A week on the gravel bike(?) – ideas please

I have a week off next week. I’d intended a sea kayaking/biking trip in the van up the west coast of Scotland. Van has developed ‘issues’ I can’t get fixed in time.  Forecast also not great for west of Scotland next week…

I’m thinking of a week bikepacking (gravel bike but could be MTB), and could do with being able to get the train (I live in the northern Yorkshire Dales and will able to get a lift to a station etc). I’m even toying with Eurostar somewhere but don’t know where. As I say – open to suggestions! Bit of an adventure, nothing too epic as I’m not a young racing snake anymore.

I’m looking at Sarn Helen – does anyone have any thoughts on that, or alternatives? I’m completely open to ideas. The Ridgeway is somewhere I’ve always fancied but seems a long way there and not a week’s riding.

Unusual situation for me not to have something planned – quite spicy really!

No idea about Sarn Helen, but the logistics look tricky from the dales.

What about Hadrians Wall cycleway followed by the new bikepacking.com lake district 2 day gravel ride. train into Kendal and then back home from newcastle

sounds brilliant, from your doorstep (N Yorks), how about riding this and see how far you get in a week (and then get the train home!):

https://www.cyclinguk.org/route/great-north-trail-full-route-cape-wrath

I would look closely at the weather and go depending on that forecast – continent included by Eurostar or Hull ferry.

Train to Hull. Ferry to rotterdam and turn right.

A gravel tour of middleburg , kamperland, brugge, ghent, oudenarrde, Brussels, antwerp, breda , back to rotterdam.

A grande ronde….

forecast for next week in Low Countries does look fab, mid to low 20s and sunshine! good call @ton

It’s like bloody winter outside right now, so (apart from the ferry being £400) a tour of Low Countries gravel sounds mighty appealing.

Cape Wrath trail has the bonus of the route passing my door…

Weather forecast may have the casting vote!

The Ridgeway might not be a weeks worth of riding but The Old Chalk Way would be…

The Old Chalk Way

Not sure about the eastern or western ends of the route but conditions in the centre are great at the moment.

A free week would see me heading for Holland or Lon Las Cymru.

King alfred way would seem the best way to extend the Ridgeway. I did it this summer this summer it was great.

Obviously not huge mountains but a good variety of off road

I believe that it could be extended by going east along the North Downs Way then back West along the South Downs Way. But i have no detail

Or you could start in London and then use the SUSTRANS network to get to Reading

Train to somewhere along north Wales coast, do a loop that gets you over the English border to somewhere like Gobowen train station.

After posting this thread earlier in the year my Wife & I had a great week in the New Forest based out of Lymington.

Road to Sandbanks via the Forest over Bournemouth & back along the coast. Took a Ferry to Isle of Wight for a day ride, plus some great forest & coast rides. Get in touch if you want more info & routes.

Recommend me 5-7 days gravel biking down south or south coast – Singletrack World Magazine April 27, 2024

If you decide on the UK, how about one half of the gbdivide, either North or south from home. Just keep going until you have had enough.

GB Divide

I did a trip round Wales a couple of years ago, the Trans-Cambrian Way followed by some of the Big Bear 520 route and some other lanes and tracks to get up into Snowdonia and back towards the start of the TCW again. DM and I can email you the post-ride improved GPX, the one without the thicket of doom section.

Write up here – https://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=300744&hilit=cambrian#p300744

It’s a good loop for a fat-tyred gravel bike or a rigid 29er. Personally I think the TCW is basic XC and I’d rather not be on a gravel bike for that, depends on what your gravel bike actually is though. The rest of this route was mostly stony forestry tracks and lanes.

Train to somewhere along north Wales coast, do a loop that gets you over the English border to somewhere like Gobowen train station.

Good call. There’s some wonderful riding in the Berwyns, as I found on that route ^ I just posted.