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I did a ride a couple of years ago around Stanage, finishing in the descent through the plantation. Fancy doing it again but I can't remember the rest of it for the life of me. Any suggestions for a 15 mileish route round there?
If you're parked in the plantation car park, the only ways to go are either down the road to Bamford Clough then either North to the Cutthroat Bridge loop (not at this time of year), or South (then west) to the Hope valley (looks like miles away, but it's on the road and flat ish so you cover it in no time) and you can ride any of the loops from there, then ride back up the road to the very top and do the stanage loop.
Or you can go left out the car park, up the hill and heat towards lady canning plantation (again a long old road ride, but over in 15-20min), ride accross houndkirk moor on the roman road, turn left down the narrower path to Blacka Moor, do each of the bridelway runs (there is no best one IMO), then ride back via the outdoors center at the far end of houndkirk. From Lady cannings, rather than going SW, go NW past the lama farm, follow the footpath down past the resevoir, and back tot he road (just cuts the road corner), follow the road to stanage and over the top and down the plantation (turn left across the moor just after the pole IIRC, it's sometimes harder to spot the path as the start isn't obvious from the roman road).
I believe Bamford Clough is closed. There are routes around Burbage and Houndkirk but everything round there involves a lot of road riding.
Up to Burbage North, Lady C, Houndkirk, Blacka, Eccy Woods, Porter Brook, Redmires, Stanage is the traditional loop. As above there are some biggish road sections.
When you thinking of doing it?
If the cloughis closed (you're not missing much apart from skid marks in your pants) then the golf course decent is only a marginally less off-road way to lose too much height too quickly.
As ThePodge says though, it's not really near anything else. I've only ever ridden it when riding to the Peaks from Sheffield city center, either via Ecalshall parks and Potters Clough, or Ranmoor footpath (more technical, more angry redsocks, less dog poo).
Lady Canning's trail is closed for repairs for next 2-3 weeks. There's some good (albeit muddy at this time of year) off-piste stuff to still have fun on if you know how to find it.
Aye I knew Lady Cannings was closed. JonEdwards route sounds about right I reckon. Doing it on Sunday as a change from the usual Ladybower / Edale based stuff plus I'm taking out some very, very slow folk so easy road miles is more of a plus point than usual.
If you require a gentle route then burbage path to longshaw, barbrook, curbar, froggat, blacka, houndkirk is not bad. Should still be mainly frozen under tyres as well. You could add redmires and stanage plantation to it easily enough. Bit like this:
https://www.strava.com/activities/470876149