I’m always happy to chip in when folk are travelling up this way and are looking for feedback and suggestions on routes so I’m hoping some of our more Southerly-based compatriots might return the favour.

I’m thinking of some lightweight road touring, 4 or 5 days at 70(ish) miles per day. Overnight stops would be in nice Inns with a selection of ales, good food, a comfy bed and a hearty breakfast. Sustrans/canal type stuff is OK. A loop, returning me to a railway station would be best, though I’ve not ruled out driving down and back but plainly don’t want it to be in the deepest South in order to avoid too much travel time. I’m currently thinking Peak/Yorkshire.

Having said that, there are direct flights from Inverness to Bristol……

Oh – this would be sometime in the next couple of months,

The floor is yours. TIA.

I suspect this is no use but if you want to fly into Birmingham let me know as I will have a few ideas for you.

I rode the Derbyshire borders a while back – lovely riding , took us 2 days (340K) with a lovely stay overnight in the peaks – I just googled Derbyshire and roughly drew out a route on the nearest roads – worked very well – I live in Derby so started in the south near Burton upon trent

Train down to Carlisle then head off in to the North Pennines,followed by some Yorkshire Dales,then loop back up through the lakes to Penrith.
Choose your stop overs to match ‘nice Inns with a selection of ales’ .

Beware andyfla’s lap of Derbyshire!

Raphas Three Days of Yorkshire is ace. Starts York, heads North York Moors, hits Helmsley, then over to Masham (blacksheep brewery) and then to Skipton.

Could catch the train to York, do the ride over three days and catch the train back from Skipton to Leeds or Manchester for easy homeward journey?

I have the route, but it’s on Raphas site too. I’ve done it twice over the last couple of years and enjoyed both rides quite a lot 😆
GPX file available and route notes on Raphas webbie…

linky

Take a look at the Audax UK site’s list of Permanents. There’s bound to be something there that would make for a good tour.

I’m near Inverness, so in a similar position to you. However, I’ve just realised that 70 miles over 5 days is 350 miles, and a 600k audax is 375 miles, so quite similar in distance. One 600k which has been popular over the years (I’ve not ridden it) is the Bryan Chapman Memorial which starts from Chepstow (near Bristol). I think it does some sort of loop out to Angelsey. It might not be the best time of year to be travelling through Snowdonia, but it’s probably a picturesque route.

Ohhh, what about that new route in Scotland? The NC500 (I think it’s called, ’twas on Countryfile last night)..

Lots of distillers on the way around 😆

Carlisle isn’t a bad option. I think my Club 50 Railcard gets me a discount to there.
Cheers – I’ll look that out.
I’ve done all of that one way or another. In fact, I’ve been putting together a more “cycle-friendly” variation for work – and I’ll likely cycle it in March. I just fancy something/somewhere a bit different. Hopefully, heading south will be a wee bitty warmer/drier too.

if you do carlisle /North yorks etc give me a shout as i can ride with you

I would flit around the lakes YOrkshire borders personally

You could pick off a chunk of my CX Lejog route, maybe end in Carlisle

http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=uaqgmcmhnkaazcpr

Find some decent pubs (CAMRA) and find a route between them?

Can recommend the Blue Lion, East Witton, in the Dales !!

TRANS PENNINE TRAIL route 62, from Hull to Liverpool

If you’ve got an old man pass, then Carlisle or Berwick are ideal start/end points. A couple of thoughts off the top of my head.

From Carlisle you could do a great wee loop of the various dales and hill climbs through the N. Pennines, heading east (via Brampton, Lanercost, here riding along Hadrian’s Wall to Gilsland and then Haltwhistle) picking up the S. Tyne, over/down Allen back into Tynedale, Derwent, Weardale, Teesdale, over to Brough, then follow the Eden (Hilton, Dufton, Knock, Kirkland, Melmerby… (trip to UK’s highest tarmacked summit/longest road climb optional)) then Gelt (Castle Carrock, Warwick Bridge) and back to Carlisle. As long as you want each day if you travel the best ways, but scope to ease the workload and sightsee if the hills are too much.

Various cycle routes to be followed along the way, and a great variety of landscapes and riding. History, scenery, solitude, scattering of cracking pubs, towns and villages, and some of the UK’s best (and quietest) climbs and roads. Only downside if you’re doing it in the near future is possibility of snow/ice – if that’s the case head to the Lakes where roads are lower and generally snow free.

From Berwick, head through Northumberland. Duddo, Etal, Ford, Wooler, Ilderton, Ingram, Alwinton, Harbottle, Elsdon, E/W. Woodburn, Bellingham, Wark, Simonburn, Warden, Corbridge, Matfen, Kirkharle, Wallington, Rothbury, Alnwick, Alnmouth, Howick, Craster, Newton, Embleton, Seahouses, Bamburgh, Belford, Fenwick, Beal, Holy Island, Beal (again) inland to skip the A1 or if you’ve tough tyres follow the coastal path for the last miles to Berwick. Again, options for detours and shortening the days as and when you like.

As the above, follows various NCN routes. Skirts cheviots and high ground at the start, crosses Hadrian’s wall before heading back north via the coast. Like the other route, assorted history, quiet roads, good pubs and a mix of scenery/landscapes. And again, quiet roads in the main.

If you do pass through the Yorkshire Dales, I can recommend the Dales Bike Centre. B&B, great cafe, bike shop and a cracking pub just along the road a bit. Tge fact that it’s at the centre of a great trail network helps, too.

The Yorkshire Dales Cycle Way looks good, albeit maybe too short for you but a nice area to extend the route accordingly.
130 miles with 15,000 ascent. I’m doing it in Spring as a start to get me back into road touring.

How about Penrith/Oxenholme Lakes lap, C2C then up the Northumbria coastal route to Berwick then train home?
You can practice some gap jumps in Lakes too where the bridges used to be. They could also be really grateful of some tourist income then too.

“DavidB – Member
You could pick off a chunk of my CX Lejog route, maybe end in Carlisle

http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=uaqgmcmhnkaazcpr”

[offtopic]cheers DavidB been looking for something like that[/ontopic]