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Original poster

Where is your favourite place ever to go on a bike ride

62 replies

Kittenswhiskers · 09/03/2025 14:47

ideally with a nice solid path for most of it
ideally water views and a proper cycle path not in the road

OP posts:
junebirthdaygirl · 09/03/2025 23:42

Ils de Re in France. Fly to La Rochelle, taxi across Bridge to island. Cars mostly parked up . Every village has bike rental so lots of cycling paths. Totally safe and not hilly. Cycle through vineyards and by the sea. Beautiful little villages. We love it. Best not to go in July August as gets very busy.

soupyspoon · 09/03/2025 23:41

We've been around a lot of 'waters', so Rutland water, Pitsford and Alton water

In the midlands you have Brampton Valley way, a couple of reservoirs, Lincolnshire you have routes from Woodhall Spa to Lincoln and then out the other side along an old rail line
Peterborough has lots of cycle trails right along the river.
Birmingham has good trails along canals

Also Tonbridge to Penshurst
Along the river Medway into Maidstone
Cantebury to Chartham is along a river
Viking coastal trail as someone said, but you can go from Herne Bay past Reculver and into Thanet

I quite like the New Forest but some of that is limited for me by involving busy roads.

Potatowonkeyes · 09/03/2025 23:36

@Kittenswhiskers it's breathtaking! There are tons of waterfalls to hike up aswell. There's a beautiful hotel and spa. That's actually the view from the restaurant and hot tub in the spa! Highly recommended x

Original poster
Kittenswhiskers · 09/03/2025 23:32

Iloveplants4321 · 09/03/2025 23:31

@Kittenswhiskers lake vyrwyn wales

Wow ! 😲

OP posts:
Iloveplants4321 · 09/03/2025 23:31

@Kittenswhiskers lake vyrwyn wales

Where is your favourite place ever to go on a bike ride
Original poster
Kittenswhiskers · 09/03/2025 23:28

soupyspoon · 09/03/2025 23:17

I only do paths as well OP, never roads, or very short sections or we walk it

Peak district is amazing

Monsal Trail
Manifold Way
High Peak Trail
Tissington Trail

Then you have coastal routes, round south Wales, I havent done this yet
Bristol to Bath, I havent done that either
Morcambe bay, very nice

Exe esturary trail, this is lovely, down the Exeter canal

Round the canals between Edinburgh and Glasgow, we went to the bit near the Kelpies and the Falkirk Wheel, amazing, fantastic

The Midlands is really good for old railway lines, Northampton etc

Also Dorset for the Portland trail around Weymouth, thats really nice, The North Dorset Trailway and then the Castleman Railway

Oh I’m glad someone else only likes cycle paths
I feel
like the odd one !

where about in the midlands is good ?
Bristol to bath sounds fab
and morecombe

and anywhere near water I love

OP posts:
soupyspoon · 09/03/2025 23:27

The problem when people talk about 'quiet roads' is that they're often country roads which have 60mph limits on them, very dangerous and frightening. I find drivers drive very close and Im very wobbly and prone to sudden stopping out of panic so I wont go on roads at all.

HeyDoodie · 09/03/2025 23:26

LindorDoubleChoc · 09/03/2025 21:11

A week long cycling holiday from Passau in SE Germany to Vienna in Austria all along the banks of the Danube. Beautiful.

Did you do this independently or as part of a tour?

MrsAvocet · 09/03/2025 23:23

Hadrian's Cycleway (national cycle route 72) runs 170 or so miles from Ravenglass in West Cumbria up to Carlisle and then across the country, finishing in Whitley Bay. It's a mixture of dedicated cycle way and (mostly fairly quiet) roads, and although there's a few biggish hills a lot of it is one of the less demanding coast to coast routes. The first section that runs along the West Cumbrian coast in particular is flat so if you didn't fancy the climb up to Hadrian's Wall you could spend a nice couple of days riding from Ravenglass to Carlisle.

soupyspoon · 09/03/2025 23:17

I only do paths as well OP, never roads, or very short sections or we walk it

Peak district is amazing

Monsal Trail
Manifold Way
High Peak Trail
Tissington Trail

Then you have coastal routes, round south Wales, I havent done this yet
Bristol to Bath, I havent done that either
Morcambe bay, very nice

Exe esturary trail, this is lovely, down the Exeter canal

Round the canals between Edinburgh and Glasgow, we went to the bit near the Kelpies and the Falkirk Wheel, amazing, fantastic

The Midlands is really good for old railway lines, Northampton etc

Also Dorset for the Portland trail around Weymouth, thats really nice, The North Dorset Trailway and then the Castleman Railway

DriveInSaturday · 09/03/2025 23:12

Margate to Broadstairs and Ramsgate along the beautiful coastal path. Lots of sea and cliffs. It's a very safe five miles to Broadstairs and one mile further to Ramsgate.

Original poster
Kittenswhiskers · 09/03/2025 23:06

Stumbleine · 09/03/2025 22:48

The Monsal trail in the Peak District

Oh I’m going to look this one up, I’ve not heard of this

OP posts:
Original poster
Kittenswhiskers · 09/03/2025 22:59

Jabberwok · 09/03/2025 21:23

I'll add sustrans are based in Bristol....lots of cycle paths, quite roads, I can cycle the 9 miles to the centre of Bristol and spend only one mile on very quite roads along the banks of the avon

Oh what’s your starting point ? I’d love to cycle around Bristol

OP posts:
Stumbleine · 09/03/2025 22:48

The Monsal trail in the Peak District

ParsnipPuree · 09/03/2025 22:41

New Forrest.

YeOldeGreyhound · 09/03/2025 22:25

Bristol-Bath cycle path. Lovely at Warmley to Bath. I used to cycle there, and sit along the canal and wave at passing boats.

girlwhowearsglasses · 09/03/2025 22:24

Oh and yes - dedicated cycle routes

girlwhowearsglasses · 09/03/2025 22:22

Nip over to France- drive 1 hour south of Calais to Baie de Somme. beautiful flat and with nature reserves, nice fishing villages, birds and seal and also fresh mussels (that’s where they grow them). Moules frites are heavenly.

https://en.francevelotourisme.com/cycle-route/somme-valley-cycle-route

Somme Valley cycle route : 195 km cycling to the Baie de Somme

Somme Valley cycle route, going from Tergnier to St-Valery-sur-Somme, forms part of the greater Véloroute de la Somme à la Marne, or Somme to Marne cycle route.

https://en.francevelotourisme.com/cycle-route/somme-valley-cycle-route

outerspacepotato · 09/03/2025 22:14

Bayern and Switzerland. Biking is normal there, they're not trying to mow you down, and spectacular scenery.

ThisUsernameIsNowTaken · 09/03/2025 22:05

Germany and France with their huge cycle networks.

TwoLeggedGrooveMachine · 09/03/2025 22:01

The camel trail in Cornwall. If you want beside water this is hard to beat. The granite way in Devon is lovely, on Dartmoor but not too steep to cycle.

Isitafullmoon · 09/03/2025 21:57

https://www.southlytchettmanor.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bike-to-Poole-Quay.pdf

Well this was the route we did. We were on holiday there.

But I think a lot of the places round there are well set up for cycling.

Needtogoforarun · 09/03/2025 21:53

Mawddach trail, Gwynedd

Jabberwok · 09/03/2025 21:23

I'll add sustrans are based in Bristol....lots of cycle paths, quite roads, I can cycle the 9 miles to the centre of Bristol and spend only one mile on very quite roads along the banks of the avon

Jabberwok · 09/03/2025 21:21

North Somerset, lots of quite roads, as it's an extension of the Somerset levels it's flat. And big sky. Montana you ain't seen nothing.

Great wildlife, herons, buzzards, even starling murmerations if your lucky...then you can hit the coast paths, or head to a decent country pub.

I saw weasels, eagrets, red kites, deer, pheasants, moor hen, chiff chaff, gold finches, Canada geese, mallards , just on a ride to Weston mare this week...and the tide was in!

Plus Thatchers cider farm...a couple of cedar valleys and you can cycle to anywhere!