North Yorkshire is the place for spoke-tacular cycling
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- Welcome To A Cyclists Paradise
If you are looking for somewhere to test your bike skills and your legs
North Yorkshire is a must-visit cycling destination. Surrounded by stunning scenery you can attack some killer climbs in Nidderdale, bomb down some challenging mountain biking routes or enjoy some gentle scenic off-road cycling on one of the many cycle tracks. Whatever your level and ability, you are sure to find the route for you.
There’s a reason why the roads of North Yorkshire were chosen for the Tour de France Grand Depart in 2014 and you too can now follow in the cleats of famous cyclists such as Mark Cavendish, Chris Froome and Tony Martin.
Trapping Hill, Nidderdale
Trapping Hill featured in the Tour de Yorkshire 2017 as the Cote de Lofthouse this route is a definite ‘killer climb’ sure to test out your legs and your stamina.
Start from the pub in the centre of Lofthouse and head out of the village. Before long the gradient starts to kick in as you head up the road with spectacular views before levelling out where you can find your rhythm and cadence.
As you reach the steepest section with a gradient of 25% you will be out of the saddle testing your limits. After this point, the gradient decreases gradually before levelling out and you reach the end point by the bridleway sign.
Your reward is the spectacular views before you and the knowledge that it’s downhill all the way back to the starting point in Lofthouse.
There are several other ‘killer climbs’ in the Nidderdale area to challenge you so see how many you can complete.
Road cycling in the Yorkshire Dales
The roads of the Yorkshire Dales National Park offer some great cycling routes. There are many routes to choose from and due to the undulating nature of the landscape they provide cyclists with challenging climbs and breathtaking descents.
Follow the route of the 2014 Tour de France Grand Depart on the roads of Swaledale and Wensleydale taking in the dramatic scenery of the Buttertubs Pass above the Dales town of Hawes and passing through small villages such as Muker, Gunnerside and Reeth before heading to Leyburn and Masham.
Cycle coast to coast
The Way of the Roses coast to coast cycle route starts on the west coast and takes cyclists on a journey through two National Parks – the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors and two National Landscapes – Nidderdale and the Forest of Bowland so stunning scenery and views are guaranteed!
Pateley Bridge is considered the halfway point and as well as being a good re-fuelling stop with butchers serving traditional Yorkshire pies, oldest sweet shop, cafes and pubs, there is some great cycle-friendly accommodation offering an ideal stopover to break up the route.
The route on day two takes in the National Trust sites of Brimham Rocks and Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal Water Garden as well as the historic towns of Ripon and Boroughbridge.
Dalby Forest
Dalby Forest in the North York Moors National Park is a great destination for mountain bike enthusiasts. There is a choice of routes ranging from easy-going routes suitable for beginners and families looking for something for their children to ride such as the Ellerton Trail and Adderstone to challenging ones for serious bikers.
Enjoy a day out by bike through the beautiful forest and be surrounded by nature whilst taking in the beautiful moors' scenery.
The toughest trail is the UCI World Cup Trail which featured in the 2010/2011 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup. Use all your bike handling skills to navigate all the zigzags, berms and descents. The trails are graded from green (easy) to black (extreme) so you can match your riding level with the trail before setting off.
Visitors can hire bikes including trikes, wheelchair bikes and hand crank bikes from the nearby Dalby Cycle Hub and enjoy a pre-ride fuel up or post-ride celebratory coffee and cake at the Courtyard Cafe.
Test yourself at Stainburn Forest
Stainburn Forest is another great option for some super mountain bike trails and is considered one of the most technical trail centres in the UK. The site is a mixture of man-made and natural trails all designed to test riders with the hardest being the Warren Boulder Trail or ‘The Black’.
The forest itself is full of different species of birds and other wildlife for cyclists to enjoy while red kites swoop in the skies above.
Cycle rides that are small on effort but big on scenery
For cyclists who prefer a gentler pace, North Yorkshire boasts many easy-going cycle routes and trails incorporating old disused railway lines such as the Nidderdale Greenway, The Cinder Path between Scarborough and Whitby and the York to Selby cycle path.
These routes are perfect for families or for people who are new to cycling.
This is only a snapshot of the amazing and varied cycling offer in North Yorkshire and after a day of cycling you will certainly catch the bug and be back for more. See our activities page to find more cycle and mountain bike routes as well as cycle hire information.
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