Matlock - Bakewell, route advice please. A6?

[Soltydog]

I'm looking at doing a ride in the area & taking in a few climbs, but concerned about how safe cycling along the A6 from Matlock to Bakewell is. Can anyone with local knowledge advise on a safe route, but I would also like to call via Rowsley to go up Rowsley Bank
TIA

 

[graham bowers]

If safe = few cars then It'll be interesting to see if anybody comes up with something better than this:

https://cycle.travel/map/journey/109849

If you don't fancy rough stuff, you can click paved / unpaved at the top left, just under the From / To fields. You can left click to access street view data if it exists, and get a peek in to the rough stuff. I've used cycle.travel a lot and find it consistently produces routes that suit me. If I have to do roads that are potentially busier than I'd like (to collect veoloviewer squares, for example) I go very early Sunday morning. I mostly ride a tourer with bombproof wheels, so am OK with a bit of rough ;-)

 

[ianbarton]

If safe = few cars then It'll be interesting to see if anybody comes up with something better than this:

https://cycle.travel/map/journey/109849

That looks like a good route. If you want a bit of variation any of the minor roads to the West of the A6 are relatively quiet. However, that would involve some decent climbs.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

If you're going to Rowsley then you must visit the water mill there as it has an ace cafe. For added workout before going up Rowsley bank, buy a couple of kilos of flour from the mill!
Any of the minor roads in that area are fab, and it's great to cycle through Chatsworth House grounds as well.

 

[Soltydog]

If safe = few cars then It'll be interesting to see if anybody comes up with something better than this:

If you don't fancy rough stuff, you can click paved / unpaved at the top left,

Safe doesn't always = few cars, but it's a good guide. I'm not bothered about cycling in traffic at all, but I looked on Google street view on some of the road & it didn't look particularly wide in places. I'll be riding on 28mm tyres, so can cope with a little rough stuff, but try & avoid it plotted a route for last weekend in North Yorks & one of the tracks there was too rough for my liking, so stayed on the road, which gave me a little less climbing, so it was a win win only did 6200ft instead of 6600ft.

That looks like a good route. If you want a bit of variation any of the minor roads to the West of the A6 are relatively quiet. However, that would involve some decent climbs.

Looking at using those minor roads looks a good option, ups the total climbing to 3900 ft in a 31 mile ride, sounds ok

Cheers guys

 

[Soltydog]

If you're going to Rowsley then you must visit the water mill there as it has an ace cafe. For added workout before going up Rowsley bank, buy a couple of kilos of flour from the mill!
Any of the minor roads in that area are fab, and it's great to cycle through Chatsworth House grounds as well.

I'll have nowhere to carry the flour, but don't worry, I have my own built in ballast to slow me Thanks for the heads up on the water mill cafe
My planned route does take me near Chatsworth House, but couldn't see a through road so was thinking of cycling on the B6912 from Pilsley through to Beeley

 

[Tail End Charlie]

I'll have nowhere to carry the flour, but don't worry, I have my own built in ballast to slow me Thanks for the heads up on the water mill cafe
My planned route does take me near Chatsworth House, but couldn't see a through road so was thinking of cycling on the B6912 from Pilsley through to Beeley

You can cycle through Chatsworth grounds, there's an entry/ exit off the B6012 at Edensor. The road through the grounds is fully tarmacced.

 

[vickster]

@cyberknight is from Derbyshire

 

[contadino]

If you like climbing around that way, Bent Lane from Darley Dale up to Chesterfield Road is beautiful (although the views will be to your back), then down the hill into Rowsley and up Peaktor Lane. Not the most direct route granted, but the journey rather than the destination is always the adventure.

 

[Soltydog]

If you like climbing around that way, Bent Lane from Darley Dale up to Chesterfield Road is beautiful (although the views will be to your back), then down the hill into Rowsley and up Peaktor Lane. Not the most direct route granted, but the journey rather than the destination is always the adventure.

I'm picking off climbs that are listed on the regional version of 100 greatest climbs, can do 6 in a 30 mile ride round there Link to list of climbs on veloviewer (if it works) https://veloviewer.com/100Climbs/Midlands/Derbyshire

 

[graham bowers]

I'm picking off climbs that are listed on the regional version of 100 greatest climbs, can do 6 in a 30 mile ride round there Link to list of climbs on veloviewer (if it works) https://veloviewer.com/100Climbs/Midlands/Derbyshire

Link works.

 

[andrew_s]

If safe = few cars then It'll be interesting to see if anybody comes up with something better than this:
https://cycle.travel/map/journey/109849

The maps* at work show that the cycle track that parallels the narrow gauge railway between the edge of Matlock and Rowsley is now all a good crushed limestone Sustrans surface. The track over the hill between Rowsley and Bakewell looks good too (seems farm track rather than Sustrans, and hence may be a bit less smooth).

*pretty recent good quality aerial photos

In Chatsworth park, there's the access to the House from the west off the B6012, and access from the area of the House northwards onto the A619, but that's it as far as cycling is concerned. There is a road between the House and the corner by the bridge just north of Beeley, but that's gated at the road end.

 

[nickyboy]

I'm picking off climbs that are listed on the regional version of 100 greatest climbs, can do 6 in a 30 mile ride round there Link to list of climbs on veloviewer (if it works) https://veloviewer.com/100Climbs/Midlands/Derbyshire

Good selection of climbs there although I've never done the ones near Matlock.

I did the one out of Low Bradfield you did. Forgotten how tough that really is

 

[Oldfentiger]

A climb that’s indelibly printed on my mind, from Eroica 2018......
Station road going up past the entrance to Bakewell Golf Club. Someone had painted “Ouch” on the road at the hairpin halfway up. It was a bit of an @rse on a 1970s Claud Butler.
Then there was the climb up the high peak trail from High Peak Junction. 17% on gravel, I believe. I got off and pushed that one, as my legs were shot to sh1t by then

 

[Soltydog]

Good selection of climbs there although I've never done the ones near Matlock.

I did the one out of Low Bradfield you did. Forgotten how tough that really is

That one was nice You think you've made it to the top at the crossroads, but no it ramps up again over the junction There's a few more around Sheffield that I may get to this year, but the ride will take a full day with train travel & Trans Pennine bike policy is a PITA now . Gonna drive down to Matlock, can start & finish & in the same spot which makes it easier