Our Peak District trip - the round up

We started our 3 day adventure at Bennerley Viaduct, an impressive former railway structure which is known as ‘The Iron Giant’. The 430 meter long viaduct was built in 1877 to carry to the Great Northern Railway over the Erewash Valley, situated on the border of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Much work and money has been invested in to repairing and restoring the viaduct, after it fell in to disrepair becoming unused in 1968. The canals either side of the viaduct make for great scooting and were very picturesque, dotted with fishermen and wildlife. While we didn’t make it the longest ride of our trip, it was certainly a good stop, and if you are local or in the vicinity, I certainly think it’s worth a visit, especially for those railway fans amongst you. Click here to read the Bennerley Viaduct blog.

After a brief stop at the hotel in Ripley, we set out to High Peak Junction. Firstly, I will say that this was not remotely scooter friendly! I wouldn’t recommend taking your scooters (or bikes), unless you wish to start your ride here and are ready for a hike to begin. This was another interesting spot for railway or history enthusiasts, as this is the bottom section of the winch we saw later at Middleton Top Visitor Centre. The views at the top are super and complete with stone walls, rolling hills and sheep, you get a real taste of Derbyshire. The High Peak Trail continues on from here, though if we were to go again, I think we’d explore this area on foot and start the High Peak Trail further along, as we did a few days later. Click here to read the High Peak Junction blog.

The second day of our adventures started early and we were headed for the infamous Monsal Trail, a former Midland railway line which takes you through the Peak District’s ‘most spectacular limestone dales’. There are a few reasons this trail is so well known to visitors, firstly the incredible views and secondly the tunnels! The views changed as we moved up the route, from jagged rockfaces to rolling countryside as we neared Chee Dale. You will also go over a couple of viaducts which are pretty impressive. Our route from start to finish was just under 21 miles, very flat, inviting and doable. It didn’t seem such a long way, though there are car parks along the route if you wish to ride a shorter portion of the trail. Click here to read the Monsal Trail blog.

Not that the 21 miles earlier in the day was enough for us (David!), after refuelling at Hassop Station early afternoon, we popped the scooters back in the car and headed straight for Carsington Water, which is the 9th largest reservoir in England (postcode for the Visitor Centre car park DE6 1ST). We had ridden around here in 2019 when we last visited the Peaks, but were keen to return and have another spin round. Although a designated cycle track all the way round, this was the hilliest route of the 3 days, though the downhills more than made up for the ups! Just 8 miles round, the hills made it seem further but the surface is good and again there is lots to look at.  Click here to read the Carsington Water blog.

The High Peak Railway line first opened in 1831 and was mainly designed to carry minerals and goods between Cromford Canal and the Peak Forest Canal. Following the closure of the line, the Peak District National Park bought the route in 1971 and turned it into a traffic free trail for walkers and cyclists. David started from Middleton Top Visitor Centre and his total trip along the High Peak Trail was just over 17 miles. I started from Minninglow and rode 10.5 miles. His route included an impressive bridge and the views allround were outstanding! Another great trail for scooters, we couldn’t fault any part of it and would gladly visit again. Click here to read the High Peak Trail blog.

I took my Yedoo Trexx on our adventure and I have to say, I fell in love with it all over again! It was my first scooter and the one I took everywhere, but with newer models to try and more road riding then exploring in recent months, the Trexx had taken a back seat. Boy, am I glad I took it on this trip - it handled everything I threw at it – ascents, decents, gravel. You name it, we enjoyed it together, it was great fun! 'If you're looking for a versatile all rounder, capable of road use, tracks/trails and distance too the Yedoo Trexx could well be the scooter for you! The Trexx does it all and if you think you will use your scooter for a combination of outdoor adventures, it's a great choice'. Click here for Yedoo Trexx.

I think it’s fair to say David fell in love with his MIBO Alltrack a little more too. This was an absolutely perfect model for him to take, a true gravel scooter that served him so well. The Alltrack is designed exactly for adventure and tours taken on terrain. It really came in to its own and if you are keen to tackle adventures such as these, it's a top contender. 'The MIBO Alltrack is an exclusive limited-edition gravel scooter designed to take you to places you could never reach on a standard scooter. The lightweight, steel frame with Trigon Gravel Carbon fork with SRAM DB LVLT brakes. The agile yet stable progressive TUFO Speedero Gravel tyres make this scooter a true gravel master and a great choice for serious all-road scooters'. Click here for MIBO Alltrack.

Aside from a mile or so where we road on the road to reach the start of the Monsal Trail, all of our adventures were on designated cycle routes, so perfect for those not yet confident at road riding, or perhaps those with children who prefer to avoid any road work. In terms of riding surface, these were all purpose built cycle paths, so riding surfaces were spot on and certainly suitable for most kick scooters – I am talking about the super scooters you can find on our website, rather than any small, hard wheeled models which are not much use on many surfaces (whoops, did I just say that out loud?!). David used his Saloman Speed Cross 4 trail shoes, where I used my running trainers with padded forefoot, and on some slightly loose sections I could have done with a little better grip, though certainly not enough to cause a problem – maybe I just had to work slightly harder than David…