Cycling in the Yorkshire Dales

24 circular rides and a 6-day tour

By Harry Dowdell

ISBN

9781786310170

Availability

Published

11 Apr 2019

Edition

Second

Pages

272

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.50cm

Weight

300g

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Guidebook to cycling in the stunning Yorkshire Dales. Describes 23 of the best circular day rides in the region, plus Stage 1 of the 2014 Tour de France (Leeds to Harrogate) and a circular 200 mile, 6-stage 'La Vuelta a Dales'. Day rides range from 14 to 57 miles. All routes are graded and include gradient profiles and 1:100K mapping.

Seasons

all-year-round cycling but the best time is spring to early summer when the hay meadows are in flower and the birds of the high moors have returned to breed

Centres

the routes are centered on Pateley Bridge, Grassington, Ingleton, Settle, Reeth, Sedbergh, Hawes and Leyburn

Difficulty

routes are graded as short, medium and long and classified as moderate, hard or challenging. There are no easy rides in the Dales. The routes are suitable for all but the novice cyclist. Those with less experience may need to rest a little more often

Must See

cycling throughout the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Routes include all the major dales and challenging climbs of The Fleak, Birkdale, Coal Road, Tan Hill, Oxnop, Buttertubs, Greets Moss, Park Rash, Trapping Hill and Fleet Moss

ISBN

9781786310170

Availability

Published

11 Apr 2019

Edition

Second

Pages

272

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.50cm

Weight

300g

Overview

This guide describes 23 day routes, graded by a combination of distance, climb and overall gradient, all suitable for road bikes and illustrated by detailed maps and profiles. In addition a six-stage tour takes in all the highlights, including Grassington, Leyburn, Hawes, Kirkby Stephen, Ingleton and Settle. And for those who really want to test themselves, the route of the Stage 1 of the 2014 Tour de France, a 206km loop from Leeds to Harrogate, is also included, with an option to close the loop without adding many extra miles. Appendices include a route summary table to help you choose your route, lots of information about facilities for cyclists along the routes, taking bikes on public transport and basic bike maintenance. The Vuelta a Dales takes in the best dales, passes and viewpoints as it passes through Grassington, Leyburn, Hawes, Kirkby Stephen, Sedbergh, Ingleton and Settle. The Yorkshire Dales have always welcomed visitors who enjoy the views. For cyclists, the national park and the areas overlapping its boundaries provide a splendid mix of varied scenic landscapes, an extensive network of roads and peaceful lanes and many cycle-friendly cafés and tea shops. With almost every turn revealing yet another stunning view, the Dales are an ideal area to explore by bike.

Table of Contents

Overview map

Map key

Introduction

Geology of the Dales

Human habitation

Wildlife

Getting there and getting about

Money

When to go

Accommodation

Food and drink

What to wear

What to take

Choosing your bike

Maps

Emergencies

Using this guide

Pateley Bridge

Link Route Leeds Bradford Airport to Askwith

Route 1 Nidderdale, Washburn and Wharfedale

Route 2 Brimham Moor, Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal

Route 3 Masham and Burn Valley

Grassington

Route 4 Round Barden

Route 5 Malhamdale and High Limestone Country

Route 6 Malhamdale by way of Bordley

Route 7 Malhamdale, Silverdale and Littondale

Ingleton

Route 8 Dentdale and round Whernside

Route 9 Ribblesdale and round Ingleborough

Settle

Route 10 Dales and Tarn

Route 11 Langcliffe Scar and Malham

Reeth

Route 12 Tan Hill

Route 13 Wensleydale, Mallerstang and Tan Hill

Route 14 Richmond

Sedbergh

Route 15 Lune Valley and Barbondale

Route 16 Circuit of the Howgill Fells

Route 17 Barbondale and Holme Open Farm

Hawes

Route 18 The Big Cheese

Route 19 Semerwater

Route 20 Coverdale and Langstrothdale Chase

Leyburn

Link Route Northallerton to Leyburn

Route 21 Swaledale and The Fleak

Route 22 Aysgarth Falls

Route 23 Jervaulx Abbey and Middleham

Tour de France 2014

Route 24 Tour de France 2014 Stage 1: Leeds to Harrogate

La Vuelta a Dales

Stage 1 Settle to Pateley Bridge

Stage 2 Pateley Bridge to Leyburn

Stage 3 Leyburn to Hawes

Stage 4 Hawes to Muker

Stage 5 Muker to Sedbergh

Stage 6 Sedbergh to Settle

Appendix A Route summary table

Appendix B Useful contacts

Appendix C Campsites along the Vuelta a Dales

Appendix D Cycles on public transport

Appendix E Basic bike maintenance

Updates

July 2021

Route 6

The first half of the first full paragraph on page 73 should now read:

Cross the cattle grid (6.1km) into unenclosed big sky pasture and continue ahead. After a short descent pass through a gateway (6.6km) where the public road ends only to continue as a surfaced private road and bridleway to Bordley. The ‘No through road’ and ‘private road’ signs relate to motor vehicles and not walkers, cyclists and horse riders using the bridleway. Just past the gateway turn left through a gate with nearby wood finger post confirming the route to Bordley. Climb then descend to Bordley. Be ready to stop for closed gates. Pass through Bordley with...

December 2019

Link Access Sedbergh

Rail services are provided by Avanti West Coast (having taken over the franchise from Virgin West Coast in December 2019), Transpennine Express and Northern Rail. Cycle carriage policies of Transpennine and Northern are detailed in Appendix D of Cycling in the Yorkshire Dales. Avanti West Coast run trains between London Euston, Scotland (Glasgow and Edinburgh), North Wales (Holyhead) the West Midlands (Birmingham and Birmingham Airport) Manchester and many places in between. Trains can take up to four bikes. There is no restriction on folding bikes. There is no charge for reservations and these can be made at the time of buying your ticket, later at the station or by telephone.

www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk

Service Tel: 03445 56 13 94

Cycle Reservations Tel: 03455 28 02 53

August 2019

Updates

Sedbergh Link Route to be found in Download:

First Trenitalia will be taking over from Virgin in running the West Coast Mail Line from the 8th of December 2019 Contact details to follow

June 2019

Suggested link access to Sedbergh page 133 added to downloads.

May 2019

Stage 3: Cafe stops.

Zarina's in Kettlewell has closed alternative option is The Cottage Tea Room.

April 2019

Appendix D: Cycles on public transport

Transpennine Express now require 24 hours advance booking for cycles. Still no charge. Folding cycles no change. New trains being introduced will take 4 cycles. telephone reservations now use option 3.

Reviews

Useful route maps as well as a detailed description of the route

The Grand Depart of the Tour de France in 2014 was a phenomenal success for Yorkshire with 2.5 million spectators lining the route for the first two days when it passed through the Dales, a UK TV audience of 16.6 million and a global TV audience of a staggering 3.5 billion people. The Yorkshire Dales were shown in all their splendour which has resulted in an increase in tourism to the area. Tourists spent £1.9bn in Yorkshire in the year to March 2015, 7.5 per cent up on the year before and this has increased ever since due to the introduction also of the annual Tour de Yorkshire cycle race.

No wonder cycling in Yorkshire has taken off so spectacularly in the last five years and not a single weekend goes by without us seeing scores of Lycra clad riders passing through Otley and llkley on their way to the Yorkshire Dales to either follow parts of the Tour de France route or others of their own choosing. llkley Cycle Club now has over 2,000 members whilst Otley Cycle Club membership is over 500 and increasing annually.

Now Cicerone books have issued a new publication aimed at these riders from our local towns, and the rest of the UK, covering 24 circular routes in the Dales plus also a six day tour of the region. The book has eight towns or villages used as starting points - Pateley Bridge, Grassington, lngleton, Settle, Reeth, Sedbergh, Hawes and Leyburn plus also the route of the first stage of the 2014 Tour de France from Leeds to Harrogate, a distance of 129 miles rather than the direct route on the A61 of 16 miles! Each of these starting points has a minimum of two routes from them, with three of the starting points having three and Grassington and Leyburn having four. Distances range from 12 miles to 54 miles although some of these shorter rides are classed as Short Challenging which will test most riders. The rides are classified as Short, Medium or Long and categorised as Moderate, Hard or Challenging!

The final chapter is entitled La Vuelta a Dales and is a six-day tour starting and finishing in Settle with a total distance of 170 miles (272 kilometres) and 12,050 feet (4,350 metres) of climbing throughout. Overnight stays are in Pateley Bridge, Leybum, Hawes, Muker and Sedbergh.

There are 14 sub-sections in the introduction - Geology, Human habitation, Wildlife, Getting there, Money, When to go, Accommodation, Food and drink, What to wear, What to take, Choosing your bike, Maps, Emergencies and Using this guide. There are also five appendices at the end of the book - Route summary table, Useful contacts, Campsites along the Vuelta a Dales, Cycles on public transport and Basic bike maintenance.

The book has useful route maps for each of the rides as well as a detailed description of the route and is punctuated throughout with various photographs of scenes, buildings and villages encountered throughout the twenty four rides.

John Burland

Downloads

Cycling in the Yorkshire Dales - GPX File

Harry Dowdell

Harry Dowdell has loved cycling for as long as he can remember. His first cycle tour was around the North York Moors while still at school and he has since enjoyed touring in Ireland, France, Spain, Slovenia and Norway. He cycles regularly in Spain and at home in Yorkshire, where he pays the bills working as a fitness instructor.

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