North York Moors

[andy_wrx]

Like what Kirstie says - it's hilly-steep...

I'd recommend the book 'Cycling Around The North Yorkshire Moors' by Arnold Robinson.

A quick Google finds it here http://www.guisboroughbookshop.com/html/local_sports_books_1.html but I'm sure other places have it too.

I picked one up for 99p in an odds&ends sale in a bookshop and we used it this September for a 5 day tour
- his routes are very attractive and quiet, use either as dayrides or string-together to make a tour
- it was first published back in the 80's or something, but the little backlanes are exactly the same today

If you want a serious-b*st*rd hill (I was pulling a trailer !), drop down from Lockton and then up to Levisham...
You can then go past Levisham station on the NYMoors railway, through the forest (crumbling tarmac and hard-pack gravel, do-able on a roadbike) to Cropton.
This is a nice route from Pickering to Helmsley without the main A172 (or A170 ? I forget...)

Nicest road of the lot was Ridge Lane, down from the A171 at Scaling Dam to Staithes - absolutely gorgeous ridgetop road, grass growing up the middle.

 

[Bandini]

That looks the ticket - I will be getting a copy.

 

[Bandini]

I have planned a Moors route on bike hike- about 40 miles a day over four days round trip. As a rookie tourist, am I being an idiot?? The route goes through Rosedale Chimney, but I will be dismounting - how far will I be walking?

Just remembered: Comedy pilot - keep shtum about my pathetic attempt at the hill on the way back from Pocklington! I think I might be over reaching myself!

With the above in mind - is there a North Yorks/East Coast trip that we (my partner is new to biking too) could do over four days without killing ourselves?

 

[Kirstie]

Another tip - if you think you may have to push your bike up anything suffixed 'bank', don't wear road shoes. It makes it a lot harder. I speak from experience...

 

[ComedyPilot]

Bandini, once I stopped you charging at the hill like a bull at a gate, you got the climbing rythmn down to a fine art. The Chimney is do-able in little chunks.

Pushing a bike up hill is harder than pedaling in the granny ring. Use a photo stop as a breather and ride a bit more - you'll be surprised what you can do.

 

[ComedyPilot]

With the above in mind - is there a North Yorks/East Coast trip that we (my partner is new to biking too) could do over four days without killing ourselves?

There is a new round the Wolds route being opened in the early summer. PM me your email and I'll send a pdf.

It's 150(ish) miles, and takes in Beverley, Market Weighton, Pock, Millington, Huggate, Thixendale, Kirkham, Malton, Sledmere, Foxholes, Burton Fleming, Brid, Burton Agnes, Driff, Cranswick, South Dalton, Etton before Cherry Burton and finally Beverley......if you do it clockwise that is.....if not, reverse the route.

 

[Bandini]

Excellent. Cheers!