I’m up to Oakham later this week and have an afternoon off. Is it worth taking a bike? Is there a ride around Rutland Water?
Ta

You can indeed ride around rutland water and a hybrid or hardtail would probably be best.

Even a road bike will get round the lake easy enough, CX probably better though.

20 minutes away you’ve got a short blue trail (and loads of muddy off-piste) at Wakerley Great Wood, with a family trail/blue bits over the A43 at Fineshade.

https://www.strava.com/activities/812726900

Here’s the route

Don’t take a road bike, hybrid/cx/anythingabitnobbly

Can also add the loop round the Hambleton Peninsula into that route.

https://www.strava.com/activities/103531313

Haven’t been for a while…

Stick to the road, it’s lovely.

me and the wife are heading down on saturday, to ride round the water.

looking forward…fingers crossed for picnic weather.

double post.. 😆

I grew up round there. Good steak.

I also grew up around there. I am also going to be in the area next weekend for my sister in law’s birthday. My brother and I did Rutland water back in September, I was on a hardtail and he was on a CX, both coped fine.

You could hire a bike if Rutland Cycles have anything you fancy trying? Or as has been said there are loads of B roads and villages to explore by bike.

Used to be my Sunday morning blast round Rutland Water and the peninsula about 25(!) years ago. Thought I was pretty gnarly at the time.

Some fantastic road riding round that area as well. Pretty villages, no big hills but rarely flat. Get very nostalgic if I go back that way.

I broke my collarbone demoing a full suspension round Rutland.
Oh and I’d recommend a pint of ‘cooking’ at the horse and jockey at Manton on the way round.

Rutland Water is shite to ride round – the road riding towards The Langtons/Hallerton & back is tippy-top.

watch out for those hills, there are some pretty serious climbs round that way.

Yep not the most thrilling but now is the time, it’s packed weekends in the summer. I usually ride it once a year for nostalgia.

Seconded on wakerley it’s a nice little blue route.

This is another option

https://www.rutlandcycling.com/content/giant-365-sportive.aspx

Beautiful route including an ace cafe stop at Wymondham Mill which has a bike shop next door that sells Enigmas.

Some nasty climbs in places especially on the way back.

Rutland cycles is a particularly useless bike shop though.

The bike shop next to Wymondham Mill is amazing.

The café next door was disappointing. Did a “bacon cob and coffee” deal on an audax there and I wouldn’t have paid £5 for it. Their other stuff may be better.

I ran round it the other weekend. It had hills. I remember it had hills and was cold.

The road hills in Rutland are not big but they can be steep(ish) and there’s lots of em – it’s like big boys (girls) corrugated cardboard. If I ride over there, I can easily collect 1000m of ascent on an average road ride…

The track round Rutland is great for families and non/neo cyclist’s. The road riding is top and a much better option.

Thanks all, lots of useful information

I blasted round the circuit (not including the hambleton middle extension) on Thursday and it was good fun. Pretty flat and could be done on a CX or hyrbid bike…

Lived 2 miles away from the water for the past 20+ years, it’s ok for a quick blast but as said above there’s much better road riding around the area. Now moved to Sheffield for more varied riding 😉

Go see Jack at the Windmill Bike Shop and avoid Rutland water Cycles!

cyclelife – Member

…..avoid Rutland water Cycles!

You can’t! They’re bloody popping up everywhere. There’s even a decent sized one at Ferry Meadows now…

Seems to be quite a bit of Rutland Cycling dislike on here……not sure what the reason for that is.
My Wife bought her Spesh Myka from the Normanton branch & it was fine.
I’ve bought various bits from them over the years as they hold quite a wide range of stock, so you have more choice than smaller bike shops.
And when friends have used their hire bikes they have always been good quality & well maintained.

Only time I have had issue with them was buying via their website but a quick phone call sorted that out….

RWC – no customer service once they’ve got your cash and piss poor mechanics.

We went camping that way last August; a lap of the water, including the Hambleton bit, followed by a baguette and chips washed down with a pint in the Horse and Jockey, was a terribly pleasant way to kill a few hours.

FWIW, Wing Hall is a great campsite too, and the food in the pub in the village is OUTSTANDING.

The Kings Arms in Wing is a good pub and well worth a short diversion on your journey around the water, come off the track at Lyndon and there is a bridleway down and across the railway which brings you into the village.
I will be staying on the campsite quite regularly this year as my instructing takes me there each week, it’s very clean and cheap + a short stagger from the Pub 😉

The Kings Arms in Wing

That’s the one. We had an amazing meal in there, unfortunately a couple of nice pints + large, rich, game-based meal + bottle of red wine + ventilation available in small camper van = unhappy wife 🙂

Just got back from a lovely circuit of the 25km route. Me in the trail shoes and Mrs Curto on her Cannondale Quick. It was a beautiful morning, very few people about, loved it.

The people who work in Rutland cycles are just nobs. I don’t go in there anymore.