

Trail closure info. It's for 6 weeks in Jan/Feb next year, weekdays only.

[gloomyandy]

I remember riding a few of the Peak District "Trails" on holiday a few years ago (2016 I think). From what I remember the surface used can vary a lot: mud(!), crushed stone, tarmac. I seem to remember that the Manifold Valley was tarmac, but was very bumpy due to tree roots lifting the tarmac. The other trails that had a "softer" surface seemed to cope with roots better. Not sure if things have changed since then!

[Traction_man]

I remember riding a few of the Peak District "Trails" on holiday a few years ago (2016 I think). From what I remember the surface used can vary a lot: mud(!), crushed stone, tarmac. I seem to remember that the Manifold Valley was tarmac, but was very bumpy due to tree roots lifting the tarmac. The other trails that had a "softer" surface seemed to cope with roots better. Not sure if things have changed since then!

I love the Peak District for cycling (and walking) and when I lived in Brum used to drive to Parsley Hay on a Sunday and hire a mountain bike and go off exploring--happy days.

The Manifold Valley is a great flattish route, very scenic, good for kids as so much of it is traffic free and smooth surfaced.

The Derbyshire Cycle Map looks very handy for route planning:

https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/site-elem ... re-map.pdf

with the White Peak Route marked, I guess the 'loop' as a whole takes in the Monsal Trail and Tissington Trail/High Peak Trail? More or less starting/finishing in Cromford?