Giro Derbyshire – The Complete Resource For Cycling in Derbyshire and the Peak District

A Sunny Ride In The Peak District (Pig Optional)

22 January 202113 October 2019 by Andrew Montgomery

The August bank holiday weekend saw some magnificent weather in the UK. This was a rarity. It also saw Mont brush up his man skills through the lighting of a barbecue (also a rarity).

With the clement riding conditions being well flagged in advance, I took the opportunity to designate the Monday morning as ‘ride time’ in the family calendar.

I would strike out into the Peak District. And this post is an account of that ride.

Quick Plug For The Peak

You really should come riding here.

(‘Here’ being the Peak District in the UK.)

When the weather is playing ball, it’s an awesome place to ride your bike. We’ve got loads of little valleys (and Peaks), cross-crossed by quiet country roads. There are an infinite (more or less) number of routes to suite all abilities, moods (?!) and times available to ride.

It makes me think: in the future I should offer guided rides around my favourite routes, views and climbs.

[Mont begins to daydream off a life spent away from a desk…]

Ahem. My blog GPS tells me I’m going ‘off route’. Let’s get back to the ride.

Cliffs and Crepes: My Review Of The RideStaffs Spring Forward Sportive 2019

26 January 202117 April 2019 by Andrew Montgomery

Despite the word being in the title of this blog, my guilty secret is that I haven’t actually taken part in a sportive since 2015.

Yes, I did the RideLondon 100 last year but for some reason I have a mental block around calling it a sportive. It’s a ‘mass participation cycling event’ (whatever that means).

It feels like 2019 is the year in which this situation needs to change. Sportive-a-go-go. And where better to start than a local ride at the start of April. The RideStaffs Spring Forward Sportive.

I was encouraged to participate by the organiser, Paul, who also happens to read this blog (he tells me…).

He piqued my interest when we met and spoke about how he designs his routes (a conversation that led to my recent post about designing a great cycling route).

I wanted to test his route planning credentials in the hot crucible of a live sportive (er, what…?). So I signed up.

The Roads I Ride: Road Cycling In Derbyshire

22 January 202127 February 2019 by Andrew Montgomery

I’m very fortunate, as a cyclist, to live where I do. I live on a quiet country lane which sees as many tractors as it sees cars. In fact, on a nice day, more bikes will pass by (with people on them) than motorised vehicles.

Unlike when I lived in south east London, I don’t have to ride for 30 minutes just to leave suburbia and traffic.

I thought I’d share a little about my local cycling environs, and the sorts of rides I do in them. I doubt the Peak District needs much extra publicity (even if it is not the second most visited national park in the world), but if I can encourage a few more cyclists to ride in this part of the world, I’ll be a happy yellow jonny.

By the way, this post isn’t meant to come over all self-congratulating. After all, it’s not like I live in the Alps, Majorca or Calpe (which seems to have gone to the top of my family holiday/training camp visit list).

The Grindleford (Half A) Goat: Good Sportive, Lack Of Training

30 January 202115 September 2015 by Andrew Montgomery

So that was painful.

I’m not exactly sure what compelled me to sign up to the Grindleford Goat. But sign up I did.

And pain and pleasure did I receive.

Here’s my race report.

My First Hilly Century In The Peak District (Gun Hill and Larkstone Lane)

30 January 202128 May 2015 by Andrew Montgomery

Generally I try to keep my blog posts focused on helping you achieve your objectives on the bike. I’ve not posted about my saddle-based exploits for ages.

I figure that, for the most part, you’re not interested in the specifics of my training programme (a generous description) or the progress of my cycling fitness.

Today, though, I’m publishing a ride-report-cum-fitness-update style post.

And you’re just going to have to deal with that.

Peak District Cycling Advice: Grimpeur Turns Tour Guide

30 January 202126 September 2013 by Andrew Montgomery

In this post, I’m going to attempt to give advice to those wishing to visit the Peak District for a road cycling mini-break (or indeed maxi-break).

This was prompted by a question from a ‘keen follower of the blog’ (his words), Andy (@andybuttons sur le Twitter):

A small group of riders and I are looking to head up to the Peak District for a 3-5 day cycling trip in May/June 2014. To keep the logistics simple we’d ideally like to find a B&B in a decent location where we can start our long rides from (circa 100 miles a day) – any advice you have about a suitable town/village/route would be hugely appreciated.

I had a crack at responding to Andy via email and decided to post the gist of it up here so that other Peak District cyclists can pitch in with advice or recommendations. If you are that knowledgeable Peak District cyclist, please do share your tips in the comments section below the post.

Peak Epic Sportive Review

30 January 202125 June 2013 by Andrew Montgomery

In this post, I recount my experience at the Peak Epic Sportive, which took place last Sunday (23rd June) in the Peak District.

Today’s joint sponsors are the driving rain and the howling wind. I would also like thank my friends: mental torment and exhilarated exhaustion.

This post is part of a series of sportive reviews, which I hope to build up as I ride in more events.

As I’ve said before, these reviews are not intended be exhaustive accounts. Instead, I aim to give a flavour of the event, from my own perspective as a (very) recreational road cyclist. Hopefully, from this, you’ll be able to decide whether you’d like to take part in future runnings of the event.

Peak District Cycle Route: Ashbourne to Ilam Loop

30 January 202116 May 2013 by Andrew Montgomery

Do you ever feel frustration when searching for cycle routes on the internet? I do.

I struggle to find courses that have been properly curated and accurately described. When looking at a Jackson Pollock of route markers on a website, it’s difficult to decide whether the route is suitable for me.

There has to be a better way than Google Streetview-ing my way around the A roads of England in order to find my perfect cycle loop.

Oh yay! Oh yay! The rot stops here. At least for the people of south Derbyshire and the Peak District (and anyone visiting the area).

Igloo Peak District Sportive Review

30 January 202118 April 2013 by Andrew Montgomery

This is the first of what will hopefully become a series of posts reviewing the sportives in which I have taken part (I say, ‘hopefully’, because it will rely on me pulling my finger out and doing more events!).

My aim is to give you a flavour of the event, so you can decide whether you’d like to do this event, or a similar one, in the future. The account is clearly based on my personal experience of the sportive, and is probably heavily coloured by my low level of experience and fitness. If you’re in the same boat, I do hope it will give you the confidence to enter a sportive. If you’re a super-fit, experienced rider, maybe it will provide some entertainment…