English off road cycle touring trails?

[Tim330]

Having spent a lot of time cycling the wonderful cycle routes in Europe that have little or no car access, I thought I’d ask for recommendations here. I’d like to set the bike up with some rides over the next few months.

Does anyone have any suggestions for car free long routes? I’m lucky in that I have the Tissington, High Peak, Monsall and Middlewood Way all on my doorstep, but ideally I’m looking for something longer and more challenging that I could do over 2 or 3 days perhaps.

 

[mjr]

Not completely car-free, but less than 1 mile of major road in about 180 miles is Hyde Park, CS3 to Limehouse, NCR 1 north to Hoddesdon, NCR 61 west to St Albans and NCR 6 north through Luton, Leighton Buzzard (use Leighton Road from Stanbridge rather than NCR 6 which heads onto an A road), Milton Keynes, Northampton, Market Harborough, Leicester, Loughborough, then turn onto the A6 cycleway through Kegworth to Long Eaton to pick up NCR 6 again into Nottingham, see the city, U-turn and head for Derby, then NCR 58 connects to Ashbourne and the Tissington Trail.

I think the longest bits that are back roads rather than cycleways or towpaths there are Milton Keynes-Northampton and Market Harborough-Leicester, but there are connecting bits all over the place, plus this being England, there's over 30 miles of non-tarmac and a bit of mud on the way out of Northampton... and that's just the stuff I know about! I'd also take a good GPS to navigate because the signs are probably a bit patchy.

I don't know what the longest all-cycleway/quiet-streets route in this country would be. I can plot a contrived 60 mile route from the edge of St Neots - Huntingdon - St Ives - Cambridge - Lode - Wicken - Ely - Sutton and then it's a quiet country road to Chatteris but neither end of that is a big place and Ely-Sutton is mostly rather old substandard roadside tracks.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

The southern section of The Ridegeway. 2-3 days. Cracking. (Both ways)

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Trans Cambrian way from the English border to Abey Dovey junction is a three day ride.

Off road coast to coast via Lakes, Dales, North York Moots can be done in 6 days.

South Downs way over 3-4 days is pleasant

You can also work out an off road 2-3 day route on the Isle of Wight

 

[iluvmybike]

Sandstone Way in Northumbria, Southern Uplands Way in Borders, Circuit of Cairngorms (NOT recommended in winter)

 

[mjr]

http://cycle.travel/map/journey/54515 is an exceptionally stupid 80 miles without a road. 75 miles tarmac. I expect it's possible to go further but I lost the will to plot.

 

[toffee]

http://cycle.travel/map/journey/54515 is an exceptionally stupid 80 miles without a road. 75 miles tarmac. I expect it's possible to go further but I lost the will to plot.

Well if you ride it you can call in for tea and cake

 

[Tim330]

These are great ideas, thanks, please keep them coming.

 

[dan_bo]

Come and take a look at the Oldham way/pennine way. Your mind will boggle at the size of the place. You can ride from Hebden to kinder scout using about 3/4 mile of tarmac. We don't know how lucky we are.

 

[rich p]

The South Downs Way from Winchester to Eastbourne is a 100 miles of great offroading.

 

[Tim330]

The South Downs Way and the Cambrian Way sound great. Can the South Downs way be done with my bike set up for touring with the overnight gear on?

 

[Spinney]

http://cycle.travel/map/journey/54515 is an exceptionally stupid 80 miles without a road. 75 miles tarmac. I expect it's possible to go further but I lost the will to plot.

 

[Bodhbh]

http://cycle.travel/map/journey/54515 is an exceptionally stupid 80 miles without a road. 75 miles tarmac. I expect it's possible to go further but I lost the will to plot.

You could make a tour so boring it becomes interesting. After a day of touring MK's cycle lanes, spend the night in a Travelodge and the following day head down the Union Canal for another 60 odd boring miles.

 

[Ticktockmy]

The South Downs Way from Winchester to Eastbourne is a 100 miles of great offroading.

You are so Naughty rich P, suggesting the SWD, it comes as a shock to most peeps from North of the Watford Gap that we do have hills down south here in Sussex.
You are correct it is a good off road ride, but can be hard work in places.

The South Downs Way and the Cambrian Way sound great. Can the South Downs way be done with my bike set up for touring with the overnight gear on?

I have ridden the SWD a couple of times with my touring bike with gear for YHA from Winchester to Pyecombe so it is quite doable.

 

[rich p]

You are so Naughty rich P, suggesting the SWD, it comes as a shock to most peeps from North of the Watford Gap that we do have hills down south here in Sussex.
You are correct it is a good off road ride, but can be hard work in places.


I have ridden the SWD a couple of times with my touring bike with gear for YHA from Winchester to Pyecombe so it is quite doable.

I've done it on an mtb and not sure I'd fancy some of those climbs on a tourer but if Ticktockmy can do it, it must be possible! Kudos!!!