Oyster Bay Trail & Northern Seawall

Oyster Bay Trail & Northern Seawall Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐Running for 17 miles between Whitstable and Margate, this route is mostly traffic-free, with some sections along (normally) quiet roads. As a coastal route, you’re assured stunning sea views almost throughout. However, there’s a price to pay for all that: the route is very exposed and the ... Read more

Monsal Trail Traffic-free Cycle Route

Rural bliss on the Monsal Trail
The Monsal Trail Cycle Route Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Monsal Trail, a traffic-free cycle route, is an idyllic destination for family outings, particularly when cycling with kids! This 9-mile scenic trail follows the course of the historic Midland Railway, offering breathtaking views and a serene cycling experience. With four tunnels along the route, each roughly ... Read more

Sorry – no routes done here yet

I haven’t yet managed to publish route guides for this area. Please can you help?Use the Contact form below to tell me about traffic-free routes in this area. Just so you know, currently I prioritise longer routes, and working my way down to shorter routes. Please will you tell me about the route surface? Simply ... Read more

Trans Pennine Trail – Altrincham to Warrington

Overall Rating for this segment of the Trans Pennine Trail: ⭐⭐⭐ The Trans Pennine Trail (TPT) crosses England from the Irish Sea to the North Sea. This guide is for just one part of the overall TPT. It covers the 7.2 miles of traffic-free cycling between Altrincham and Warrington. This route is suitable even for ... Read more

Crab & Winkle Way traffic-free cycle route

Crab & Winkle Way cycle route overall rating: ⭐⭐ The Crab & Winkle Way is a 7.5 mile mostly traffic-free route. It takes its name from the old Canterbury – Whitstable Line, which ran between Canterbury and Whitstable in Kent. Most of the route today follows the old railway, but despite that, the route is ... Read more

Cole Green Way traffic-free cycle route

The Cole Green Way is a 5 mile route that runs along a disused railway line. The route as shown below starts at Hertford East train station, so you can easily get there by bike. Just be sure to first read my Bikes on Trains post. The route shown below includes some cycling on (usually) ... Read more

Thames Path traffic-free cycle route

Thames Path Cycle Route Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ The Thames Towpath runs through South West London for 23 miles, mostly traffic-free. Given its location, it is surprisingly secluded, well wooded and quite rural in places. Please Note: At the time of writing flood alleviation works are underway at Barnes and Putney resulting in towpath closures and ... Read more

November Coffee Ride

Every month I’m doing a Coffee Ride, and every month the coffee spot will be in a different place. If you’re in the area, you’d be most welcome to join me.If you do join me, just remember to bring your own kit to brew a coffee. What’s a Coffee Ride? That’s easy: a Coffee Ride ... Read more

Taff Trail traffic-free cycle route

The Taff Trail runs for 56.27 miles, from Cardiff Bay to Brecon. The route as shown on the map below starts at Cardiff Central train station, and there are various other train stations along the route. Because the Taff Trail officially starts in Cardiff Bay, I added a section from the train station to the ... Read more

Two Rivers Cycleway

Two Rivers Cycleway Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ The Two Rivers Cycleway runs from the mouth of the river Wear at Sunderland to near the mouth of the river Tyne in South Shields. It is the route of NCN 1, too. The route is about 8 miles long. Getting there There are metro stations near the endpoints ... Read more

Travel to the Bronze Age

No  bikes, for  a  change This week, my mate Caspar and I went hiking on Dartmoor. For those that don’t know, Dartmoor is the last wilderness left in England. Situated entirely within the county of Devon, it is also the only place in England where wild-camping is perfectly legal. In  search  of  history… The part ... Read more

Consett & Sunderland Railway Path

Consett & Sunderland Railway Path Overall Rating: ⭐⭐ The Consett and Sunderland Railway Path, as the name suggests, is a former railway line which was the Stanhope and Tyne railway. It is also the route of NCN 7 which forms part of the long distance Coast 2 Coast route which runs from Whitehaven in Cumbria ... Read more

Escape The City

Escape The City is a route that runs from the Thames, up the Lee valley, all the way to the Hertford East train station. It is a 31 miles route that can be rough in places. Some of the route is on shared pavements along fast A-roads. In various places, the route is on-road, on ... Read more

Brampton Valley Way traffic-free cycle route

The Brampton Valley Way is another rail trail. Stretching for 18.6 miles, from Northampton to Market Harborough. The route as show on the map below ends at the Market Harborough train station, and it’s possible to catch a train back to Northampton, but that goes via Milton Keynes and is quite a detour. The tunnels ... Read more

Hayling Billy Line traffic-free cycle route

Hayling Billy Line cycle route overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐ The Hayling Billy Line mostly follows the path of a disused railway, from Havant onto Hayling Island, South East Hampshire. It’s quite a short route, at just 5.6 miles, and that includes a short stretch on quiet lanes, to end at the Inn On The Beach. If ... Read more
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