This is my neck of the woods, and I’m not a great fan of the main road from Whitby to Scarborough. It’s fast, with some bad bends, dips and blind summits, and can be very busy in summer.
If you are a fast chain gang, then maybe. But a group of riders of varying strengths may find it quite daunting.
The cinder path south is all downhill south, and made of....cinders. I’ve done it on a road bike and it’s not fun. You’d get away with a slowish descent if you were all running wide tyres and in no hurry.
Pick up the Wolds Way to get closer to York from Brid, if you need to chalk up some miles before York.
Avoid the Dunnington section by heading for York from Wolds Way via Westow, Dunnington, Osbaldwick