Today’s little ride started off much like many of our recent adventures — with a very necessary and extremely important stop at the Salt Box Cafe in Hatton. You know the drill: fuel up, fill the tank, and get your belly in gear for the day ahead. As always, the food was just what we needed to get the engines running — although, we’re pretty sure the real fuel was the coffee, which was strong enough to kickstart even the most sluggish of riders.
After we were sufficiently stuffed, we hopped back on our bikes and cruised out onto the A50/A515, heading towards Ashbourne and the beginning of one of my all-time favorite routes — the road that’s as scenic as it is thrilling, with a grand finale at the infamous Cat and Fiddle.
As we neared Ashbourne, we made a swift left onto the A52/A523 towards Leek — a road that is as lovely as it is treacherous. It’s got great views, perfect for pretending we’re in a travel documentary, but you’ve got to keep your wits about you because of the plethora of speed cameras lining the road. Honestly, at this point, the cameras feel like old friends — you almost expect them to wave as you go by, like, ‘Hey, we’ve got your number… literally.’
When we reached the outskirts of Leek, we turned right onto the A53 towards Buxton, and as we cruised along, something caught our eye. After passing the signs for the reservoir, you can’t miss The Roaches — a massive, imposing rock formation that looks like it could’ve been ripped from the set of a fantasy movie. Naturally, we pulled over to take a closer look. We weren’t about to leave such a spectacular sight without at least pretending to be adventurous for a few minutes. The views from the top of these rocks were absolutely breathtaking — probably the closest thing we’ll ever get to feeling like mountain goats, without the whole ‘climbing’ part.
After snapping a few photos and pretending we were part of some epic adventure film, it was time to jump back on the bikes and head towards Buxton. But just before we reached Buxton, we took another left onto the famous A54/A537 — the legendary Cat and Fiddle pass. This is the kind of road that’s built for riders with a love of fast, sweeping bends and a healthy respect for gravity. We couldn’t resist stopping off at the pub with the same name (because who doesn’t love a good coincidence?). There, we warmed up with some coffee, had the usual chat about life, bikes, and how none of us really know what we’re doing, but we sure enjoy doing it.
After we’d had our fill of caffeine and conversation, it was time to turn around and retrace our steps. We headed back the way we came, reflecting on the fact that we’d just done a loop of scenic beauty, winding roads, and way too much caffeine — which, let’s be honest, is the perfect recipe for another successful ride.
