Bike rides in Sussex can be on or off-road, by the coast or around the villages, and of course amongst the lovely South Downs. Wherever you ride, cycling in Sussex can give you great views and lovely routes.
In the page below you will find sections on:
Suggested cycle touring and cycling holiday hubs
Gentle / family bike rides
Circular cycle tours
Guide books and maps for cycle touring
Waymarked long-distance cycle routes
Mountain biking / off-road cycle routes
Cycle-friendly holiday accommodation
Cycling maps and guide books
There are also very good guide books and maps to help you plan your routes and find your way.
Suggested cycle touring and cycling holiday hubs in Sussex
There are many excellent places to stay in Sussex for cyclists (see below) and these are just some areas that might suit:
Eastbourne, with access to the Cuckoo Trail and the South Downs Way
Lewes, again close to the South Downs Way, but also with routes north of the South Downs and down to the sea at Brighton
Steyning, just north of Shoreham-by-Sea, on the South Downs Way and also the Downs Link (mostly off-road) cycle route all the way to Guildford
Gentle / family bike rides in Sussex
Lewes Village and the River Ouse
This is a 9.5 mile easy cycle ride close to the town of Lewes on quiet lanes or bridleways.
OR the same guide book (below) has a very short and almost off-road 2.5 mile route: “short, safe and fun”!
Sussex’s Cuckoo Trail runs from Polegate just outside Eastbourne (with an extension into Eastbourne itself) all the way to Heathfield.
It’s 13.5 miles of pleasurable cycling, off-road and mostly hard-surfaced. The first section from Polegate northwards is quite flat, with a gentle climb from Hailsham to Heathfield.
There are a whole heap of great cycle tours you can do in Sussex, and excellent guide books and maps to help you choose. Here are just some of those routes:
Brighton and the South Downs
From Brighton Sea Front to Hove, then up and over the South Downs. Return route via the viewpoint at Ditchling Beacon down to the coast at Rottingdean, and back along to Brighton.
28 miles, challenging in places, but very rewarding!
To plan your own rides in Sussex, the best maps are probably the Sustrans pocket-sized range. ‘Central Sussex and South Surrey‘ covers the bulk of West and East Sussex, while the Hampshire and the Kent Sustrans maps cover the western and eastern sides.
The ‘Central Sussex and South Surrey’ map clearly shows, for example, The Downs Link from Steyning north to Guildford plus links to Shoreham-by-Sea and along the coast to Worthing, Hove and Brighton. It also shows recommended roads for cycling the North Downs.
Waymarked long-distance cycle routes in Sussex
London to Brighton
This is the iconic London to Brighton cycle route as mapped by Sustrans using the National Cycle Network.
68 miles from a start point at Greenwich, via Redhill and Crawley using quieter roads and off-road cycleways. Finishes on the sea front at Brighton, where it meets the South Coast East
The South Coast East
From Brockenhurst in Hampshire, the South Coast East continues on from the South Coast West, through Southampton and Portsmouth to Chichester. From there it joins the coast at Bognor Regis, then takes in the sea fronts at Littlehampton, Worthing and Brighton. It continues either on the coast or near it to Seaford, Eastbourne, Bexhill and Hastings, with Dover its final destination.
Mountain biking / off-road cycle routes in Sussex
The South Downs Way is cycling-permitted for its entire 100 mile length from Winchester to Eastbourne.
You will need a mountain bike rather than a road bike of course, and be comfortable with some hills.
Walking, running and cycling in the Lake District and Cumbria. What could be better?
The English Lake District is perfect for outdoors folk, and – while better known for the hill-walking and running – is ever more a destination for cyclists. Of course, there are hills in the Lake District. Some quite big ones really.
So if you are a cyclist who likes a challenge, that’s great! Plenty to offer.
If you prefer flatter routes, those exist as well, particularly in parts of Cumbria just outside the Lake District itself. You just need to know where they are!
There are a number of cycle maps and guide books to help, and I have some suggestions of different types of routes below, along with the map or guide book that would help you plan your route and find your way.
Below you will find sections on different aspects of cycling in the Lake District and Cumbria:
Suggested cycle touring and cycling holiday hubs
Gentle / family bike rides
Cycle touring
Waymarked long-distance cycle routes
Mountain biking / off-road cycle routes
Cycling maps and guide books
Cycle-friendly holiday accommodation
Suggested cycle touring and cycling holiday hubs in the Lake District and Cumbria
If you are bringing bikes by car, there are all sorts of places in Cumbria and the Lake District that welcome bikes. See below for some suggestions.
I’ve also chosen three possible hubs:
Keswick, for some challenging and adventurous touring, access to the coast and to the C2C cycle route, and close to Whinlatter Forest for mountain bike trails
Ambleside, as above, but also with Grizedale Forest and its range of ability trails and the Langdale valleys not far away
Grange-over-Sands, with access to flatter cycle routes suitable for families, and reachable by rail
Gentle / family bike rides in the Lake District and Cumbria
When you open a map of the Lake District itself, one thing you tend to notice is the lack of flat land and therefore flat roads suitable for gentle or family cycle rides. You tend to have to look around the outside of the Lake District National Park for cycle rides for young families.
Windermere and Wray Castle
A mix of bridleways and country lanes – 11.5 miles. Includes the shores of Windermere and Esthwaite Water.
Just outside the Lake District National Park, Grange-over-Sands is a really nice little town sitting on the Morecambe Bay estuary. From Grange-over-Sands a five-mile cycle along the quietest of country lanes brings you to the village of Town End (which has a pub for refreshments).
This is a gorgeous ride, thoroughly recommended.
Start off on quite a busy road (so take great care) but very shortly turn right on to the quiet lanes. Then just follow the Sustrans signs until you get to Town End.
Cumbria’s northern peninsula is some distance from the Lake District National Park, and the scenery is very different to the mountains of the Lakes. It is flat! This is a 14-mile ride, and for much of the time you will be looking across the Solway Firth estuary to Scotland.
Park a car at Anthorn, a small village next to the river and cycle west along quiet country lanes.
The route follows the shoreline for about ten miles, stopping at the Solway Wetlands Centre near Bowness-on-Solway for a well-deserved cup of something (and maybe a tour of the RSPB site).
Then turn right at Glasson to cut across the peninsula for another four miles to bring you to the village of Whitrigg, where you turn right again to cycle back to Anthorn.
There are two very good guide books for cycle touring in the Lake District and Cumbria, or you can use the cycling maps from Sustrans or the Ordnance Survey Tour Map to create your own cycle routes. You might also choose to read ‘A Lake District Grand Tour’ of which more below.
Suggested routes from Keswick
Circuit of the Skiddaw and Blencathra ranges
33/34 miles and ‘strenuous’. Fantastic views and mostly quiet lanes until the last section back into Keswick.
Park in Keswick (or hire a bike there), heading out on the C2C cycle route to Threlkeld. Follow signs to Mungrisdale then Caldbeck (excellent pub here with its own brewery). Then follow signs to Bassenthwaite, before following the main road (though not too busy) back to Keswick.
Both the CycleCity and Cicerone guide books give good descriptions and maps. See below. Or use the OS Tour map.
Other suggested cycle routes from Keswick:
See the Goldeneye Lake District map to follow these routes.
Over Whinlatter Pass to Lorton, past Crummock Water and Buttermere, back via Honister Pass and Derwentwater. Very challenging.
Cycling to Ambleside via Castlerigg Stone Circle, Thirlmere, Grasmere and Red Bank
The circuit of Derwentwater. Take care on busy days down the east side of the lake.
Over Whinlatter Pass to Lorton, Cockermouth and the reverse of the Workington branch of the C2C
Suggested cycle routes from Ambleside
Ambleside, Ullswater, Thirlmere and Grasmere circuit
41 hard miles according to the Cicerone guide book (below), but well worth it if the legs and lungs will stand it.
The route starts in Ambleside heading very steeply up The Struggle and over the rock-strewn Kirkstone Pass. Then drops beautifully down to Ullswater, following the lakeshore before climbing up again northwards.
Quiet lanes then take you to Threlkeld (choice of pubs available) and then drop you down on to the St Johns in the Vale road (B5322). Cross over the main Keswick-Ambleside road to ride round the very quiet western side of Thirlmere. Then join the new cycle track that avoids climbing Dunmail Raise on the main road. From there you can either fly down towards Grasmere on the main road, or cut off on small lanes.
Don’t use the main road from Grasmere to Ambleside (which is very busy and unpleasant) if you still have the legs for a climb up the challenging Red Bank to bring you back to Ambleside on the Hawkshead road.
Other cycle routes from Ambleside
Cycling in Langdale
These probably best followed using the Goldeneye Lake District map:
Head west out of Ambleside into Little Langdale. Up and over to Great Langdale. Return via Elterwater and Skelwith Bridge.
Again head west from Ambleside, turning south for Coniston. Cycle down the east side of Lake Coniston, then turn back north to follow the lanes through Grizedale Forest (including a stop at the café) and into Hawkshead. Back from there in many places off-road.
Suggested cycle routes from Grange-over-Sands
Circuit of Whitbarrow
This is a 29-mile fairly tough route from Cicerone’s guide book Cycling in the Lake District (see below).
Heading east out of Grange-over-Sands towards the village of Town End the going is straightforward and quite level, at least as far as Levens.
Pedalling north from there in a big loop brings you back to Town End in a figure-of-eight. But then you head for delightful Cartmel. Don’t forget to stop for some refreshment here. The sticky toffee pudding is legendary!
After that, it’s really not that far back to Grange – just enough to shake your pudding down.
The guide book begins with a tour of the Lake District over several days. It’s challenging, of course, but then this is the Lake District! The book then has day rides, many of which are again quite challenging, though some less so. Rides include:
Using excellent Ordnance Survey mapping, the guide book has 20 cycle tour descriptions, the length varying from 24 to 35 miles. Each graded from Easy to Strenuous. Rides include:
This is a lovely coffee-table book with 8 circular rides around the Lake District and Cumbria. It includes maps, wonderful photos and descriptions, plus listings of pubs and pitstops.
It makes a great gift, either to someone else or to yourself!
Planning your own circular rides in the Lake District and Cumbria
You have the choice of either Ordnance Survey or Sustrans cycle maps to plan and ride your own tours of the Lake District and Cumbria.
Ordnance Survey Tour Map of the Lake District and Cumbria
Goldeneye Cycling Country Lanes and Traffic-Free Family Routes – due for publication May 2021
Waymarked long-distance cycle routes in Cumbria and the Lake District
The C2C coast to coast cycle route
For full information on the route, see the C2C page here.
Hadrian’s Cycleway
Normally an east to west cycle route, Hadrian’s Cycleway follows a route within Cumbria from Carlisle down the west to coast to Ravenglass.
The Reivers Route
Originally intended as a reverse C2C route, the Reivers Route is a very good ride in its own right.
Within Cumbria, the Reivers Route map brings you south from Carlisle to Caldbeck, skirting the northern fells to Cockermouth. From there it reaches the coast at Workington, then follows down the coast on mostly off-road routes to the start point of the C2C in Whitehaven.
The Bay Cycleway
Cartmel, on the Bay Cycle Way route
This a newer cycle route, again starting near Barrow, but doing a loop around Morecambe Bay, ending in Morecambe / Lancaster.
Or you can use the Sustrans and OS Tour maps to make your own route, just as I did to write “A Lake District Grand Tour“, which is not a guide book at all.
It’s more a humorous tale of taking on a challenge to cycle over all of the passes, to see all of the lakes, and to go to the furthest north, south, east and west points of the Lake District National Park.
‘This is one hell of way to see the Lake District National Park! A great description of the grandest of Lake District tours. Get pedalling!’ wrote the Chief Exec of the National Park (no less).
Mountain biking / off-road cycle routes in the Lake District
There are both wild and structured mountain bike routes in the area.
For structured routes, go to Whinlatter Forest, west of Keswick, and Grizedale Forest south of Hawkshead, both with excellent mountain bike routes in Forestry Commission woodland.
There are three main options for maps and guide books for more wild mountain biking.
In the form of a book rather than a map, it details 27 routes, splitting them into Classics, Epics, Enduros and Killers!
Routes include High Street, Borrowdale and Skiddaw.
The third option is Mountain Biking in the Lake District, a Cicerone guide book. Equally good, this one has 24 routes: Short, Medium, Long and Full Day.
Both guide books have more of a focus generally on the south and east of the National Park.
Cycle-friendly Holiday Accommodation in the Lake District and Cumbria
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Buying the maps and guide books for cycling in Cumbria and the Lake District
Previews of some of the maps and guide books are below.
The OS Tour map of the Lake District and CumbriaLake District Off-Road Bike Routes Goldeneye MapLake District Mountain Biking, from Vertebrate PublishingIn and Around the Lake District Cycle Tours
All are available from the Bike Ride Maps webshop. Either click on a link below for more information or add them to your basket.
There is no doubt that cycling in Devon can be a joy.
The county has some fabulous cycle routes, taking in the South Devon coast with its estuaries, beaches and resorts and the North Devon coast with its coves and hills and of course more beaches.
Then there are the cycling and mountain-biking / off-road possibilities on or around Dartmoor and Exmoor.
Devon’s cycle routes include shorter and medium-length circular routes, whether family rides or more challenging ones, as well as long-distance signed Sustrans routes for cycle touring.
Below you will find sections on different aspects of cycling in Devon:
Suggested cycle touring and cycling holiday hubs
Gentle / family bike rides
Circular cycle tours
Guide books and maps for cycle touring
Waymarked long-distance cycle routes
Mountain biking / off-road cycle routes
Cycle-friendly holiday accommodation
Cycling maps and guide books
There are excellent maps and guide books to those routes as well, with maps from Goldeneye Maps, Cycle Maps UK, Ordnance Survey (the OS Tour series), Harvey Maps and plus guide books for the Devon Coast to Coast cycle route.
All the maps are listed at the bottom of the page here, or you can click on a green link to go direct to them in the Bike Ride Maps shop.
So whether you are local to Devon, or planning a cycling holiday in Devon, I hope the following helps.
Starting by the river in Exeter, this is a flat ride of about 8 miles each way, with continuous interest along the way.
The route mostly follows the estuary shoreline, nipping through fascinating Topsham with a finish in Exmouth for a drink and a snack, before setting off back to Exeter.
Park at Plym Valley Railway and cycle north along Drake’s Trail.
The very gently climbing route follows disused a railway line as far as the hamlet of Clearbrook, about 6 miles, taking in viaducts and tunnels along the way. Younger families may choose to turn around at this point.
Beyond Clearbrook, there are short sections on the road to Yelverton and beyond to Tavistock. The town of Tavistock has lots of interest, so make time to stop and wander around. Plenty of tea shops as well…
Tavistock also makes an excellent cycling hub as well, if you are looking for somewhere to stay over and have a range of cycling routes on the doorstep, plus of course walks on Dartmoor. (See cycling hub suggestions below).
If you are cycling from Barnstaple, signs take you beyond the roads around the town and quickly onto the old railway line / now cycleway that parallels the estuary of the River Taw. It’s very easy and pleasant cycling.
At the village of Instow the Taw meets the estuary of the Torridge, and across the far side you will see Appledore. Carry on and you come to Bideford’s village east of the Torridge: East-the-Water. For those wanting a short ride, you can walk across to Bideford’s town centre just on the far side of the bridge (note – this is the second bridge you come to, not the first, which is the main A39).
After Bideford, the estuary turns into river, with the Tarka Trail criss-crossing through lovely countryside perfect for otters (after all, the route is named after Tarka the Otter, written and set just here).
Just short of Great Torrington is a café as part of the old railway station, which can be a good place for a break before the return journey. Great Torrington itself is up a very considerable hill, a nice place, but you will need good lungs going up.
The return journey to Barnstaple is just as pleasant. Look out for otters…
Of course, you can also cycle the other way out of Barnstaple. Five miles away, hugging the northern side of the Taw estuary, the cycleway leads to Braunton,
The routes are marked on Goldeneye’s robust waterproof map and have brief descriptions of the type route. For example, from Ivybridge there is the “Southern Edge of Dartmoor“, 29Km/18miles through South Brent, Avonwick, Ugborough and back to Ivybridge. “A quiet route with long, easy sections between few steep climbs.” The mapping is very clear and easy to follow.
The distances are 13 to 25 miles, but you can also join routes together to create longer ones.
So as not to be too bulky, one side has south Devon and the southern half of Dartmoor, while the other side has the northern half.
Circular day rides in North Devon and around Exmoor
Ilfracombe – the start of the Devon Coast to Coast
The Devon C2C cycle route is one of the best fully signed Sustrans National Cycle Network routes.
At 99 miles, it is normally ridden over two or three days, though side trips to Dartmoor or Sir Francis Drake’s house can make for a longer journey.
It starts at Ilfracombe on Devon’s gorgeous north coast with some up and overs to Barnstaple.
From there it follows the Tarka Trail inland and then the Granite Way from Okehampton to Lydford on to the fringes of Dartmoor. At Tavistock the route joins Drake’s Trail (above) gently dropping towards Plymouth.
Much of the route is on disused railway lines, so the gradients are generally very kind.
The end of the Devon C2C is on the iconic Plymouth Hoe.
Dartmoor and Exmoor offer some great off-road riding, some of it relatively easy, other sections more challenging. There are some excellent maps and guide books.
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