Cycling in the Yorkshire Dales: 24 circular rides and a 6-day tour

Harry Dowdell

WITH summer (hopefully!) well and truly here, it’s time to dig out your shorts, pack the sun screen, and pull on your cleats for a season of cycling adventures.

And what could be better than heading off to the beautiful, undulating Yorkshire Dales, a hidden cycling gem which boasts a splendid mix of varied scenic landscapes, an extensive road network, and a host of cycle-friendly cafés and tea shops.

Published by Kendal-based Cicerone Press – an enthusiastic publisher specialising in outdoor activities guidebooks – and with passionate cyclist Harry Dowdell (pictured below) as your personal guide, Cycling in the Yorkshire Dales offers 23 graded circular day routes day, ranging from 15 to 58 miles, on quiet lanes throughout the national park, including the 129-mile Stage 1 of the 2014 Tour de France (Leeds to Harrogate) and a circular 200-mile, six-stage ‘La Vuelta a Dales.’

Home to Britain’s most precious landscapes and habitats, and with each dale having its own character, villages set in hay meadows rich in wild flowers and almost every turn revealing yet another stunning view, the dales really are an ideal place to explore by bike. 

There are no big towns in or close to the area and traffic tends to be light... although the nature of the terrain means that there are no ‘easy’ routes.

Along the way, you will find high moorland cut by deep dales, babbling streams, meadows fringed with dry stone walls, and historic stone villages and towns providing great opportunities for tea, cake and accommodation to fuel the hungry cyclist. The routes are all suitable for road bikes and are centred on Pateley Bridge, Grassington, Ingleton, Settle, Reeth, Sedbergh, Hawes and Leyburn, taking cyclists throughout the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

And with routes graded as short, medium and long, and classified as moderate, hard or challenging, they are ideal for all but the novice cyclist. Those with less experience may need to rest a little more often, particularly on the major dales and climbs of The Fleak, Birkdale, Coal Road, Tan Hill, Oxnop, Buttertubs, Greets Moss, Park Rash, Trapping Hill and Fleet Moss.

Clear route descriptions, mapping and profiles are included for each route, with GPX files available to download, and are supplemented by a wealth of planning information, including accommodation and summary details (including grades) for each route. Also included are tips on getting there, what to wear, food and drink, wildlife, emergencies, choice of bike, navigation and choosing your bike. So load up your bike, head for the dales, and get ready to explore an unmissable corner of God’s own country as you travel into, over and through one of the most captivating landscapes in the British Isles.
(Cicerone Press, paperback, £14.95)