The UK as a cycling destination. Many then think of rain, rain and more rain. Not entirely unjustified, by the way, as the 2019 world championships in Harrogate were largely waterlogged. That was anything but a sunny picture compared to, say, Emilia-Romagna in 2020. But those looking back a little further will also remember the 2014 Tour start: sunny, gorgeous trails, cycling-mad locals. Nice cycling in Yorkshire, who wouldn't want that? It really is a cycling destination to put on your list. We take you to the Yorkshire Dales, where the Tour stage was also run in 2014 and through which the Tour de Yorkshire now passes again.
Grand World Heritage Site
The Yorkshire Dales National Park is a huge patch of land north-east of Leeds. Its lower boundary is pretty much at the River Wharfe, which rises in the park and flows into the River Ouse about 97km away. The park covers 1760km2 and has also been a UNESCO World Heritage Site for decades. The park is truly stunning and with its good roads, it lends itself perfectly to a nice lap on a road bike.
Gravel lovers will also be in their element here, as the rugged hills mean there is enough off-road entertainment to make a complete bikepacking trip of it or, for example, store your basecamp in (a hotel in) Hawes or Bainbridge. The latter is preferred because of the Yorkshire Dales Brewery. Local, so highly recommended anyway.
Natural (and unnatural) beauty
The park has stunning scenery with beautiful sections full of limestone (Winskill Stones, for example), waterfalls (Cotter Force, West Burton Falls et al) and, for example, Leck Fell, a special phenomenon in the region. It's quite a list of natural beauty.
Along the roads you will find the typical British stone walls and combined with the green hills, it is definitely an idyllic setting to cycle through
Besides the natural beauty, you will also find a number of castles (or what remains of them) such as Skipton and Pendragon Castle. Furthermore, (large parts of) the Wensleydale railway are beautiful to see.
A reminder though: the park is gorgeous in terms of nature, but you will always have to deal with a lot of wind on the plains. That's the way it is.
Now on the bike
Buttertubs
As mentioned, the park is very versatile and initially seems mainly geared towards the off-road cyclist. You can find lots of route inspiration on the website of Cycle the Dales. It's not necessarily very clear, but this way you get a bit more of a feel for where you need to be in the park. Also on the site of Komoot several collections can be found. Check out micro Adventure from Harrogate, among others. Here, the route includes crossing Buttertubs pass, which is certainly no mean feat. The 'beware, 25%' sign is there for a reason. Not for nothing a 'brutal climb' according to insiders.
This calf biter was in the 2014 Tour de France stage and was then affectionately nicknamed 'Cote de Buttertubs'. That's how it can be done, of course. The climb was also supposed to be part of the 2019 World Cup course as a run-up to the local rounds in Harrogate. However, then the weather threw a spanner in the works.
Kidstones pass
Another nice hill is that of Kidstones. This Ardennes-like climb was also in the 2014 Tour de France. You get some 130 altimeters in 1.6 kilometres here. Not serious you might say. However, the climb is very irregular and so it will definitely hurt, even if it is only very short. The views over the typical Yorkshire Dales landscape are worth writing home about, though.
You can attack this hill from two sides, from the north you come from the direction of Aysgarth. From the south, you largely catch the route of the 2014 stage. You then start in the village of Grassington, for example (where you can also take in the Linton Falls waterfalls) and then head north with a long approach uphill.
Yorkshire Dales Cycleway
One of the most beautiful routes to ride (either all at once or in several stages) is the Yorkshire Dales Cycleway. This route totalling 209 kilometres takes you past many highlights in the national park. The route takes you past Bolton Castle and Bolton Abbey, Kilnsey Crag (a large overhanging piece of limestone, a famous spot in the park), as well as the Ribblehead viaduct, among others. One of the most beautiful parts of the park.
Moor to explore
Apart from the above highlights, the park is so diverse. We could stay here for days. Grinton Moor is a nice hill to take in. This climb is just over 3 kilometres long and then picks up an average of almost 7%. but also from hotspot Hawes, there is a route where the love for the park shines through. In 76 kilometres, you pick up 1200 altimeters and to top it off: this route is in the shape of a heart. On this route, you grab the northern side of Kidstones.
Want to know more?
If you also want to enjoy cycling in Yorkshire and explore this area, there is plenty of information online. But if you really want to go local, you could opt for the guidance of Cold Dark North. Check the website and you will instantly fall in love with the 'cold north' of England.
