Recommend a UK cycling route for a 2-4 day holiday for a newbie

[Harv]

Nearest station is probably Harrogate or Knaresborough, Day 1 from their to Ripon

Thanks but this makes it too far to cycle from one stop to another. Will use google later today to see if I can find some options worth nearby train stations as this route looks ideal.

What about a train to Leeds, then cycle to York and get a train home from there?
It's a really nice ride, about 25 miles if you stick to the lanes and back roads, mainly flat once you're out of Leeds, with a couple of decent café opportunities mid ride and you should have the prevailing winds behind you.

Thanks. Do you have a route you can recommend from Leeds?

I can recommend the Bay Cycle Way from Barrow-in-Furness to Glasson Dock (near Lancaster). I did it with a non-cyclist friend this year and she found it fine. There were just a couple of hills that she couldn't cycle up and she was happy to walk her bike up them.

Checked out this website. Looks really good. I could break this down in to 3 days. There doesn't seem to be a train stop at the end of the route. Looks like you have to go back on yourself 6 miles. Aside from that looks great.

Train to Peterborough on 24th Feb, ride 40 miles hopefully with a tailwind across the flat to King's Lynn, overnight at the Fairlight Lodge or Stuart House Hotel, head to Lynnsport for 10am to meet other people cycling 32miles to/from Bagthorpe Hall to walk through fields and forests of snowdrops (£4 admission, in support of ngs), returning to King's Lynn for a train home. Extend with a day before or after if wanted, either sightseeing or riding a loop.

Thanks but I was looking at the 2nd to 5th Feb for the excursion.

How about this, almost on your doorstep and for my money some of the nicest cycling country in Yorkshire:

http://www.cycleyorkshirewolds.com/

Thanks Dave. Appreciate the post. Unfortunately the view route option on the website seems to be broken. I can't see the route itself. Will try again later.

 

[mjr]

Thanks but I was looking at the 2nd to 5th Feb for the excursion.

Would have been good to know! I suspect you may struggle to find much other than the famous permanent routes described on http://cycle.travel or www.sustrans.org.uk that are much fun that early. Also, if the weather's bad, it could become very challenging. Which weekend in May was the rearrangement option?

 

[Harv]

Thanks for the reply mjr. Sorry I didn't put the date down originally.

I'm still waiting confirmation on the May date. Will post it up as soon as I have it.

Will check out the weblinks provided.

 

[Pale Rider]

If going in February I would aim for a road ride.

As @mjr says, parts of the various classic three day cycle path tours will be a but muddy.

Passable, but a combination of getting filthy and tired may not do much for marital harmony.

Some of the road rides in Yorkshire are very up and down.

Twenty or thirty miles a day is a realistic target, but even that could be very wearing through the likes of the Howardian Hills.

A circuit which could be made to work from home is York - Humber Bridge - York, usually ridden in that order, but there's nothing to stop you starting at the bridge and going either way to York.

About 104 miles, but it has the benefit of being mostly flat.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/6946113

 

[EasyPeez]

+1 for the Yorkshire Wolds Cycleway suggestion. There are some significant ups and downs, but the scenery is varied inc a bit of seaside and many pretty villages, and the roads are very light on traffic. I haven't ridden all of it but plan to do the full route over either one very long day or (more likely) two days this summer.

This book is also a good reference to have - https://www.waterstones.com/book/sustrans-traffic-free-cycle-rides/wendy-johnson/9781901389968
Most of the routes in there clock in at just 5 to 15 miles, but there's a few at 30miles+, and quite a few can be easily linked together to make longer rides.

@Pale Rider's Hull to York suggestion is another good one. As well as the route file he provides there are other options there too - check out NCN Routes 65 and 66 here: https://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map

Following the blue signs makes routefinding a doddle. NCN65 to the south is flatter but contains a couple of miles of off-road riding, NCN66 to the north is hillier and arguably more interesting scenically, but more importantly passes by Goodmanham, making a stop at the Goodmanham Arms for a pot of stew and a pint by the roaring fire a must. Both routes would be best done in May I reckon. With a bit of training between now and then and an early start I think you might surprise yourselves and find you could do one complete route in a day, stay over in York for the night, then come back by the other route the next day. Or if that's too much you could split each route over 2 days with B&Bs stops, to give you 4 days of cycling.

One last suggestion - if your wife wants to 'break in' the road bike before a May holiday together she (and/or you) could try - http://cottinghamroadclub.co.uk/
I ride with them when time allows. It's a friendly club and from spring they'll be running their Wednesday evening 'beginner' rides again, which run south from the Humber Bridge. The diary on their website gives details of their weekend rides, which run all year and always have a slow group as well as the quicker groups.

Cheers.

 

[Harv]

Thanks for all the replies. Really appreciated

 

[Harv]

If going in February I would aim for a road ride.

As @mjr
About 104 miles, but it has the benefit of being mostly flat.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/6946113

Thanks for this route. I've created the following two options based on me training to York and then cycling back towards Hull.

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/17101999 - 27.4 miles

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/17102175 - 33.8 miles

The second option is a slightly longer route but I think it goes on quieter roads out of York.

 

[Tight Git]

I use the first of your two routes at rush hour during the week for summer evening rides from York and even then those roads are fairly quiet, so you shouldn't have any problems using them.

And the roads are nice and flat if that is want you prefer!

 

[pjd57]

Arran


Easy to get to by train + boat.
Variety of routes on quiet roads.
And its beautiful

 

[NorthernDave]

Thanks but this makes it too far to cycle from one stop to another. Will use google later today to see if I can find some options worth nearby train stations as this route looks ideal.



Thanks. Do you have a route you can recommend from Leeds?



Checked out this website. Looks really good. I could break this down in to 3 days. There doesn't seem to be a train stop at the end of the route. Looks like you have to go back on yourself 6 miles. Aside from that looks great.



Thanks but I was looking at the 2nd to 5th Feb for the excursion.




Thanks Dave. Appreciate the post. Unfortunately the view route option on the website seems to be broken. I can't see the route itself. Will try again later.

Apologies, I didn't see your reply.

From central Leeds, the quickest way out of the city is the Cycle Superhighway alongside York Road it's not glamorous but it's only for the first few miles.
My preferred route then would be Cross Gates, Scholes, Barwick in Elmet, Aberford, Saxton, Barkston Ash, Church Fenton, Ryther, (cafe stop at Mrs B's Kitchen between Ryther and Cawood), Cawood, over the swing bridge then onto Kelfield, Ricall and pick up the Solar Cycle Route which is a traffic free tarmac route all the way into York.

Let me know if you need any more details.

 

[EasyPeez]

Thanks for this route. I've created the following two options based on me training to York and then cycling back towards Hull.

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/17101999 - 27.4 miles

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/17102175 - 33.8 miles

The second option is a slightly longer route but I think it goes on quieter roads out of York.

I've done both those routes a few times. Neither should cause you any problems, but the second route is undoubtedly the more pleasant one out of York. You're following the NCN65 that I recommended across the racecourse, through Bishopthorpe and out across the Ouse.

After you get past the racecourse the path is a bit lumpy in parts due to tree roots pushing up from under the tarmac, but that shouldn't cause you any issues unless you were wanting to bomb along at top speed.

If you keep following the NCN65 down to Riccall you get to do the Solar Cycle Route and see the planetary sculptures, as well as keeping your ride traffic free for longer. I guess you'd then need to get off the 65 at Riccall and rejoin your route via Skipwith and Thorganby, so it would be adding a few more miles on.