Top 10 On Wheels Experiences

Mountain Bike Experiences

Challenge yourself and test your skills on Dalby’s world class competition route. The challenging waymarked course has been used as a UCI Mountain Bike Cross Country World Cup venue and is open for all expert riders to have a go! You can also polish your mountain bike technique and defy gravity at the exciting Pace Bike Park at Dixon’s Hollow in Dalby Forest, where expert riders can hone their technical skills. It’s taken 350 tons of stone and building material to turn an old quarry into a top-notch bike skills area, complete with hair-raising jumps, corkscrews and ramps.

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Moor to Sea Cycling – Image credit: North York Moors National Park Association

Dalby’s not just for the experts – its great network of trails is perfect for those trying mountain biking for the first time. Dalby Forest’s great facilities and a number of circular routes of 2 to 12 miles make this an ideal location for all the family. For younger riders, there are easier rides such as the Ellersway Family Cycle Route, a two mile trail. As well as easy-going green and blue trails for novice mountain bikers, there are challenging red runs and – for the experts – ultra-tough black runs. Cycle hire is available on site while there’s a number of places offering guided rides so you can get straight to the best trails. Try Big Bear Bikes or Gone Mountain Biking for a start.

Dalby Forest’s traffic calmed roads along with the stunning valleys and ridges of the North Yorks Moors are a brilliant place for road biking so no surprise that the first stage of the first ever ‘Tour De Yorkshire’ international pro stage race comes right past our door before looping out north through the Moors to the beautiful coastline of Whitby and Scarborough.

Literally minutes from major A roads nearly 1000ft above the surrounding farmland you couldn’t ask for a more stunning place to start a ride. And what riding! Sutton Bank Bikes and the National Parks have developed their own network of naturally flavoured, vista rich local trails. Both family friendly short circuits and more testing trail loops radiating out from the super popular Skills Loop just outside the shop door. Where Sutton Banks’ real riches and focus lie though are encouraging you to explore the lifetime’s worth of wild riding waiting beyond the waymarked routes. Surf the challenging natural descents and climbs around Sutton Bank or flow the pulse racing arteries of singletrack east and north into the heart of the moors.

The Moor to Sea Cycle Trail is an ideal first cycle tour. More than 100 miles of waymarked cycling through the spectacular scenery of the North York Moors, from wide sweeps of open heather moorland to the breathtaking Heritage Coast. Combine a choice of linear routes to make circuits of varying lengths or take a weekand cycle the entire length, which links the historic towns of Scarborough, Pickering, Whitby and Great Ayton. You’ll get fabulous views of heather moorland, ancient forests, rolling farmland and the spectacular coast along the way from forest tracks, lanes and the former coastal railway. Try the newest leg – using forest tracks and part of the old Rosedale railway line, it links Easby on the western fringes with Dalby Forest. Along its 34 miles, there’s one tough climb up to the moor top, rewarded with a stunning view. The rest is fairly easy and can be split into smaller sections for those looking for a more leisurely pedal.

The Settle Loop – discover a favourite off road mountain biking experiences on this blue (intermediate) route suitable for those with an average level of fitness, and those with previous experience of riding a bike off-road. This is a 10 mile (16km) mostly off road circuit which takes in some stunning limestone scenery, including views of the nationally important Malham Tarn, Yorkshire’s Three Peaks and Attermire Scar. Starting in Settle, the loop climbs steeply out of this lovely town into the National Park, traverses a wonderful limestone upland, before descending back towards Settle on mixed gravel and grass trails. Experienced off-road cyclists could expect to complete the circuit in around 2-3 hours, others may take a whole day.

Road Cycling Experiences

Try Britain’s newest ‘coast-to-coast’ cycle touring route, the Way of the Roses which runs for 170 well signed miles between Morecambe on Lancashire’s Irish Sea coast and Bridlington on Yorkshire’s North Sea coast. It passes through the historic cities of York and Lancaster, and lesser known gems such as Settle, Pateley Bridge and Ripon, all enjoyed from cycle paths, country lanes and quieter roads. Just follow the distinctive blue signs bearing red and white roses.

No cycling tour of Yorkshire would be complete without climbing the famous Cragg Vale Incline (B6138) – the longest unbroken ascent of any road in England. From the village of Mytholmroyd, the road rises 968 feet over a distance of five and a half miles to open moorland. Enough to give your gears and lungs a tough workout.

Cadence provides luxury and fully supported cycling experiences. Ride the hidden lanes, leg-crunching hills and breathless descents of Yorkshire. Our expert guides will take you to some of the most beautiful riding and stunning countryside anywhere in the world.

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