Suggested Cycle Routes from East Midlands Trains Stations
(For some Great rides from Northern Rail Stations Click Here)
Book your bike for free at any staffed National Rail Station, or by phone on 08457 125 678 (Sorry, but we haven’t managed to persuade them to drop the idea of train fares yet – you still have to pay for yourself).
A couple of words of warning about EM Trains – some of the trains they are using between Sheffield and London only carry two bikes. In general, the 27 minutes past the hour departure only has room for two, while the 35 minutes past (weekdays) the hour can carry at least 4 (This may change after 25th April 2010)
You can now book your bike on-line at East Coast Trains. The bike reservation facility is at the end of the booking process, along with booking a seat. If you book in Coach A (quiet coach) you should be close to your bike.
East Midland Trains Have a Cycle Reservation Form you can email in to them.
Sheffield.
For the City Centre, cross Sheaf Street at the crossing near the ticket office mount the pavement on the opposite side of the road and turn left – there is a short section of off-road cycle lane that will get you to Howard St, turn right here and climb up to the Town Hall, Library, Peace and Winter Gardens, or for a less steep climb continue to Paternoster Row (the Showroom cinema should be on your left) and turn right by the Hallam Students Union (formerly the Centre for Popular Music, known locally as the Kettles)
For the University and Hospitals, follow the marked cycle route along Brown St, left onto Sydney St & Sylvester St and join the off-road route at the junction with Eyre St. Cross at the pelican crossing and then follow the route along the Ring Road.
This information is correct as at April 2010.
Take Howard St for the Peak Park Millennium route which will eventually lead you to Hathersage in the Peak Park.
Turn Right for the Trans-Pennine Trail , access point at the Canal Basin, on the other side of Park Square, which leads to Rother Valley Country Park and on to Chesterfield, with onward connections to Chesterfield, Clumber Park, Sherwood Forest, Mansfield, Bulwell, Nottingham and Derby, or Meadowhall for Penistone, Rotherham, Doncaster, Manchester, Liverpool, York, Leeds Hull and points en route.
For a great ride to Derby, click here. (coming soon)
Chesterfield
The Southern spur of the Trans-Pennine trail starts outside Chesterfield station. Follow this for Sheffield and points North, South, East and West.
Derby
Leave the Station by the East Entrance for Pride Park, where you can connect to National Cycle Network Route 6/52 to Nottingham, Sheffield, and York, or route 6/51, the South Midland Route, for Melbourne, Loughborough, and Leicester.
Nottingham
Take to the Canal towpath, adjacent to the station, for interesting rides to Beeston, Attenborough, & Trent Bridge, where you can head north along the Erewash Canal, past the enormous Toton locomotive depot as far as Langley Mill, where East Midlands Trains or Northern (no reservations required for Northern) can pick you up and take you back to Nottingham, or on to Chesterfield and Sheffield. The Erewash Canal at one time connected with the Cromford Canal, which still exists between Ambergate (once a significant railway junction) and Cromford Wharf which is not far from
Matlock,
but that’s another story. Oh alright then.. from High Peak Junction just south of Cromford, you can climb up the old railway incline to the High Peak Trail, which will take you to Parsley Hay in the heart of the magical White Peak. Central Trains (also part of the National Express group) run between Derby and Matlock.
Over the course 0f 2010/2011 the former Midland Railway route between Matlock and Buxton will be converted into a cycling and walking route, at a cost of £2.5m and with the tunnels re-opened, an exciting prospect.
Loughborough
A spur from Route 6/61 will connect you with the South Midlands Cycle Route.
Leicester
Visit the Cycle Park in the town hall for bikes and accessories, repairs, a shower, or long-term cycle parking.
This town is something of a cycling Mecca, with two braids of the South Midlands route heading south, and options to head for the cycling & sailing honeypot of Rutland Water, near Oakham, or Melton Mowbray, home of the Pork Pie. Alternatively, get on to the towpath of the Grand Union Canal, through beautiful countryside for Foxton Locks and the Market Harborough Arm.
Market Harborough
A short ride through the exquisite town centre will take you to the Market Harborough Arm of the Grand Union Canal, (see Leicester) giving you access, again for the South Midland Cycle Route towards Oxford, Coventry and Milton Keynes, or stay on the towpath for the UK’s canal network, much of which is cyclable along the towpaths.
St Albans.
Change at Luton for a First Capital Connect train to the ancient Roman town of Verulanium. The Alban way, avoiding motorways and major roads, will take you through to Hatfield, the pleasant county town of Hertford, London via the Lea Valley, and Stansted Airport, and is described in more detail here.
London St Pancras
The southernmost terminus for EM Trains, and the London terminus for Eurostar. Cycle north along York Way, on the eastern side of Kings Cross, to reach Regents Canal. If you head east you can link to the River Lea and head north for St Albans (see above) – if you head west you can sample the delights of Camden Market, and if you continue, reach the starting point of the Grand Union Canal, (cycling is not allowed in the Regent’s Park section, however) – for Birmingham.
If you know of a great bike ride from an East Midlands Trains station, or a useful route to a University, Shopping Centre, local town or whatever, please tell us!
For information on Sustrans and the National Cycle Network Click Here
Bike Routes From East Midlands Trains Stations
Suggested Cycle Routes from East Midlands Trains Stations
(For some Great rides from Northern Rail Stations Click Here)
Book your bike for free at any staffed National Rail Station, or by phone on 08457 125 678 (Sorry, but we haven’t managed to persuade them to drop the idea of train fares yet – you still have to pay for yourself).
A couple of words of warning about EM Trains – some of the trains they are using between Sheffield and London only carry two bikes. In general, the 27 minutes past the hour departure only has room for two, while the 35 minutes past (weekdays) the hour can carry at least 4 (This may change after 25th April 2010)
You can now book your bike on-line at East Coast Trains. The bike reservation facility is at the end of the booking process, along with booking a seat. If you book in Coach A (quiet coach) you should be close to your bike.
East Midland Trains Have a Cycle Reservation Form you can email in to them.
Sheffield.
For the City Centre, cross Sheaf Street at the crossing near the ticket office mount the pavement on the opposite side of the road and turn left – there is a short section of off-road cycle lane that will get you to Howard St, turn right here and climb up to the Town Hall, Library, Peace and Winter Gardens, or for a less steep climb continue to Paternoster Row (the Showroom cinema should be on your left) and turn right by the Hallam Students Union (formerly the Centre for Popular Music, known locally as the Kettles)
For the University and Hospitals, follow the marked cycle route along Brown St, left onto Sydney St & Sylvester St and join the off-road route at the junction with Eyre St. Cross at the pelican crossing and then follow the route along the Ring Road.
This information is correct as at April 2010.
Take Howard St for the Peak Park Millennium route which will eventually lead you to Hathersage in the Peak Park.
Turn Right for the Trans-Pennine Trail , access point at the Canal Basin, on the other side of Park Square, which leads to Rother Valley Country Park and on to Chesterfield, with onward connections to Chesterfield, Clumber Park, Sherwood Forest, Mansfield, Bulwell, Nottingham and Derby, or Meadowhall for Penistone, Rotherham, Doncaster, Manchester, Liverpool, York, Leeds Hull and points en route.
For a great ride to Derby, click here. (coming soon)
Chesterfield
The Southern spur of the Trans-Pennine trail starts outside Chesterfield station. Follow this for Sheffield and points North, South, East and West.
Derby
Leave the Station by the East Entrance for Pride Park, where you can connect to National Cycle Network Route 6/52 to Nottingham, Sheffield, and York, or route 6/51, the South Midland Route, for Melbourne, Loughborough, and Leicester.
Nottingham
Take to the Canal towpath, adjacent to the station, for interesting rides to Beeston, Attenborough, & Trent Bridge, where you can head north along the Erewash Canal, past the enormous Toton locomotive depot as far as Langley Mill, where East Midlands Trains or Northern (no reservations required for Northern) can pick you up and take you back to Nottingham, or on to Chesterfield and Sheffield. The Erewash Canal at one time connected with the Cromford Canal, which still exists between Ambergate (once a significant railway junction) and Cromford Wharf which is not far from
Matlock,
but that’s another story. Oh alright then.. from High Peak Junction just south of Cromford, you can climb up the old railway incline to the High Peak Trail, which will take you to Parsley Hay in the heart of the magical White Peak. Central Trains (also part of the National Express group) run between Derby and Matlock.
Over the course 0f 2010/2011 the former Midland Railway route between Matlock and Buxton will be converted into a cycling and walking route, at a cost of £2.5m and with the tunnels re-opened, an exciting prospect.
Loughborough
A spur from Route 6/61 will connect you with the South Midlands Cycle Route.
Leicester
Visit the Cycle Park in the town hall for bikes and accessories, repairs, a shower, or long-term cycle parking.
This town is something of a cycling Mecca, with two braids of the South Midlands route heading south, and options to head for the cycling & sailing honeypot of Rutland Water, near Oakham, or Melton Mowbray, home of the Pork Pie. Alternatively, get on to the towpath of the Grand Union Canal, through beautiful countryside for Foxton Locks and the Market Harborough Arm.
Market Harborough
A short ride through the exquisite town centre will take you to the Market Harborough Arm of the Grand Union Canal, (see Leicester) giving you access, again for the South Midland Cycle Route towards Oxford, Coventry and Milton Keynes, or stay on the towpath for the UK’s canal network, much of which is cyclable along the towpaths.
St Albans.
Change at Luton for a First Capital Connect train to the ancient Roman town of Verulanium. The Alban way, avoiding motorways and major roads, will take you through to Hatfield, the pleasant county town of Hertford, London via the Lea Valley, and Stansted Airport, and is described in more detail here.
London St Pancras
The southernmost terminus for EM Trains, and the London terminus for Eurostar. Cycle north along York Way, on the eastern side of Kings Cross, to reach Regents Canal. If you head east you can link to the River Lea and head north for St Albans (see above) – if you head west you can sample the delights of Camden Market, and if you continue, reach the starting point of the Grand Union Canal, (cycling is not allowed in the Regent’s Park section, however) – for Birmingham.
If you know of a great bike ride from an East Midlands Trains station, or a useful route to a University, Shopping Centre, local town or whatever, please tell us!
For information on Sustrans and the National Cycle Network Click Here