outdoors shite: cycle paths with family

[EssieW]

So at New Year, we did the Monsal trail and Carsington Water. We're planning to do some of the Tissington Trail and Manifold valleys at Easter. DS is on a bike and can do a reasonable ride but doesn't like hills (he's only 4 so bike has no gears). DD is in a bike trailer aka The Queen of Sheba.

Any other ideas? Don't have to be in Derbyshire - we're a couple of hours away from there but happy to travel a bit for a weekend trip. Planning trips further afield in school holidays so even recommendations as far as Scotland welcome. As DS is only 4-5, then the majority of the route (i.e. 99%) needs to be on off road cycle path. Very quiet country roads OK if for short distance.

Fab cycle paths we have enjoyed with small cycling child plus her majesty in the trailer are as follows...

Ballater to Aboyne - old railway so flat, very scenic.
Round Loch Morlich nr Aviemore - not entirely flat but do it clockwise from Glenmore and you get the only big hill out the way within 5 mins. Two cafes en route.
Glen Feshie - private tarred road so only an occasional car along the way
Callendar to Strathyre - old railway
The Glenogle trail - old railway running along the side of a narrow Glen, is really steep to get up to it from the road at Lochearnhead but then it's flattish, just a very very gentle incline (and therefore downhill on the way back). It's spectacular.

I'm in Scotland - can you tell?! Mercifully DD has just learned to ride her bike so my many years of trailer pulling are over. Yay!

Thanks! We've just booked a week in Cairngorms in August. Staying in Boat of Garten so some of these definitely on the list now. Will look up others as we generally go at least once a year...

We planned to do the route by Loch Katrine last year. The gale force winds were somewhat off-putting though.

Ah, the Cairngorms are my specialist subject! There are lots of nice trails in the woods at the back of Boat of Garten and there's also an off road cycle path from BoG to Aviemore and then you could get the steam train back. Or you can just cycle halfway along and turn back, the first couple of miles are on quiet road then forest road and you can look at all the lovely houses on 'millionaires row' and pick which one you'd buy if you won the lottery (or maybe that's just us ). There are apparently some nice flat ex-railway line parts of the speyside way the other side of Grantown on Spey and the Dava Way is an old railway line trail that goes north from Grantown. We've not done either of these though, so I can't say what the surfaces are like.

There are also loads of kiddy friendly trails in and round Rothiemurchus and Glenmore forest. We're heading up that way for the Easter holidays so we've got DD in training to get her distance up a bit further than just 'to the library and back' so we can do some nice family cycles. Trying to decide whether we can leave the trailer at home for the first holiday in five year!

Which way 'a couple of hours from Derbyshire' are you?

There's quite a few good flat off-road paths in Lancashire - by canals, Morecambe (and some other ) seafronts, by the Lune - can go from a bit east of the Crook of Lune through lancaster all the way to Glasson Dock (where you should find the Port of Lancaster Smokehouse and get smoked bacon, fish, cheese... anything smokable ) - you wouldn't do the whole thing in one go with a 4 year old.

Cycling Lancashire website - IMO about the best thing I've found in the .gov.uk domain, do any other counties have similar?

Lancaster area info

with kids page with some more ideas.

We're the other way from that! But still good to know for holidays/weekends away etc.

I just had a quick look and found similar for Derbyshire - you may find something useful there. Suggest people look at www..gov.uk and search for cycling - they may vary in whether they are particularly useful for cycling with kids but its a good place to start looking.

Just remembered another good site - sustrans. Here is their page of suggested rides with kids all over the country - no idea what they are like but should be worth considering

How about this near York?

Or there are good undulating forest paths at Clumber (in Nottinghamshire). We've cycled there a couple of times with our DCs (10 &7) and they also enjoyed cycling round Ladybower but i think you need to wait until you DS has gears before you could tackle that.

Devon- fab place for family cycling, a selection of former railway trails of differing lengths and landscapes. www.devon.gov.uk/index/transportroads/cycling/leisure_cycle_routes.htm for more info.

The Tarka Trail could take you two or three days with a 5 yr old ( or about 6/7 hours for a fit adult) , accommodation on or just off route is available and easy to find.

I am liking the look of the Tarka trail. We haven't been to Devon for awhile either...

If you do the Tarka trail over a few days I can recommend Yarde Farm bunkhouse and Yurts , right on the trail and a fun place to stay. Lots of possible accommodation in Barnstable, but the Barnstable hotel is VERY easy to get to from the cycle trail, and has two swimming pools. DS thinks it was the very peak of luxury (its not, but it was clean and comfy)

There's a fantastic trail in W Wales between Dolgellau and Barmouth, and it's along a disused railway so it's flat. It's called the Mawddach Trail. Approx 9 miles long. Right along the estuary, you get sea and mountain views all the way, it's the best trail we've ever cycled.

Strawbezza - have done that one! We loved it too. DS managed this one last year in October. He'll probably be able to do there and back next time - we go every year. The ice-cream incentive in Barmouth works a treat.

Am bumping this as am making holiday cycling plans!