The Yorkshire Dales is fantastic cycling country, something the success of the Grand Depart and the Tour de Yorkshire really brought home. With stunning scenery, varied terrain and charming towns and villages, there’s good reason for the sport’s growing popularity in these parts.
To celebrate cycling and scenic places to visit, we’ve teamed up with Ilkley Cycling Club to share six of its favourite road routes in and around the Yorkshire Dales. We’ve picked routes that cover several different ‘dales’, and among them are rides that take just a couple of hours right up to an epic challenge following in the pedal turns of 2014’s Tour de France heroes. We’ve also mentioned a few selected highlights offered by each route, so you can look out for rides visiting historic towns, locally known beauty spots and even famous sights you might know from well-known TV dramas.
Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned club rider, you’ll find a route here that matches your ability and experience. We’ve included links too, which means you can simply click to see more detailed route information and maps online. The good news is that with more and more people taking to the saddle, more and more businesses are catering for bikes, and that means cycling-based holidays are now better than ever. And don’t forget: with hundreds of properties throughout the region, there’s bound to be a lovely Dales cottage within easy reach of any of these rides.
Last but not least, if you’re venturing out, always make sure you’re properly prepared. Even though these rides pass through villages and towns, you should take a map or GPS device, a mobile phone, a puncture repair kit and adequate food and water. Make sure you know your limits too, so you don’t find yourself with an expensive taxi ride if you run out of steam in the back of beyond. Lastly, we always recommend you wear a helmet and comfortable clothing, especially the right underwear or shorts. Oh, and don’t forget to take a waterproof – even in summer it has been known to rain in Yorkshire!
