Cycling the Way of the Roses. Rachel Crolla
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Appendix A Accommodation
Appendix B Useful contacts
Passing Pen-y-ghent on the Malham Tarn detour (Day 1)
ROUTE SUMMARY TABLES
Passing the limestone scars on the slopes of Rye Loaf Hill above Settle (Day 1)
INTRODUCTION
Crossing Winterburn bridge in front of a sea of buttercups (Day 1)
The Way of the Roses will appeal to just about everyone who loves cycling. The route is a 170-mile (274km) coast-to-coast ride that opened in 2010. It was designed to link the historic Red and White Rose counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire using scenic country lanes, minor roads and traffic-free cycle paths to create a superb ride between the seaside resort towns of Morecambe in the west and Bridlington in the east. Travelling by bike across the country is a hugely satisfying objective, and cycling the Way of the Roses is a challenge within the reach of cyclists of all abilities.
The beauty of the Way of the Roses is that it works equally well for those wishing to get serious miles under their wheels in some of the best cycling territory in the UK, and also as a more leisurely tour taking in the wealth of attractive sites that are passed. There is so much to see along the route that even the most committed pedal pushers will be tempted out of their saddles.
The route lends itself to making pitstops in idyllic villages and replenishing calories in riverside tearooms. It also provides a great choice of accommodation, pubs and restaurants. Added to that is an impressive array of castles, cathedrals, abbeys and prehistoric sites, along with stunning natural features such as the Three Peaks, Brimham Rocks and Flamborough Head; but the star attraction always remains the cycling itself.
Approaching the marketplace in Ripon, with the Cathedral behind (Day 2)
The ride has been ingeniously designed by Sustrans, taking little-known minor roads and avoiding busy parts of towns and cities by using traffic-free paths along rivers and dismantled railways. It follows the River Lune inland through Lancaster, then starts to get more hilly as it skirts the northern reaches of the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) before crossing the county border into the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Here the panoramic cycling on single-track lanes between ancient dry-stone walls is one of the highlights of the route. The Way climbs over into Nidderdale (another AONB) passing Fountains Abbey, after which the hills diminish and the ride continues through Ripon and on across the arable land of the Vale of York. The Way makes a grand entrance into the historic city of York, dodging the suburbs via a riverside cycle path and emerging through the medieval city walls to the Minster courtyard. Some pristine red-stone villages and short off-road sections add interest until the ride reaches the enchanting winding valleys of the Yorkshire Wolds. Thereafter the miles fly by on a former Roman road then down to the North Beach of Bridlington and the North Sea with its spectacular coastline of Flamborough Head Cliffs.
Why do the Way of the Roses?
On the road from Keasden to Clapham with Ingleborough beyond (Day 1)
If you are trying to decide between this ride and other coast routes – the C2C being the most well known – the Roses ride is much more road-bike friendly, has fewer sections on busy roads and (as of 2017) more consistent signage. Cycling the Way of the Roses can be approached as either a holiday or a challenge (or a bit of both). Average cyclists on average bikes will find it both achievable and enjoyable. It makes a perfect short active break and it’s a great way to see some of Lancashire and Yorkshire’s best landscapes. The start and finish points are accessible by train and the route-finding is simple. This swathe of country is a hotbed of cycling and you will find enthusiasm for the sport throughout the route, along with a warm welcome and amenities designed with cyclists in mind.
How tough is it?
One of the great things about the Way of the Roses is that it is a realistically attainable goal for most people. You can make it as tough or as easy as you like; some people might want to challenge themselves to race along it in two days, while others might choose to do five shorter day sections. Having ridden the route several times and talked to different Roses riders, the general consensus seems to be that an average relatively fit cyclist doing the ride over three days will find it challenging but still enjoyable. If you can comfortably ride 50 miles (80km) with 1000m of ascent and still clamber back onto your saddle the next day, then you will be more than able to tackle the three-day itinerary. If the outcome is in any doubt, plan to take longer.
For seasoned cycle tourers, the Way of the Roses route is more or less comparable to the C2C ride further north. There is slightly less ascent on the Roses ride but the route is about 30 miles (48km) longer and your legs will feel the extra distance on the final flatter section going west to east.
There is roughly 2500m of ascent on the route, which is mainly on the western half of the ride. It therefore makes sense to have a longer, flatter final day, however you choose to break up the route. Going west to east, the steepest climb is up High Hill Lane out of Settle. This reaches 20% at the very least and is the main place on the route where cyclists – particularly heavily loaded ones – have been seen getting off to push. Travelling at an average speed of around 11mph, you might expect to spend fewer than 16 hours in the saddle for the whole route. This doesn’t sound like a lot, but five hours of riding time repeated for three consecutive days has quite a cumulative effect. Also worth considering is that five hours’ worth of actual pedalling does not equate to a five-hour day. Part of the fun of cycling in a group is to stop for a leisurely lunch break, and the shorter stops for map checks, photos, bike fettling, calls of nature and clothing adjustments all add up.
Starting the toughest climb of the route up Settle’s High Hill Lane (Day 1)
Other factors can come into play to make the ride tougher or easier. As most people do not have the luxury of waiting for optimal conditions and setting off at a moment’s notice, cyclists will mainly be at the mercy of the elements. Of course Lancashire and Yorkshire are famed for their Mediterranean climates, but bad weather can make the ride a good