England : Derbyshire 'Matlock Moors, Hills and Mills' cycle route?

[Nemesis_252]

Has anybody cycled the Matlock Moors, Hills and Mills cycle route? Or has anyone cycled the area? I'd like to know how well the route is signed?

I'm not familiar with the area, and I'm looking for an approximate 20 mile route in the Derbyshire/Peak District area, which is well signed, to avoid the need for repeated map checking.

Any advice would be most welcome, thanks.
Michael

 

[ColinJ]

I would never rely on signs on a cycle route. I have been on routes where signs have been removed, and others where somebody had rotated signs to point the wrong way! It only takes one such problem to get lost if that is what you are relying on.

You can get reliable GPS devices for bikes now for well under £100 if you shop around, and one of those would be my suggestion.

You can also get cheap/free navigation apps for smartphones. I'd rather use a dedicated device for long rides because the battery life is much better, but a phone would be fine for a 20-miler.

 

[raleighnut]

I would never rely on signs on a cycle route. I have been on routes where signs have been removed, and others where somebody had rotated signs to point the wrong way! It only takes one such problem to get lost if that is what you are relying on.

You can get reliable GPS devices for bikes now for well under £100 if you shop around, and one of those would be my suggestion.

You can also get cheap/free navigation apps for smartphones. I'd rather use a dedicated device for long rides because the battery life is much better, but a phone would be fine for a 20-miler.

I'd buy a map for less than a tenner.

 

[Nemesis_252]

Thanks both; I have a map (for less than a tenner!) and I'm not going to spend up to £100 for a dedicated device for the overall use I'd get from it. Between the online map above, and my local Sustrans map, I have it covered. I'm simply wondering what the signage is like, as it'd be nice not to need to refer to a map at every waypoint?

 

[ColinJ]

I can't help with the signage, but why not generate your own equivalent by writing a simple route card?

Here's one that I did for one of my forum rides:

ColinJ Glasson Dock forum ride 29/3/2014 route

SO = straight on
TL = traffic lights
O = roundabout
T = T-junction
LHS = lefthand side
RHS = righthand side
L = left
R = right
BL = bear left
BR = bear right
sp = signposted

WHALLEY to GLASSON DOCK

Start SPRING WOOD picnic centre car park, A671, above Whalley
SO TL, descend hill
R at mini-O in WHALLEY at 0.8 km
[Cafes on LHS after ped crossing & before bus stop.]
L on B6246 at mini-O at 1.1 km
R at T at 5.4 km (sp Trough of Bowland)
SO (BL) at 6.5 km (sp Trough of Bowland)
SO at X at 7.9 km (sp Trough of Bowland)
SO at 9.4 km (sp Trough of Bowland)
SO at BASHALL EAVES at 10.2 km
Continue gradual climb to COW ARK at 13.6 km
BL and descend to Lees
R at T at 15.4 km (sp Trough of Bowland)
Stay on that road through WHITEWELL to Dunsop Bridge
SO at DUNSOP BRIDGE at 22.3 km (sp Trough of Bowland)
[Ride through glorious TROUGH OF BOWLAND]
Assemble at summit of climb at 27.2 km for group photo
L sp Scorton at 31.5 km
SO at 33.8 km
BL at 38.2 km
R at 38.7 km sp Bay Horse/Galgate
SO at X at 39.5 km sp Bay Horse/Galgate
SO at X at 40.6 km
SO at X at 41.1 km
SO at X at 42.4 km
SO at 43 km sp Galgate/Lancaster
BL under M6 at 44 km
Cross A6 SO at TL at 44.7 km in GALGATE
**CAUTION** s-bend under viaduct at 44.9 km!
BL at T at 45 km
Stay on that road until L on A588 at 48 km
Almost Immediate R sp Glasson Dock
SO at mini-O at 49.2 km
L at 49.7 km in GLASSON DOCK
Cafe stop at Lantern O'er Lune on RHS at 49.8 km

You could navigate that 50 km route by just following those instructions and using a cheap bike computer to check the distances. (You can use Google Street view to check the available road signage before writing the sheet.)

 

[nickyboy]

Thanks both; I have a map (for less than a tenner!) and I'm not going to spend up to £100 for a dedicated device for the overall use I'd get from it. Between the online map above, and my local Sustrans map, I have it covered. I'm simply wondering what the signage is like, as it'd be nice not to need to refer to a map at every waypoint?

Signposts in the Peak District (at least the bit I cycle which is from Hebden Bridge in the N to Bakewell in the S) are sketchy at best. I'm pretty certain you couldn't rely on them to navigate around. It's a map I'm afraid

 

[Nemesis_252]

Ok, thanks everybody.