Featured Peaks Mini Tour

Hi all,

So I’m on a mini tour of the Peaks from today until Thursday on my Thruxton.

Will post day by day but in essence it’s a bang up the M1 and then wiggle home for two days!

Day 1:

Bike was packed up nice and early and I set off at 8:30am. Straight onto the A3, M25 and then M1…160miles later I came off and the fun could start.

From Derby I was heading towards Glossop.

I headed toward Leek and the then Buxton. The ride started off as nice, but nothing spectacular.

But…

I turned right onto the A54 (I think) and wow! The road was amazing! Twisty and tight with amazing views and dead quiet!!

It wiggled down into Buxton before joining the A5004. Again, amazing!!! And even better, it was shut after 6 miles. I’ve never been so pleased to have to go back on myself!!!

Back into Buxton and then a quick hop along th A6 into Glossop. Not that exciting a road but the scenery is still amazing.

Got to the pub nice and early so checked in and having a couple beers as I type!!

Tomorrow I head off to Ludlow in a VERY round about way…going to be a long day but should have a lot of fun!!

Until tomorrow…

 

Unfortunately haven’t taken any!!!!

 

Day 2:

Another 8:30 start from Glossop heading north towards Torside Reservoir and then a loop around finishing with Holme Moss Summit…Oh my god this was such a good start to the day!

Life has been getting on top of me recently between work and a young daughter but this was exactly what was needed to “blow out the cobwebs”!

The views and roads are spectacular and reminded that things are pretty good, you just need to look for them!

I rode in and out of the clouds and the first couple of hours flew by!

Then down towards Glossop again and along Snakes Pass, a good road but I prefer the tighter more technical roads. Had fun but wouldn’t rush back onto it!!

From there I wiggled toward Buxton on some fantastic roads before coming back to the Cat and Fiddle…as you probably all know (I didn’t), this isn’t a pub any more but a distillery. So no lunch but I did get a coffee, bag of crisps and a bun which were all nice. Even had a cheeky couple of whiskey samples to keep me warm!! A really nice place with v friendly staff!!

Then back towards Macclesfield before heading towards Knutsford and Chester.

Pretty boring tbh but ate the miles up before hitting north wales!

I was pretty tired by now and needed a stretch so pulled over. After a few mins jumped back on only to go round a couple more bends to find the Old Stores motorcycle cafe…WOW!! This place is awesome…there were 30 odd bikes of all varieties outside and a random assortment of goodies inside. Had a cuppa and bacon buttie whilst looking around but what an awesome place, highly recommend it!!!

Reinvigorated, I headed into north wales! Again, WOW!! I was sad to leave the Peaks but north wales is equally as amazing! God knows what roads I was on but I was heading towards Ludlow and it was amazing!!!

Long sweeping bends and tight technical bits…down into Ellesmere past the lake(???) and then into a town near Ludlow where I’m staying!!

244 miles of absolute amazingness!!! I’m all for a trip to the Picos etc… but let’s not forget what we’ve got here! It’s been a long day but I’ve done some of the best riding of my life!!

I’m knackered! But I’ve got a beer and I feel like I’ve put a few personal gremlins to bed along the way!

@Vulpes I lied, ooops!

 

Should probably say that all the pics are of the bike cafe, weird but v wonderful little place!

 

Day 3:

Another early one as I had lunch with a friend at 12! Left Pulverbatch and headed south the Leominster…then…OH WOW…the A44 from there to Worcester is 25(ish) miles of joy! Didn’t see a single car and just flew along!!! The scenery was less dramatic but still pretty cool and the roads less technical but really easy and fun.

Lunch was in a pub near the big white horse in Uffingham and the road underneath it is amazing! Pretty tight and bumpy but good fun.

After lunch I went towards Wantage before riding out on Chain Hill which is fun and the bang along the M4 and home.

700 odd miles in 3 days/2 nights and one very happy camper. What an excellent place we live and if thoroughly recommend everywhere I’ve been!

On a more serious note, this trip was enough to blow away any minor gremlins I had niggling me, so give it a go but if it doesn’t work, don’t let things fester. Talk to someone, anyone, me, I don’t care just talk it through and you’ll see there’s light at the end of every tunnel.

Ride safe all!