Getting from Sheffield to Buxton entails crossing the Peak District to get to England’s highest town and you have to cycle on at least short stretches of main roads. However, the opening up of the tunnels on the Monsal Trail has made it a much easier journey and these two routes attempt to minimise time on main roads. If you are unhappy at cycling out of Sheffield on Hathersage Road, you could get the train to Grindleford and use the yellow route via Tideswell. Equally, hopping on the train at Grindleford the way back avoids the grind back in to Sheffield (I’ve included a nice link from Dore Station to Ecclesall through the woods)
There are a few ways to get to Ringinglow – follow our Manchester Route (also signposted as NCN6) from the City Centre or head straight up Ringinglow Rd. Take Houndkirk Rd SW to Sheephill Rd – Houndkirk Rd itself continues as a dirt track (BOAT) across the moors, only go this way if you’re on a Mountain Bike.
Sheephill Rd drops down to the A625 Hathersage Rd – join this with care and follow it all the way to Calver. This is a busy main road, but unfortunately we have no viable alternative at the moment. You can however have a brief moment of respite by using the recently opened cycle route through the Longshaw Estate, which comes out just above the Grouse pub.
Go straight over the crossroads and continue on the B6001 all the way to the former Hassop Station, now a bookshop, cafe and bike hire centre.
The alternative (Yellow) route uses minor roads to Great Longstone to join the Trail at Thornbridge Station. Note the double platforms at this this station, one building used for the great and the good to board their trains whilst the hoi polloi waited at the other end.
Get on the Monsal Trail through to Chee Dale, a scenic ride. You can follow the minor road down to the A6. This of course is busy as well, but it’s only about 3 miles into Buxton.
To avoid a longer stretch on the A6 you could come off the trail at the Millers Dale viaducts, head up Blackwell Dale on the B6049, turn right when you reach the A6, turn left onto the A5270, turn right when you reach the A515 and then left at the Bookstore and first right for a back route into Buxton (part of the Pennine Cycleway) It’s a lot of climbing though! Pedal Peak District are working on a quieter route into Buxton – it’s proving a challenge though.
From Buxton you can get a train down towards Manchester (change at New Mills for a short ride to Central Station and the Hope Valley train back to Sheffield, or Stockport for a platform change and an Express) or head south on busy roads for the Cat & Fiddle pass over to Cheshire and the Roches. You can also join the Pennine Cycleway for a challenging ride northwards.