Burnaston and Derby

Not sure of your hotel budget/ transportation/ city centre/ bike or riding requirements whilst over but Willington, Repton, Melbourne is quite nice. You’ll need a car though I guess. Some nice pub (Spirit Vaults/Milking Parlour/Bubble/Staff) and pub type hotels (Boot/Harpers/Bubble/Staff of Life) There’s a little bit of riding round there (The Peak District it ain’t)  but it’s pleasant enough. Be a bit damp/ cold in January mind! I live near Ashby and head over that way for food/beer and local riding.

I'm out Ilkeston way and ride that direction.

Nice pubs/eateries round Willington and Repton. Some off road round Melbourne, but usually on a road bike when we go

Yeh there isnt a lot of off road around here - a few bridleways and stuff but not much beyond that.

I am assuming you are working for Toyota so consider something around Mickleover area. There is good road riding from there although you will be waiting for the evenings to draw in. There are a couple of hotels on the outskirts of Mickleover/Mackworth which are then on the edge of some decent road riding without hitting major roads. Lots of decent pubs around the area as well as some active cycling clubs.

Assuming you wont have a car as you said you are getting the train over (but bringing your bike) they would be a nice easy bike commute.

The Tyger Inn on Ashbourne Road used to be a premier inn so would be cheap and all the rooms are on the ground floor around the car park (its an old stables) so nice and easy for bike storage. I dont know what it is like but would be a good place to commute from whilst having the option of going out for longer rides. The Farmhouse opposite has much nicer rooms and food but might be more pricey.

Assuming you’re taxiing from hotel to Burnaston?, if you could go slightly north of Derby then there’s the Makeney Hall Hotel which just happens to be 2 mins walk from Holly Bush pub and < 5 mins on mtb for some hilly trails. Elephant & Peacock just 5 mins walk from hotel does decent food.

This isn’t too far from A38, otherwise I’d be looking at basing yourself towards Ashbourne,  if you want decent off road trails, and road biking.

For context, we rented in Burnaston (during Covid) and now live in Littleover on the southern side of Derby. We moved to the south of the city from Belper to the north. I'd just go for the Mickleover Hotel and keep travel whilst you're over here to a minimum. There's a couple of OK pubs / bars in Mickleover. Probably do better with road / gravel bike

If you do go to the Makeney Hotel as per one of the  suggestions (it's North of Derby by about 5 miles, at Millford (where the road crosses the river Derwent, hence the name where the fording used to be).  The King William pub also 2 mins away does a good beer, as an alternative to the Holly Bush.

I'd have suggested there is more mountain biking to be had from Milford / Belper and Northwards (up the sides of the Derwent Valley towards Matlock or even further) than going Eastwards towards Ashbourne.   My mate who's in Ashbourne usually heads over to Belper or Northwards.

Defo agree with all the comments that there's nice quiet roads / routes to be had on the road bike if you stay around Burnaston / Mickleover / Repton / Etwall etc.  It's the direction I head out on the road bike when I don't want the same amount of hills and climbing that comes from heading Northwards into the Peaks (as I detest riding on the A6 up the Derwent Valley, too many impatient drivers going too fast and passing too closely, so for me it's a case of 'cutting across the grain' on quieter roads and sucking up the climbing- typically 100 ft per mile if I go North).

Thanks all for the recommendations! Stw is great.

Did you know the “other” hans rey has a place not too far away in a little village near Market Bosworth?