Rutland Water loop. Tips for parking and cafes etc please

Potentially looking to do this loooong (flat) loop with Mrs Rock this weekend and looking for some tips on best places to park, direction to do it in and decent snack or lunch stops.

This will be the first ride of the £138 Vitus CRC bargain SS hybrid, so budgeting for very little altitude changes..

My first off road single speed century was round Rutland Water, you’ll be fine.

Park at either of the big car parks, they are both fine.

Used to be my Sunday morning workout in the early 90s – no cafes at that point in time!

Either of the big car parks will be fine, depending which side you are coming from.

Avoid parking at the visitors centre IMO

We parked up in Hambleton.

Its not mega flat, some short sharpish climbs and mixture of gravel and tarmac.

I’ve only been there for a football tournament and an open water swim

Scandimania in Uppingham was a nice cafe  – Edit  Looks like its gone downhill a bit !

Heading from the North,

I’ve run around it a few times when stuck at the sister in laws. It’s pretty tedious, but if flat traffic free is what you are after happy days.

Re cycling it – just realise it’s a bit of honey pot for walkers, push chair pushers, kids on balance bikes etc. Most people don’t make it more than a mile from the car park. Every time I went there, there was a handful of lycra clad heros trying to ride the share paths near the car park at pace. Just no need. Take your most accommodating personality and remember the busy bit will be over shortly.

The Whitwell car park is the one we always used. Do it anti-clockwise, i.e. head toward Oakham from the car park. There is one steep hill at Manton, and a few other ups and downs. If you do it from Whitwell, anti-c, the last 5 miles or so are totally flat. Doing the peninsular bit is around 26 miles total, missing out that is 18 or so miles, both are pretty simple TBH, just take it easy. Cafes/pubs/shops at Whitwell, Oakham (half a mile or so away), Manton, Normanton, and a garden centre with cafe on the route too, so lots of places to stop. From what I remember, its been around 2 years since, the peninsular bit didnt have great sign posting, we rode past one marker twice before we were told which way to go. Its a nice ride, if its sunny, expect the car parks to be packed at 12 noon, but, most people dont venture more than 500 metres from the car park, so once away, its quiet.

You’ll be back at whichever café you start from before you need to stop, I’m not sure what other options there are really?

just realise it’s a bit of honey pot for walkers, push chair pushers, kids on balance bikes etc. Most people don’t make it more than a mile from the car park.

This is true, but also bear in mind there are quite a lot of car parks around the lake so expect it to be busy if it’s a nice weekend.

From memory there’s literally just one short sharp grunt to get up. It’s not a hill but after 20km you might have forgotten how to change gears and have to stand up for a few seconds.

If coming from the north/A1, the Normanton car park will be the first/easiest to find. Possibly the busiest as well.

Do the locals a favour and don’t park in Hambleton village itself, there’s no café there anyway. I’ve not ridden round the water for years but it’s a nice, flatish ride with lots of good picnic spots. Coming from the north, I’d park at Normanton or Whitwell.

Definitely try the Exton Bakery Cafe, it’s part of (not geographically) Hambleton Bakery https://www.hambletonbakery.co.uk/pages/our-brand-new-hambleton-bakery-cafe-is-open

Barnsdale Gardens are worth a visit if you’re into that sort of thing, end of the same road is the A606 and Rutland Water, left for Whitwell as suggested ^^

I used to work in the area and stay over a lot and this was my favourite evening ride – always super quiet in the evening and of course easy to navigate – used to stay in Hambleton so always did that extra loop which is worth it even if just to see how the other half live – there are some stunning properties to take a peek at!!

Took my wife to the area for a weekend away and that was a different experience! Very busy on a good weather weekend – but as folk have said above, once you’re away from the hotspots it’ll be fine!

lots of pubs and eateries – the pub I used to stay at is The Finch Arms – it’s probs ly 10 years ago since I last stayed there but the food was great ?

Been a while since we were last there, but the Grainstore Brewery & Tap was a great place to drink and eat, sometimes with live music.

A bit off of the lakeside trail, but there is a cycle route marked on the OS map into Oakham where the pub is located.