Make your cycling more enjoyable by always riding
amazing routes!
ukcycleroutes.com brings you a selection of carefully compiled individual routes and cycling guide books. At the moment, the focus is around the northwest of England, but with a view to expand further over time.
There are several free routes for you to download and try, as well as a wider collection of routes that are available to purchase from this website in pdf format. The routes are graded in terms of the severity of climbing - read on for more details.
The guide books are also available to purchase from this website in pdf format, or via Amazon as both paperback and Kindle versions (links provided on the relevant pages).
For Cheshire East riders, check out the Greatest Climbs page & see how many you can tick-off.
Also check-out the Holding Bay for loads of great routes that haven't yet made it into formatted .pdf documents.
Guide Books
Riding the Cheshire Cycleway 2021
A detailed guide to planning your ride around this fantastic route, with large maps, elevation profiles and loads of photos and practical information.
Gravel Biking in the Peak District
The routes range from 46km to 70km in distance and all with ample climbing! The terrain has been chosen specifically for gravel bikes (and can also be ridden on mountain bikes).
Hidden History Cycling Through Cheshire
The county of Cheshire is packed with historical places that span time from Neolithic burial grounds, Bronze Age mines, Iron Age hill forts, the legacy of The Romans, medieval castles and more recently, the industries of salt, rail and pharmaceuticals.
This book comprises a collection of ten circular routes, ranging from 21 to 58km (14 to 36 miles). Where possible, the routes avoid the main roads and follow cycle paths, quiet lanes, bridleways and towpaths.
More Hidden History Cycling Through Cheshire
As Cheshire has such wonderful history and lanes to cycle around, that I felt a second book was required. This guide includes highlights such as Roman Chester, Jodrell Bank, Tatton Park and the Whitegate Way.
It also comprises a collection of ten circular routes, ranging from 21 to 43km (13 to 27 miles). Where possible, the routes avoid the main roads and follow cycle paths, quiet lanes, bridleways and towpaths
Cheshire & South Manchester Gravel Biking
Gravel biking combines the adventure of off-road riding with the ability to cover good distances, whilst staying away from traffic and getting closer to nature.
This book provides you with 13 circular routes that link together the best permissible off-road trails across Cheshire and South Manchester that you can ride on a gravel bike.
The routes range from 36km to 87km in distance and cover a wide variety of terrain such as straight and flat sections of canal towpath, flowing single-track through woodlands and rugged trails up and down the Peak District hills.
Gravel Biking with Coffee & Cake around Cheshire
Gravel biking is even more fun if there is a mid-ride café involved that offers great coffee (or tea!) and cake!
Cheshire has a multitude of bridleways and towpaths. This book links together these off-road sections via quiet lanes to form ten circular routes of 50-60km. The routes all start from town locations with numerous cafes and go through other towns and villages along the way to offer a mid-ride refuel on more coffee and cake.
The routes are all suitable for gravel bikes and include details of their terrain and weather resistance.
South Manchester & Eastern Cheshire MTB Trails
This book is for people living in or visiting the South Manchester area wanting to know the best local trails. It details 110 permissible mountain bike trails that cover a total of 135km over an area to the western side of Kinder Scout and ranging north to south from Broadbottom to The Roaches.
The book is divided into 9 localities, with detailed maps, elevation profiles and descriptions included for each of the trails. An example route is also included for each locality that links together the best of the trails.
Ten Magical MTB Rides Through Cheshire
Cheshire offers a great variety of terrain and lots of wonderful places and countryside to explore by bike, especially when you go off-road on your mountain bike!
This book includes ten progressive cycling routes that are graded in terms of difficulty of the terrain. The Green and Blue routes can be ridden on most types of bikes. The Red routes are more technical and demand more from the bike and rider, whilst the Black and Purple routes offer some of the most challenging permissible terrain in the county
Ten Stunning Cycle Rides Through Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire’s terrain ranges from the below-sea-level fens to the soaring heights of Great Chishill at just 146m – i.e. it’s wonderfully flat! It is also blessed with a network of quiet, country lanes and nearly 10% of the whole of England’s off-road byways, thus offering fabulous cycling opportunities.
This book comprises a collection of ten circular routes, ranging from 52 to 82km. Where possible, the routes avoid the main roads and follow either cycle paths or quiet lanes. Five of the routes are on-road and the other five include a series of non-technical gravel and single-track paths.
Urban Cycling Adventures: Manchester
Hidden from the hustle and bustle of the city, there is a multitude of traffic-free cycle paths dotted all around Greater Manchester. This book comprises a collection of sixteen routes that thread-together many of the traffic-free paths.
The routes range from 15 to 31km (9-19 miles) – each starting from a different location around the city. As much as possible, the routes avoid the main roads and follow cycle paths to lead you to places you may never have known were there - with some fabulous and historic scenery along the way.
Ten Stunning Cycle Rides through Cheshire
Cheshire’s terrain is noted for its Plain, but it also borders the Peak District and has a distinctive ridge running from Frodsham to Whitchurch, thus offering a fantastic range of cycling to suit all tastes.
This book comprises a collection of ten scenic routes, ranging from 33 to 100km – each starting from a different location. around the county. Where possible, the routes avoid the main roads and follow either cycle paths or quiet lanes. Five of the routes are fairly flat and the other five offer a range of climbs – the pinnacle being the infamous Mow Cop!
Photographs and detailed route maps are included, and all the routes are available for free download for navigation purposes.
Ten Stunning Cycle Rides Through Lancashire
Lancashire’s landscape is wonderfully varied and provides for excellent cycling. The eastern side of the county is defined by the Pennines with high moors, spectacular views and challenging climbs. The western side is coastal with sandy beaches, seaside towns and endless miles of flat lanes.
This book comprises a collection of ten circular routes, ranging from 57 to 96km. Where possible, the routes avoid the main roads and follow either cycle paths or quiet lanes. All of the routes are suitable for road bikes.
Ten Stunning Cycle Rides through Staffordshire
The terrain of Staffordshire is wonderfully varied, ranging from the heights of the Moorlands in the north, lower-level and rolling in the middle with flatter land in the south east of the county. Away from the larger towns, the county is peaceful with quiet lanes. There are also numerous bridleways, canals and former railway lines to add to the assortment of routes.
This book comprises a collection of ten circular routes, ranging from 58 to 81km. Where possible, the routes avoid the main roads and follow either cycle paths or quiet lanes. Five of the routes are for road bikes, the other five include sections of gravel.
Ten Stunning Cycle Rides Through Derbyshire
Derbyshire offers a wonderfully diverse terrain for cycling, ranging from iconic Peak District landscapes, climbs and descents in the north; rolling lanes in the middle of the county; and flatter routes with great traffic-free trails to the south.
This book comprises a collection of ten circular routes, ranging from 44 to 77km. Where possible, the routes avoid the main roads and follow either cycle paths or quiet lanes. Five of the routes are on-road and the other five include a variety of gravel and single-track sections.
A Cycling Tour of Anglesey
The island of Anglesey is the perfect size for cycle-touring and offers the choice of both a shorter and faster route around the main routes or a longer and more scenic tour around the perimeter lanes.
The shortest main-road circuit of the island measures 102km; whereas a much longer figure-of-eight route along back roads and gravel tracks measures 310km.
This book divides the island into five perimeter stages and four island-crossing stages, enabling you to pick and mix a route accordingly from the options of main roads, back roads and gravel tracks.
All the notable hills are detailed within each stage and practical information is included such as nearby train stations, bike shops, hotels, pubs and cafés.
Anglesey Cycle Routes
Anglesey offers fantastic cycling over a diverse range of terrain, ranging from remote rural landscapes to stunning coastal views. Some parts of the island are fairly flat, whilst others hosts some of the steepest climbs in the UK.The routes in this book start from six different locations around the island, namely: Benllech, Beaumaris, Newborough, Rhosneigr, Trearddur Bay and Cemaes Bay. Each location has four local routes of 25, 30, 40 and 50km, and each location is included twice in a series of six longer routes (80-100km), thus providing a total choice of six routes for each location.Detailed stage maps are included and all the routes are available to download for navigation purposes. Practical information is also included such as nearby train stations, bike shops and cafés.
Ten Epic Cycle Rides Through Snowdonia
Snowdonia offers some of the best cycling in the UK with mountain vistas and incredibly challenging climbs, such as The Cowlyd and Bwlch-y-Groes.
This book provides you with 10 circular routes that link together challenging climbs with fabulous scenery for epic cycling adventures.
The routes range from 81km to 133km in distance and from 1973m to 2757m in elevation gain and follow a mix of rural lanes and main roads - all suitable for road bikes.
Ten Epic Cycle Rides in The Peak District
The Peak District has some of the most fantastic cycling terrain in the UK with quiet lanes, amazing scenery and iconic climbs, including Winnats Pass, the Cat & Fiddle and the fearsome Bamford Clough.
This book details 10 circular routes that link together challenging climbs with fabulous scenery for epic adventures.
The routes range from 91km to 115km in distance and from 1700m to over 3000m in elevation gain, following a mix of rural lanes and main roads - all suitable for road bikes.
Knutsford Cycle Routes
Knutsford is in a fantastic location for cycling. To the west, there is the extensive Cheshire Plain, offering flat terrain that is served by a vast network of country lanes. To the east lies the Peak District with a great selection of climbs of varying gradients to challenge you accordingly.
This book details 22 circular routes that range from 50km to 160km in distance and also range from pan-flat to steep and spiky! Seventeen of the routes are on-road, whilst the other five include significant sections of gravel tracks.
Wilmslow Cycle Routes
This guide provides an introduction to cycling and includes a collection of cycle routes starting from Wilmslow in Cheshire that are grouped in order of increasing difficulty in a similar style to that used for grading skiing pistes.
The routes range from gentle Greens, ideal for families or new-starters through to Blues, Reds and finally Blacks, which include the most challenging hills in the area. There is also a chapter with mountain bike routes which start from Wilmslow.
Practical information is also included such as nearby train stations, pubs and cafés.
Serious Cycling: Macclesfield
Macclesfield sits between the Peak District National Park and the Cheshire Plain. Ride to the west and you’ll barely see a hill; ride to the east and you’ll encounter some of the toughest climbs in England.
This book comprises a collection of carefully crafted routes, graded like ski pistes from blue to black. The blue routes avoid the climbs and range from 50-200km; the red routes are hilly but avoid the really steep climbs and range from 50-100km; the black routes deliberately target the toughest climbs - the toughest route has over 3000m of elevation gain.
Practical information is included such as nearby train stations, bike shops, pubs and cafés.
Detailed route maps are included and all the routes are available to download for navigation purposes.
Also included are five routes for gravel bikes that mix on-road with bridleways to further your adventure.
Serious Climbing: Macclesfield
This book builds upon the inspirational work of Simon Warren with his series of Greatest Cycling Climbs around the UK and details seven single-day cycling routes that together encompass 47 of the UK’s Greatest Cycling Climbs from a base location of Macclesfield in the Northwest of England.
As well as including the climbs, the routes also follow stunningly scenic lanes and avoid main roads where practical - offering great cycling even if your mission isn’t to “Ride Them All”!
Macclesfield is in a prime cycling location situated on the edge of the Peak District National Park, with the whole of the National Park reachable during a day’s cycling. It is also just 20 miles from Manchester City Centre, 14 miles from the M6 motorway and directly on the West Coast Main Line - just 1h 40m from London.
In order to cover 47 of the Greatest Cycling Climbs, all the routes are in excess of 130km, however shorter versions of each route are also detailed within this book to provide more options for your rides.
A range of practical information is included within this book, such as transport links, locations of cafés and suggested accommodation within the Macclesfield area.
Drive and Ride: Cheshire East and the Peak District
With a wealth of scenic lanes and challenging climbs across Cheshire East and the Peak District that are too far away for your regular rides - it makes sense to load the bike in the car, drive to the edge of your regular routes and discover a new world of cycling!
This book contains 10 spectacularly-scenic routes from a variety of start-points that are 30-60 minutes’ drive away from the Macclesfield area. The routes are also challenging in nature - encompassing 35 of Simon Warren’s UK Greatest Cycling Climbs, including icons such as Winnats Pass, Pea Royd Lane and the Riber.
Each route is individually described and illustrated with colour maps, photographs and hill profiles. Details are also provided for parking and cafés around the route. Shorter versions of each route are also included as well as links for navigation files for free-download.
Five Cycle Rides Around Wilmslow
Wilmslow is neatly located between the Peak District and the Cheshire Plain. Ride west and you’ll barely see a hill; ride east and you’ll encounter some of the toughest climbs in the country.This book comprises a collection of five scenic routes, ranging from 20 to 60km – each starting from a different location in Wilmslow. Where possible, the routes avoid the main roads and follow either cycle paths or quiet lanes. There are a few hills included in some of the routes, with Artists Lane as the toughest climb
Individually Documented Routes
The routes on these pages contain detailed maps and narratives of the routes, which are neatly formatted as .pdf files for download and printing as required. There are also .gpx files available for free-download.
Cheshire East Routes
A large collection of hill-graded routes around the eastern side of the county.
Cheshire West Routes
A select number of routes around the western side of the county.
The North of England
A handful of routes from further north, including Lancashire and Cumbria
Holding Bay
The routes on these pages have not yet progressed into formatted .pdf routes for download but are freely available for you to browse and try-out as you please. I'm happy to take requests for any of them to turn into formatted routes.
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