York environs October ride - *25th October*

[Arch]

Are you talking about Thorpe Arch Retail Park and the bike path into wetherby ?

If you need to know about the cycle routes from wetherby to knaresborough let me know as I cycle around that area all the time and there are a couple of good cycle paths you can use.

Ah that's helpful - I thought I'd try out the two routes that look most obvious from the map but any advice is welcome - there's a B road between the two places, what's that like? I try and stick to yellow raods as much as I can, esp in a group when you want to double up and chat. I only found the cycle path last week my chance - my York map is an old one and doesn't have the cycle route marked on it. The little bit I did between the road into Wetherby and Thorp Arch retail park was lovely.

Also helpful - any cafe recommendations in Wetherby? (or Knaresborough, although I know there a little, but I've never been into Wetherby) Esp open on Sundays.

Mind you, everything beyond Harrogate looks a bit contoury for my liking!

 

[phil_hg_uk]

The routes i use are as follows first of all if you come into Wetherby on the bike path you should end up at the garage at the bottom of the race course road then there are 2 routes:

1: On the race course road with the garage on your right turn right onto the main road now look a couple of yards past the garage on the left and there is a sign onto the old railway line you can follow that all the way to spoforth.

2. On the race course road with the garage on your right turn right onto the main road keep going and look for the turn off on the RHS that goes to North Deighton and Knaresborough IGNORE THIS and keep going you will get to a roundabout look for the road that goes to Walshford now look at the RHS of this road BEFORE you join it there is a path behind the hedge, I use this all the time there is plenty of room and you can get a fair speed up just be careful where there are breaks for turn offs, you can either follow this and get off when you get to the Cowthorpe sign and go through Little Ribston to get to knaresborough or if you keep going you will end up joining the OLD A1 (A168 I think) which leads to either Knaresborough or if you keep going Boroughbridge.

If you have a look at your map in those areas you should be able to find both of those ok. These are done from memory so check your map first.

 

[Arch]

Cheers for that, I'll try it out. I ended up doing going to Otley yesterday and up to the edge of Harrogate, and tried the Spofforth path coming back into Wetherby, but I lost it in Wetherby, so going the other way would help me pick it up perhaps.

Part of the problem was my maps. I have a rather old York map, so the Thorp Arch-Wetherby path isn't marked on it, and of course the edge of the map cuts right through Wetherby, so matching it to the newer sheet 104 map with Harrogate on isn't easy.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

The Thorpe arch path is cut into two by the main road where did you get lost ?

Where did you get lost on the Spofforth to wetherby path ?

 

[Arch]

Oh, and for the 25th my idea is roughly this:

Arch's Mills and Bridges Ride

York to Tadcaster, via Bolton Percy, for morning coffee/tea stop. Tadcaster to Thorp Arch Retail Park, via a slightly diversionary route, for Lunch. Thorp Arch to Bolton Percy, for tea, then back into York. That should be about 50 miles, and hopefully do-able in daylight, depending when we leave and how long we linger. The gap between morning coffee and lunch isn't huge (about 10 miles), but hey ho.... If it gets inclement, we can cut the return a bit shorter I think, or skip the Bolton Percy tea stop and head straight back to York for tea.

I reckon we see at least 3 disused windmills and I haven't counted the bridges yet, but my fiendish diversion means we cross the A64 at least 3 times on the way out, and the railway at least twice.

 

[Arch]

The Thorpe arch path is cut into two by the main road where did you get lost ?

Where did you get lost on the Spofforth to wetherby path ?

It was in Wetherby, I made it there, although I had a moment of indecision when I got to where it splits between the arms to the Linton and Deighton Roads. (this is coming in from Spofforth). I got that right I think, then I got to the end of the path at a main road, turned right, then followed a sign to the left, and then right again, and then saw no more signs - I may have missed one, I was getting quite tired. I ended up going past a Morrisons, and up a road to a big roundabout, where I picked up the road to Wighill, crossing the flyover over the A1. I knew the road to Wighill was the one I wanted, that was where I found the Thorp Arch path last week. When I got to that point I decided not to detour through the retail park, as I was getting pretty tired by then, and starting to worry about running out of light, so I just carried on on the road to Wighill, then into Tadcaster and a crawl home ...

85 miles in all!

 

[phil_hg_uk]

When you came off the bike path was the petrol station over the road on your right ?

 

[Arch]

When you came off the bike path was the petrol station over the road on your right ?

Yes, I think so. There was a little sign with a white rose and bike on it, pointing right - I followed that, and then one that sent me left and then another turning right, and then saw no more, I think I must have missed one. Next time I'll follow it into Wetherby from Thorp Arch, that way I'll work out what I did wrong.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Yes, I think so. There was a little sign with a white rose and bike on it, pointing right - I followed that, and then one that sent me left and then another turning right, and then saw no more, I think I must have missed one. Next time I'll follow it into Wetherby from Thorp Arch, that way I'll work out what I did wrong.

Ok at the garage you turn left onto the race course road, a few yards up the road on the RHS you will see a Cycle Route sign go right down that road then left down what looks like a backstreet on a housing estate and at the end there is a tunnel that goes under the A1.

It is very badley signed and the first time it took me ages to find it.

Heres how I found it the first time, if you carry on up the race course road there is a bridge, stand on top of the bridge and look over the edge and you will see a path going along the bottom of the race course you can get to that path on a slip road down the side of the bridge, go up that path and at the top on your LHS is the path to Thorpe Arch and on the RHS is the tunnel under the A1 a quick zoom down the tunnel will show you where on the hosing estate it comes out for next time and thats what I did.

It drives me nuts with the signing of bike paths they always seem to muck up the signs somewhere along the line.

 

[Arch]

Ah, I missed that final left turn then....

The path out to Spofforth was quite nice, but I was sorry it wasn't tarmaced like the bit between the Wighill road and Thorp Arch Retail Park, that bit is really lovely, with the cutting and the high viaducts over it, last week the sun was shining through the leaves, it was gorgeous. Mind you, last week I was still fairly fresh after about 25 miles, this week I was just sliding over into 'too tired to think much'.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

I find the Harland Way (the path from Spofforth) is usually full of dog walkers and people who just dont want to let you past so I go via the mail road now as it is quicker.

I love the path from Wetherby to Walshford it is nice and fast and very few walkers seem to use it so you can really belt down it.

I often do the Harrogate - Spofforth - Wetherby - Thorpe Arch Path - Tadcaster - Selby - York route as it is fairly flat makes a change from over skipton - Ilkley - Otley way which is all hills.

 

[Arch]

I find the Harland Way (the path from Spofforth) is usually full of dog walkers and people who just dont want to let you past so I go via the mail road now as it is quicker.

I love the path from Wetherby to Walshford it is nice and fast and very few walkers seem to use it so you can really belt down it.

I often do the Harrogate - Spofforth - Wetherby - Thorpe Arch Path - Tadcaster - Selby - York route as it is fairly flat makes a change from over skipton - Ilkley - Otley way which is all hills.

There were a few dog walkers but they were generally ok, the only time I had to stop was when a couple of women with three dogs between them couldn't get their boxer to shift out of the middle of the path, and explained "she's a bit thick..."

 

[Piemaster]

Quite fancy joining you for this, however I won't be back home until the Thursday before and after being off the bike for 4 weeks the 50 miles might be asking a bit much of the legs. I'll see if I can get out for a circa 30-35 miler on the Friday and see how I feel then make a decision based on that.

 

[Arch]

Quite fancy joining you for this, however I won't be back home until the Thursday before and after being off the bike for 4 weeks the 50 miles might be asking a bit much of the legs. I'll see if I can get out for a circa 30-35 miler on the Friday and see how I feel then make a decision based on that.

Would be good to have you along. It might come in a touch under 50, and it's mostly quite flat. Ish. And I do hope to include 3 cafe stops, so it's in smaller chunks.

 

[galaxy1]

I think the 25th should be just super