UK tour in July 2023 ??

[Shem]

Hello, we are a couple from Berlin and we are excited to be planning our trip through the Uk this July (2023).
We are experienced cyclist and we did multi-country touring before. Munich to Rome, Berlin to Budapest, Warsaw to Berlin, Berlin to Dusseldorf and more...
We are going to start our trip in Manchester and we thought to cycle south to Cornwall and maybe back to Manchester (flying back).
We are looking for any advice for our trip:
Where to go?
How to find the best cycling routh (which app?)
Is going south and west starting from Manchester a good idea considering the prevailing wind?
Any places that are MUST SEE?
Any other advice?
Is taking a train from Manchester to Cornwall (Cycling back north) a better idea?
Or maybe going north to Scotland?
Any tips and advice will be appreciated
Thank you all in advance

 

[steveindenmark]

The prevailing winds in the UK go from South to North. This is why Lands End to John Ogroats (LEJOG) is so popular. Where to go is a very difficult question. But Cornwall is a long way from Manchester.

 

[Jameshow]

What are you wanting to see countryside, cities coast or all three?!!

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Welcome to the forum, and a future welcome to the UK!

I wouldn't worry about wind direction. The weather in the UK isn't consistent enough to use as a basis of planning, unless you are trying to break a speed record or something.

I'm in Manchester, and don't know the final part of your trip very well at all. But as to routes, it really depends what sort of cycling you want (flat or hilly) and whether you want countryside, or to visit many towns and cities on route.

Personally, I would recommend heading into Shropshire then through the Welsh Borders towards Bristol. This is perhaps the very best cycling in the whole of England (others will be along shortly to vehemently disagree) with many lovely lanes and perfect countryside. Beyond that I leave to others advice

British hills tend to be short but very steep compared to continental. Wales has many of them.

In terms of apps, cycle.travel is good for planning and I'd recommend to get the OS app too, which gives you maps to 1:25000 scale of the whole country.

Enjoy!

 

[Cathryn]

Hi. What a lovely question to ask us all.

My favourite route finding website is cycle.travel. I then save the route, download into a GPX file and upload onto Komoot, which I use for directions. I haven't yet had a bad route from cycle.travel.

I tried the website to create a route from Manchester to Truro as a starter. It's 408 miles, which is a lot.

I know I'll get shot down in flames, but I'm not a massive fan of the Midlands so I'd be tempted to head west as you head south and go through midwales which has spectacular roads which are empty. If you did stick to the UK, I'd divert to Bath if you haven't been before as it's beautiful and Bristol is very cool and cyclist-friendly. Nearby, you could go to Wells and Glastonbury.

The Cornish (and Devon) coast is utterly beautiful so rather than going through the middle (which is also lovely) I'd personally stick towards the coast, although it will be very busy in the summer.

 

[tom73]

You look to be missing out the best bits travel over from the darkside and see what Yorkshire has to offer moor , wolds and coast and more not forgetting the peak district.

 

[Cathryn]

You look to be missing out the best bits travel over from the darkside and see what Yorkshire has to offer moor , wolds and coast and more not forgetting the peak district.

I would also say (even as a Southerner) that Yorkshire is pretty spectacular cycling.

 

[mikeIow]

A second strong vote for cycle.travel.

One thing I learned from my LEJoG adventure (see link in sig…might give you ideas) was that Britain is chock-full of beautiful byways and off-road cycle paths, and there are a wealth of lovely villages to travel through. My route didn’t get to Manchester - I went via Leicester (home) in order to sleep in my own bed for 2 nights and wash stuff….similarly for Edinburgh. Scotland might be a bit full of midges in summer. I’d recommend Yorkshire/Cumbria, but equally the Cotswolds were great too.

You don’t say how long you will have, or what your daily mileage might be.
I’m not the fastest by a long shot, but I averaged 55 miles per day (including a couple of days of 84miles….). Camped a bit on my Leicester to Edinburgh leg.

Do you have any particular interests? Ideas could be shaped by that.

Oh yes, & Cornwall is a brutally hilly area too 😱

 

[albal]

Personally i,d head north to Scotland that time of year.

 

[Jameshow]

Personally i,d head north to Scotland that time of year.

Yeap south is too hot, too busy...

I'd head up through dales, Northumberland, Scotland and back down through the lakes. You would end up with a seriously distorted view of what the UK is like!!

 

[matticus]

What are you wanting to see countryside, cities coast or all three?!!

And I'd had:
Hills/Mountains, remote or quaint/touristy

 

[Shem]

What are you wanting to see countryside, cities coast or all three?!!

We want it all! But, we only have a little more than two weeks...
We would like to enjoy camping, nature, lakes and the sea as much as possible

 

[Shem]

The prevailing winds in the UK go from South to North. This is why Lands End to John Ogroats (LEJOG) is so popular. Where to go is a very difficult question. But Cornwall is a long way from Manchester.

Thank you
Yes I know its a long way from Manchester to Cornwall. My question about the wind is it a real problem like it was with the terrible western prevailing winds of northern Poland or is it okay to ride against it?
Would you cycle south from Manchester or take a train to Cornwall and climb north?

 

[Shem]

Welcome to the forum, and a future welcome to the UK!

I wouldn't worry about wind direction. The weather in the UK isn't consistent enough to use as a basis of planning, unless you are trying to break a speed record or something.

I'm in Manchester, and don't know the final part of your trip very well at all. But as to routes, it really depends what sort of cycling you want (flat or hilly) and whether you want countryside, or to visit many towns and cities on route.

Personally, I would recommend heading into Shropshire then through the Welsh Borders towards Bristol. This is perhaps the very best cycling in the whole of England (others will be along shortly to vehemently disagree) with many lovely lanes and perfect countryside. Beyond that I leave to others advice

British hills tend to be short but very steep compared to continental. Wales has many of them.

In terms of apps, cycle.travel is good for planning and I'd recommend to get the OS app too, which gives you maps to 1:25000 scale of the whole country.

Enjoy!

Thank you for your welcoming words!
We are only in the rough planning state but we will considre this and looking on the maps it looks great route!

 

[Shem]

Yeap south is too hot, too busy...

I'd head up through dales, Northumberland, Scotland and back down through the lakes. You would end up with a seriously distorted view of what the UK is like!!

Thank you we are thinking to head down south because of heat we want some sun