Top five waterside cycle routes from Club sites
Jonathan Manning has written about dozens of cycle routes from Club sites for our Magazine App over the past five years. Here he picks his five favourite waterside rides.
Kielder Water, Northumberland
It’s not simply the sense of wilderness amid the deep forest, nor the well-made, undulating Lakeside Way trail that circumnavigates Kielder Water that make this such a special route. The highlight is a series of amazing sculptures that create the perfect opportunity to stop, admire the views and inspect the artwork. The most eye-catching is the two-storey wooden skull, Silvas Capitalis, while the giant rotating Janus Chairs are big enough to allow an entire family to sit and choose their view while they enjoy a coffee or picnic. In summer, keep your eyes peeled for the ospreys that nest here. More experienced mountain bikers can add a dash of adrenalin by pedalling off-piste to tackle one of the dedicated biking trails that range from the blue-grade Osprey Trail to the hair-raising Black Grade Trail.
Start: Lakeside View car park. Nearest Club site: Lidalia.
Distance: 27 miles.
Read more about this route, including detailed directions and a map, in the December 2016 edition of the Club Magazine app (free for members on App Store or Play Store).
Borrowdale, Cumbria
Not all shoreline trails are mountain bike tracks, as this magnificent Lake District road cycling route demonstrates. At its hub is spellbinding Derwentwater, a three-mile long stretch of water peppered with wooded islands. Cycling its circumference is a real treat with some of the national park’s finest fells, including Cat Bells and Skiddaw, dominating the skyline beyond Keswick. On the western flanks of Derwentwater the road rises high enough to turn boats on the lake into ant-size objects, while Keswick provides the perfect halfway point for coffee
and cake. The return half of the ride down the eastern side of Derwentwater is much closer to the shoreline, with a number of small car parks giving access directly to the water’s edge. While not hilly by Lake District standards, this ride still has enough rises and falls to let you know you’ve been in the saddle for a couple of hours, while the memories of the views will last a lifetime.
Start: Borrowdale Club site. Distance: 10 miles.
Read more about this route, including detailed directions and a map, in the November 2019 edition of the Club Magazine app (free for members on App Store or Play Store).
You can also see this route and download gpx directions from our Strava page here.
Rutland Water, Rutland
This trail provides all the ingredients for a great ride for cyclists of all abilities and fitness levels. For those who just want a quick blast of exercise, the wide track is ideal for brisk progress and the optional Hambleton peninsula adds a few contours plus half a dozen extra miles to get the heart pumping. But to hurtle around England’s largest man-made reservoir is arguably to miss the point. Bird watching hides offer the opportunity to gaze at the wildfowl; while ospreys migrate here in summer (there’s an osprey watching centre at Lyndon Nature Reserve). Play parks give children the chance to burn off more energy while adults enjoy a coffee. There are also a couple of bike hire centres in case you need any running repairs. And throughout there’s the tranquillity that arises from riding in a giant basin, surrounded by hills, with woodland, fields and water for company.
Start: Whitwell car park. Nearest Club site: Rutland Caravan and Camping AS.
Distance: 17 miles (23 miles with Hambleton peninsula detour).
Read more about this route, including detailed directions and a map, in the September 2018 edition of the Club Magazine app (free for members on App Store or Play Store).
You can also see this route and download gpx directions from our Strava page here.
Lindisfarne, Northumberland
Even without the spine-tingling causeway to Holy Island, this out-and-back route would stand up as a gorgeous coastal
trail. Within a few hundred yards of the Club site, perched above Berwick-upon-Tweed, a coastal bridleway leads cyclists south through dunes and moorland. Epic sweeps of sandy beach interrupt small rocky coves, with the North Sea (and often a blustery wind) your constant companion to the start of the paved causeway crossing to Lindisfarne. Flags and posters provide warnings of the dangers of crossing when the tide is coming in, so please take the risks seriously. The rewards for getting your timings right are outstanding; an almost surreal experience of parting the sea as you cross to Holy Island. The tiny island is home to a ruined priory, small castle and rich history as a launchpad of Christianity in northern England, and it remains a centre of pilgrimage and tourism. This means there’s also a handy array of cafés and pubs on the island to refuel before tackling the ride home.
Start: Berwick Seaview Club site. Distance: 26 miles.
Read more about this route, including detailed directions and a map, in the May 2020 edition of the Club Magazine app (free for members on App Store or Play Store).
You can also see this route and download gpx directions from our Strava page here.
Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire
Take a lakeside cycle trail, banish traffic, sprinkle in wildflowers and rich bird life, then punctuate with a couple of cafés and a pub, and this route ticks every box. The reservoir truly sparkles in sunshine, but there’s more than enough here to hold your gaze in any weather. Grafham Water has been a Site of Special Scientific Interest for 35 years, recognised for its over-wintering populations of tufted duck, great crested grebe and coots, while late summer brings an influx of moulting mute swans. A lagoon, dragonfly pond and reed beds provide the ideal habitats for a wide variety of insects and birds, including migrant species that use Grafham as a stopover en route to foreign climes. The route is easy to follow, clearly waymarked on the rare sections where it diverges from the shoreline, and with a broad, level and flat track, it suits all ages and fitness levels. There is also a hire centre on the eastern shore.
Start: Grafham Water Club site. Distance: 10 miles.
Read more about this route, including detailed directions and a map, in the July 2016 edition of the Club Magazine app (free for members on App Store or Play Store).
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