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looking to head off somewhere tomorrow for 2 or 4 days with the bikes.
nice town or city with a nice hotel, but with nice cycling straight out of the town.
not hard offroading, just some nice cycle paths or nice lanes, with a few good pubs thrown in.
we had a few days in Durham last month, which was the ideal kind of thing.
anything anyone can think off will be greatly appreciated.
Winchester, Salisbury, Cheltenham, Stratford, Oxford, all places with easy access to 'nice lanes' type riding.
We were in Ballater the other week - lovely wee place and looks like loads of cycling to be had too.
Ashbourne, for cycling - converted railway track. Nice, quiet place.
Falkirk. Lots of traffic-free and quiet biking. Nice little video posted last week with Mark Beaumont and Markus Stitz, following the boundary of the local area:
There's traffic-free canal paths going west to Glasgow (35ish miles) or east to Edinburgh (30 miles). Plenty of pubs enroute.
Also the John Muir Way: https://johnmuirway.org/ - passes through Falkirk. A bit more offroad than the canal paths but still easy touring bike territory. Again, pubs.
Might fail on the hotel part. This is the best of the lot, lovely hotel but not much a view unless you enjoy an oil refinery at night: https://www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/inchyra.
Peak District offers options as already suggested.
Derby has good options but usually a mile or two of gritty urban scenery before you get our. Possibly a hotel on the edge might offer options.
I've enjoyed some decent rides round Ilkley.
Norfolk/Suffolk may suit if you want a change of scene?
When the weather is ok to good, Petersfield wouldn't be a bad base for a various types of cycling (South Downs lanes; QECP; South Downs Way; Rogate etc.)... Probably not this week.
Peak District offers options as already suggested.
Buxton could be a good base, but it does have it's very own microclimate...
Sheffield? But I guess you know the area well and I guess the same for aviemore. Dunkeld? Loch Ordie circuit is pretty easy and the Hotels are nice I believe
Abergavenny, Llandovery, Rhayader
All have lots of mixed trails from the door, local places to eat & drink etc.
Obviously don't know your definition of a "nice" town or city, but how about Bath or Bristol? Good disused railway path between them, with more heading out into the countryside. If you get Cycle (Cyclinguk mag) there's a longer route based around Bristol in the latest issue. Lots of interesting stuff in both places (Roman Baths, Royal Crescent, SS Great Britain, Clifton Bridge etc). Plenty of pubs, eateries and retail therapy too if needed.
Chester? Lots of traffic free cycle paths out to Wales and up through the Wirral plus loads of quiet lanes. Check out the Sustrans map.
@ton - Penrith or Carlisle are also worth considering. Easy to get out of and into lovely scenery quickly
I was going to suggest Penrith there are loads of lovely quiet road rides nearby and mixed gravel/road rides
Chester good shout
Clitheroe also
By town how big? Settle too small?
Blackpool - miles and miles of quiet country lanes, loads of villages and country pubs, plenty of great cafe stops, venture a bit further and you're into the forest of bowland for some classic climbs.
Or you've got the entire length of the Fylde coast prom for traffic free riding.
And then if you really want, you can get blasted on cheap booze.
Curveball. Wigtown - of the book festival fame.
Loads of deserted country back roads to play on including some lovely coastal and inland stuff just over the bay around Borgue. Galloway Forest Park a shuffle up by Newton Stewart for as much gravel type riding as you can hope to find.
Town itself isn’t *that* special, but this place opened up recently and is *amazing* for food.
https://www.ploughinnwigtown.co.uk/
Gatehouse and Kirkcudbright are both nice and make for easy places to start/end/pass through when scratching out a route.
Road cycling’s not really my thing (I do quite enjoy it but never read for the road bike) but round here is pretty damn excellent for it.
Surprised not to see Edinburgh yet! 20mins and you are in the Pentland Hills.
@jamesmio presume your local then? I'm not far more newton end of a714
Carlisle is the winner. cheers everyone.
Avoid Sheffield, pretty much the entire city is hilly.
What about Norfolk, not quite as flat around north Norfolk as people think, lots of quiet roads and bridleways, lots of stately homes nearly all with cycle paths around, many pubs and more breweries now than any other county (apparently) plus lots of great beaches?
nice town or city
Carlisle is the winner
Have I entered an alternate reality? 🙂
Have a good one, Tony. Top tip - you could always get the Carlisle Settle train and ride back from somewhere Dales-y. Or vice-versa depending on wind direction.