MTB rides from train stations

Inspired by this weekend adventure, which train stations have good rides starting there? The ride could finish at the same or a different station. Some moderate distance and ascent of shuttling on the road to the start of the good stuff is ok.

The perhaps obvious idea being you ride to your closest station, take the train a good distance away to somewhere better/nicer, do a ride there, and return by the same means.

Southwest Yorkshire Dales appears to have a lot of options. Wigton in the north Lakes is just within reach of the Back o’ Skiddaw route for those fitter than me.

What else?

Lots of options in the Peak. Most of my pre-car riding was done by train in the Peak.

Edit: so, Grindleford, Hathersage, Bamford, Hope, Edale etc

Blair Athol gives you the classic Beinn a’ Ghlò circuit. Plenty of others in Scotland

Abergavenny gives you access to the Sugar Loaf and Blorenge with only a mile or so of town riding. Our wednesday evening rides often start from a car park only 500 metres from the station.

The northern section of the Pennine Bridleway is along the Settle and Carlisle line. You can ride from Horton northwards and catch the train back from Kirby Stephen.

Shared routeFrom Swindon Rail Station, Station Rd, Swindon SN1 1DQ to Nationwide Home Insurance, Nationwide House, Pipers Way, Swindon SN3 1TX via Victoria Rd.

14 min (2.4 mi)To see this route visit https://maps.app.goo.gl/JgYqQT81yHw6uM2F8

You’re welcome.

Llandovery. Cynghordy, Sugar Loaf, Llanwrtyd Wells… in fact pretty uch any station on the Swansea to Shrewsbury line. Likewise Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth line and up to Porthmadog. And actually thinking about it, most of the Valleys Line stations.

Pretty much any Welsh station away from the south or north coast although there are exceptions even here.

The nice thing about the peak is that you can use the train to do point to point routes that aren’t possible if you need to retrieve a car. You could start in edale and inspire a route from the Jacobs ladder and ladybower loops to end in bamford, add on stanage plantation and down to hathersage or even then head for lady Cannings, and devils elbow down to dore and totley for a true epic almost entirely off road

South Wales Valleys, take your pick.

Obvious choice is aviemore station, 

Train to Winchester, South Downs Way to Eastbourne. Several stations along the way for shorter options.

Main problem is that for SDW you want to start quite early in the morning, before the first train arrives.

All stations from Settle to Kirkby Stephen and probably further up towards Carlisle.

Rannoch and Corrour look like they must have some epic gravel rides but I don’t know for sure. There must be plenty similar in the highlands surely?

Surprised no-one has mentioned Windermere yet. Go West, and you’ll get a little ferry thrown in. 

rannoch and corrour do indeed have some great riding from them

I

I’ve ridden from Hebden Bridge into Calderdale, and from Disley both from Manchester. 

A few of the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

Matlock station -> Darley Dale loop

Rugeley station -> Cannock Chase

Clapham (Yorkshire) Station -> Penine Bridleway

Church Stratton -> The Long Mynd

Machynleth -> Dyfi & Mach Loops

Caersws -> Caersws uplift

Pentre Back -> Bike Park Wales

The train is my favourite way to get to a bike ride.

Surprised no-one has mentioned Windermere yet. Go West, and you’ll get a little ferry thrown in.

and on the same line is Staveley.

Thirsk. Then you’re 15/20mins roll up Sutton Bank/White Horse onto the North Yorks Moors with loads of gravel tracks to play with. We did a great 150km/bivvy//90km ride a few years back (return from Malton station) setting off from Leeds.

In my teenage years we did many rides via train. Stations included:
Windermere, Stavely, Burnside – for the lakes
Delamere – for the forest
Horwich Parkway – for Irvington
Stations from Littlebrough through to Hebden Bridge – for the Calder Valley
Glossop, New Mills and stations on the Hope Valley – for the peaks
We once did Llandegla from Wrexham but that was a big day out

In later life I have done one way rides using the Esk Valley (Middlesbrough to Whitby) line

Disley, New Mills (two stations), Furness Vale, Whaley Bridge, Chapel en le Frith, Chinley, Marple (two stations)

Bridge of Allan = Dumyat and Ochils
Stirling = Cambusbarron and North Third etc
Pitlochy = huge number of rides
Dunkeld = even more rides
Inverness = Mast, Black Isle, NC500 and much more
Golspie = Golspie
Oban = out to islands

Don’t forget that in Scotland we also now how have Ember electric buses (Edinburgh to Dundee, and Dundee to Glasgow via Perth) with bike carriers, Citylink will carry in the hold too and most of the Flixbuses will also pre-book and carry, and I’m told but cannot find details, that most of the West Coast buses also carry bikes.

Finally you can get Hannon coaches from Glasgow to Belfast cheaper than a foot passenger on Stena with a bike.

Plus of course CalMac, Northlink and Pentland connect with many trains and buses….

Martin’s Heron in Bracknell is very close to Swinley Forest. We used to get the train out from Waterloo or Clapham Junction to there fairly regularly when I lived in London, much quicker than driving!

The Hope Valley line through the Peak District, as mentioned above, is a good one for linear or circular routes. A couple of friends in Manchester use it routinely to get out of town, it avoids the 15 miles of urban shite to get to the decent riding.

Clitheroe is a great stop for road riding too, straight out into the Trough of Bowland.

Don’t forget that in Scotland we also now how have Ember electric buses (Edinburgh to Dundee, and Dundee to Glasgow via Perth) with bike carriers, Citylink will carry in the hold too and most of the Flixbuses will also pre-book and carry, and I’m told but cannot find details, that most of the West Coast buses also carry bikes.

It’s almost like having a joined up transport policy is a good thing?

Achnashellach is hard to beat.

Rannoch, Corrour, Spean Bridge and Fort William have some good rides.

Anything from Dunkeld/Birnam to Inverness has great varied options but pick for accessibility has to be Birnam hill straight from the platform.

Kinbrace, Forsinaird and Altnabreac for gravel.

Penistone Line from / to Sheffield supports a one-way Cut Gate > Hathersage > Blacka route.

Church Stretton, minutes away from the foot of the Long Mynd and the many brilliant descents off it. Caer Caradoc and the Lawley across the road. The same line will take you south to Abergavenny and all the Black Mountains has to offer.

I wish I knew all these Sheffield routes, I’m a 5 minute ride from the train station so getting out there and riding back without using a car would be great.

I think I need to splash out on a Garmin because when people are giving directions I have no idea where they’re talking about!

The nice thing about the peak is that you can use the train to do point to point routes that aren’t possible if you need to retrieve a car. You could start in edale and inspire a route from the Jacobs ladder and ladybower loops to end in bamford, add on stanage plantation and down to hathersage or even then head for lady Cannings, and devils elbow down to dore and totley for a true epic almost entirely off road

I went to Hallam Uni so for a few years that was bascially my default ride – out on the Hope Valley line, then back, finishing down through the Rivelin valley back to my flat.

Where I would infuriate everyone by brining a disgusting bike inside, up the stairs and locking it to the radiator in the hall.

A bit more domesticated XC riding, but Goring on Thames gives you access to riding both on the Ridgeway to the West, and up into the Chilterns to the East/North. As a point-to-point, a loop can be done up to the north and then East to Henley Station to head home.

Used to do a lot of Surrey Hills rides from Reading to  Dorking Deepdene or Gomshall, a bit of spin out to Redlands or Peaslake, but the added advantage of a beer on the train for the way home!

Crosskeys (S Wales) for Cwmcarn/Risca

The Dales is great for train-assisted point to point riding. Basically check the wind direction, start at either Kirkby Stephen, Settle or Skipton, and go as far as you want to. There are bail-out stations pretty much all the way along if your legs or the weather craps out.

Go West, and you’ll get a little ferry thrown in.

Life is peaceful there, too.

west yorkshire is ideal,  huddersfield / mirfield /marsden / penistone / hebden / todmorden / skipton / settle

catching the trian to hebden tomorrow, also done marsden over the tops and back from hebden.. northern rail love bikes, TP_express not so much (2 bikes per train, booked in advance

There are lots of stations along the Stockport Chester line for road riding in the Cheshire lanes. In reality it’s probably quicker to cycle out than take the train.

There are lots of stations along the Stockport Chester line for road riding in the Cheshire lanes. In reality it’s probably quicker to cycle out than take the train.

Yes but it’s very handy for doing a tailwind ride!
Train out, ride home (or vice versa depending on which way the wind is blowing).
Done that a few times.

Started ticking of rides like this last year, they’re great!:

Train from Tyndrum to Corrour and ride back via Br. of Gaur, Lairgig Ghallabhaich to Br. of Balgie, Loch Lyon and WHW.

Train from Taynuilt to Tyndrum and ride back via WHW to br. of Orchy, Inveroran, Glen Kinglass and Loch Etive. 

Penrith for askham common/how town and ulllswater lake shore, ravenglass to get on the laal ratty to eskdale.

Train to Winchester, South Downs Way to Eastbourne. Several stations along the way for shorter options.

Main problem is that for SDW you want to start quite early in the morning, before the first train arrives.

My problem when I looked before was that the trains along the coast are a bit of a faff.  3 trains and several hours, so possibly best to do the train faff the day before from Eastbourne, kip over in Premier Inn with bike, and ride knowing you’ve got a deadline to check in to somewhere in 100 miles.  I did all the logistical planning to do that a couple of years ago, but then there was a plague.

Got a couple lined up in Germany, but they’ll be very much at the gravel bike end of the spectrum. Train to Frankenstein’s Castle, then ride bike 5 hours to Frankenstein’s Castle (a different one) is on my to do list just to force myself to get out and explore something that’s not my local loop (even if the end bit of that ride is).

Obvious choice is aviemore station,

I’ve did this once from Edinburgh, great day out 😀

Great Malvern for, erm…. Malvern Hills.

Bewdley (Severn Valley Railway) for Wyre Forest