So wheres good to take my daughter (aged 7) for off road or traffic free flat rides? Tissington Trail or Ladybower type stuff. We live in Cheshire near Chester so not too far away please.
Delamere forest?
The prom along the Mersey estuary (Seacombe to Perch Rock) is flat and traffic free, with interesting bits of "public art", and a beach at New Brighton.
We live right by Delamere, but the trails are all a bit too "hilly" for her. She has a Hotrock 24 with gears but not really got the hang of them. Plus shes only 7 and im not a pushy dad type 🙂
Lots of ideas on [url=http:/ http://www.visitcheshire.com/things-to-do/explore-the-countryside/cycling-trails/ ]Visit Cheshire[/url]. And the county has lots of canals with well-surfaced towpaths.
I'd recommend the little stretch of bridleway which runs through the middle of Chester Zoo. Very weird!
If Delemere is too hilly for her then either you've not gone to the right bits or it's probably worth giving up.
There's loads at Delamere that's almost completely flat. Just baz round the lake a few times.
Or buy a lighter bike 😈
Being slightly more encouraging....
The Monsal trail if you can get a third person. Drive to the westerly end and park by the river. Do the 8km ever so slightly downhill trail through the exciting tunnels and across the exciting bridges. Go to the playground at Bakewell and fill her with ice cream. No3 looks after her whilst you baz back up the slightly uphill trail and collect the car.
Then once she's got that sussed then ride it in both directions.
We had some great rides there with the kids when they were tiny. Never did the shuttle thing cos we had a Chariot as a sag wagon. But it'd work without.
That link doesn't seem to be working 😕
http:/www.visitcheshire.com/things-to-do/explore-the-countryside/cycling-trails/
If Delamere is too hilly it's worth giving up???
Cheers for other more sensible suggestions.
What about the Whitegate way, that's very nearly completely flat and there are little sections of single track on the banks either side of the main trail.
There's also Marbury Park and all the trails round the Mersey forest between that and Northwich, my lad has done all of the above on his balance bike and is steadily conquering them on his 14" wheeler
transpennine trail followed by cake at dunham massey?
the sustrans route that goes right along the proms through rhyll, llandudno and conwy.
The cycle path from Mickle Trafford to Neston?
Middlewood way from Marple towards macc. Monsal trail as above. That one from Hadfield out to the tunnels, but there no facilities on that like a coffee stop.
We did Malham tarn last year as a tribe. Daughter was just over 5 and managed just fine. Picturesque and a circular so no long drag back to the car.
Maybe a nightmare at weekends, though. But the icecream van is a consolation.
The Wirral Way.
http://www.cycle-route.com/routes/Wirral_Way-Cycle-Route-454.html
Very nice route for kids, takes in loads of places to visit. If you park up in Willaston and head out to parkgate for an ice cream. Brilliant, and not too far for you to travel.
Circuit of Llyn Brenig?
They've recently resurfaced the canal towpath between Chirk to Llangollen which is very scenic. Train from Chester to Chirk is easy, haven't tried it with bikes (yet) though. May be busy with walkers/dogs but probably no different to Delamere or other Family friendly places. Another option I'm yet to try with Sons is Marbury park, Northwich.
Glasson Docks to Lancaster is a good one that can be extended up the river Lune as she gets stronger. start here http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=345812&Y=456325&A=Y&Z=120
Of the LadyBower options the easiest is to start [url= http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=419584&Y=386840&A=Y&Z=120&ax=420239&ay=385810 ]here [/url] & go up the southern side of the LadyBower arm up to the [url= http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=416391&Y=387510&A=Y&Z=120 ]Hope Cross[/url] end.
Parking at Fairholmes and doing the nortern loop is great but by the sounds of it will be too challenging. leave it for a year.
As for Delamere - I suggest you explore yourself & suss out a flat routre - there are loads & then you can lead here with confidence.
Trans Pennine Trail is good but beware it is slightly downhill to Sheffield & therefore, slightly uphill all the way back, but there is a nice cafe near the start/end to draw her home. start [url= http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=415928&Y=402390&A=Y&Z=120 ]here[/url].
Also, How about some of the canal routes.