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Cycling in Yorkshire

    Time for a wheely good holiday…

    Ever since the Tour de France came to Yorkshire in 2014, the region has gone bike crazy. It now attracts cyclists from all over the world, keen to challenge themselves with the dramatic peaks and rolling countryside that make Yorkshire so incredibly beautiful.

    On two wheels! With some of the best cycle routes you’ll find anywhere, you can really immerse yourself in the beautiful landscape, stopping off at enchanting towns and villages along the way.

    Continuing with the Tour de France legacy, if you’re lucky enough to be in Yorkshire over the May bank holiday, then you might get to witness the Tour de Yorkshire, which takes place in eight host towns (which vary each year) with routes travelling through different sections of the Yorkshire Dales, the coastline, the Yorkshire Wolds and the North Yorkshire Moors. What better way to see the stunning Yorkshire landscape for yourself?

    Mountain biking in Yorkshire:

    Cycle Through Yorkshire’s Countryside

    Cyclist riding through a forest trail, viewed from behind handlebars.



    A fantastic way to get to know the impressive Yorkshire countryside on two wheels is along the Sustrans Slow Tour of Yorkshire, which offers 21 different cycling routes, including:

    • Skipton to Bolton Abbey (7 miles)
    • York to Beningbrough Hall (9.5 miles)

    Keep it nice and easy…

    Three cyclists smiling and chatting in a forest, wearing helmets.

    For an easy cycle ride that takes in some captivating countryside along the way, try the Wensleydale Circular, an eight-mile route.

    For something a little more hilly and challenging, the Swale Trail is a 12-mile mountain bike track that runs the length of Swaledale from Reeth to Keld.

    Cycling in the Yorkshire Dales

    Sheep standing on a path by a stream in a green countryside landscape



    Yorkshire is a mountain biker’s dream with the Yorkshire Dales National Park, one of the most challenging and dramatic mountain biking areas in the UK and which boasts more than 600 miles of trails, byways, country lanes, and tracks, so there’ll always be new parts of the park to navigate.

    The in-between option…

    Stone houses in a quiet village at sunset, surrounded by green hills

    More experienced cyclists will love the 23-mile cycle route that starts at Castle Howard and ends at Nunnington Hall.

    The beauty of this ride is that you can make it as easy or as hard as you like with loads of pubs and tearooms along the way to break up the trip, taking in scenic villages such as Slingsby, Hovingham, and Coneysthorpe.

    Fancy something more challenging?

    And if you really want to challenge yourself, then have a go at the gorgeously named Buttertubs Pass. It involves a whole load of climbing and really tests those calves, but you are rewarded with some simply sublime views from the top.

    Challenge yourself in the Yorkshire Dales.

    There is opportunity to challenge yourself when cycling the hills of Yorkshire.. Cyclist in red shirt riding downhill on a winding road through the woods

    A popular destination for experienced riders is the Yorkshire Dales Cycle Way which offers 130 miles of cycle routes which traverse all kinds of terrain and offer plenty of challenges for even the most practiced cyclists.

    What many cyclists do is book a stay at one of the many, charming villages in the Dales as a base for their cycling trip. These include Settle or Grassington in the south or Reeth in the heart of the Dales and Kirby Lonsdale and Kirby Stephen to the west of the national park.  

    Discover the Yorkshire Moors

    Red train moving through a lush green forest in the countryside.

    A well-known cycle route in Yorkshire is the Moor to Sea Network, which includes 150 miles of paths, tracks, and quiet country roads that take in the spectacular North Yorkshire Moors National Park and the Yorkshire coast.

    There are 11 different loops between Dalby Forest and Sear, which vary between eight miles and 20 miles, so there is something for everyone.

    Have kids, will travel…

    Parent and children on bikes, high-fiving at sunset with a baby in a bike seat.

    There are loads of cycle-mad families out there who love visiting Yorkshire for the sheer variety of its cycle routes, which cover everything from flat, traffic-free routes to rides with dizzyingly steep inclines and challenging off-road tracks.

    There are plenty of family friendly cycling trails in Yorkshire | Image shows a parent and two children cycling together on a sunny day along a quiet road.

    A lovely four-mile, traffic-free trail between Knaresborough and Harrogate follows the Beryl Burton Cycle Way and the Nidderdale Greenway through open countryside and ancient woodland.

    If you want to extend the trip by another four miles, you can continue along the Nidderdale Greenway to the captivating town of Ripley, which is well worth a visit.

    Empty countryside path with a wooden signpost, leading into green hills

    The Peak District National Park has so many trails and paths, too many to mention individually.

    Still, one in particular that is great for families is the Monsal Trail, which is an 8.5-mile flat route that follows the line of the former Midland railway between Bakewell and Wyedale.

    Cycling along the Yorkshire’s Cinder Track

    Cycling in Yorkshire takes you through a variety of landscapes. Image shows a mountain bike parked on a hilltop overlooking a scenic mountain range.

    Sticking with the railway theme, the Cinder Track follows an old railway line and stretches for 21 miles between Whitby and Scarborough, but with stop-offs at Robin Hood’s Bay, Ravenscar, and Hayburn Wyke, it is a really enjoyable trip.

    Mad about bikes? Book your next cycling holiday to Yorkshire – the country is famous for it’s attractions.!