We all love to cycle – that’s the easy part. For most avid cyclers the hardest part about going out for a ride is looking for a decent route! You’ll burn through your local area in the first few months of starting to cycle, and if you’re unlucky enough to have never found a route you feel like you can cycle everyday then you’ll find yourself cycling further and further or loading up the car just to get to a route you like.
With this list of the most popular routes in Britain we hope to bolster your options for the next time you plan to get out for a ride.
Cape Wrath
Starting off strong with a much loved route in the north-west of Scotland, Cape Wrath is a 24 miles ride through some of Scotland’s most beautiful highland terrain as it meets with the smooth slopes of the coast of Scotland.
Situated in the far north of Scotland, the route was rated to have a coastal climate by the Koppen Climate Classification so whether you find yourself on a smooth downhill or a rocky uphill, it’ll be ideal for staying cool along the entire 24 mile ride.
Complete the entire journey and have your name added to the Cape Wrath Fellowship, exclusive only to those that complete the journey.
King Alfred’s Way
Starting from the very location where the man himself is buried, King Alfred’s way is a historic bike ride through the medieval kingdom of Wessex. At 220 miles in from start to finish, its certainly the type of track you’ll have to take on over a couple of days.
Starting from the Winchester Town where Alfred is buried, the ancient route will take you through some of the best that Britain has to offer. Notable visits include the mighty Stonehenge & the Avebury Stone circle, through to some of England’s many Iron Age Hill Forts before swinging back around to visit iconic places of history such as Farnham Castle, and the Winchester and Salisbury Cathedrals.
The Great Northern Trail
Starting deep within the Pennines and carving right the way through Scotland up to the Cape Wrath Lighthouse, this mountain biking route measures over 1900 miles making it one of the longest contemporary cycle paths inside the UK.
Primarily planned around mountain and gravel bikes, the majority unsurfaced route traverses a huge variety of scenery, from the rolling hills of the peak district & the rugged terrain of the lake district up to the Edinburgh coastline before diving full force into the Scottish lowlands on the way to Glasgow.
From Glasgow, the adventure biker will begin piling north towards difficult highland terrain. Yes, the landscape that kept the highlanders safe for 100’s of years indeed keeps the most beautiful section of the trail reserved for only the healthiest and most committed cyclists. If you’re able to stomach the hard ride up the jagged hills only to have them descend back to loch level as quickly as you climbed them, you’ll find yourself amongst a serene and idyllic landscape almost entirely untouched by man for the remainder of the route.
The health benefits aside, the scenery alone is a worthy reward for any aspiring or established cyclist.
