Cycling to Derby

Was going to go down on Friday for the conference drink and camp at Elvaston. However a call to the campsite revealed that it was flooded, so a quick rethink ensued & I decided to cycle down, have a drink and get the train back, returning in the morning.

Took the pedal pushers recommended route to Derby. A strong south-westerly blasted in my fact as I headed up Abbeydale Rd to Owler which I didn't lose until I turned left at Curbar Gap. Following that the route zig-zags so I was either blasting along with the following wind or struggling against the breeze. Suffice to stay that it took me an hour to get out of Sheffield, and I covered an equivalent distance in a quarter of an hour once I had turned. The last bit into Derby on the B6179 was particularly taxing - however , I soon found myself pootling along the river and ending up at the Brunswick about 9:15, where I met the first bunch of people who were "just leaving" going upstairs I found some more folks "just off for a curry" - however there were still enough folk around to have a discussion about the merits of Sustrans vs the CTC etcetera, and after a few beers headed off for the train home and the comfort of Myy Own Bed.

In the morning , up early to head to the conference (report to follow - it's stuck on my Palm at the moment) Had a good day and once again a couple of drinks at the Brunswick. Decided to take a different route home, following the B6179 out of Derby, but continuing up to Ripley, (which has a greenway that might be worth exploring) then via Oakerthorpe onto the B6013, which links up with the A61 at Higham and onwards through Clay Cross to Chesterfield. Looking at the map you might think that as this more or less follows the railway it would be fairly flat, but this is far from the case! the B6013 is a stonking road with plenty of ups and downs., and views looking over the Amber valley towards the route I had taken to get down.

The A61 is a road of character wih some great downhills and it was good to see ex-mining townss like Clay Cross obviously having recovered somewhat from the mine closures.

At Chesterfield where the big roundabout is being rebuilt I found myself in a throbbing town centre at 8pm, lots of revelry, but I headed to the station to pick up the TPT route out of town as recommended in another of our bike routes, Sheffield to Chesterfield.

The tow path whilst bumpy was reasonably fast & I was soon back on the road climbing up towards Dronfield. My dinner date at 9 in Nether Edge beckoned, and I made it for 9:15. The journey each way took 3 1/4 hours, regardless of the wind direction - anyone care to beat that? I hear it rained in Sheffield - I didn't see a drop in either direction, or in Derby.