Tour de Yorkshire Dales

Description

 The Ultimate Yorkshire Road Cycling Weekend

Tour Summary

This is a carefully crafted and organised tour through some of the best roads and countryside in the Yorkshire Dales, as frequented by the Tour de France, Tour de Yorkshire and the UCI Worlds Cycling.

We will cover approximately 270 miles, encompassing some of the Dales stunning and remote countryside in just 3½ days of outstanding cycling.

It's hilly, you will go up hill and down dale but this affords you a real sense of achievement and the rewards of fabulous views of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Perfectly Designed Route

Our carefully developed route follows quiet country lanes bordered by dry stone walls, over open moorland and through river valleys whilst limiting the use of main roads.

We start riding on the flatter Uredale to warm you up before 3 full days of the best that Wharfedale, Wensleydale and Nidderdale have to offer, incorporating some of the routes used in professional races.

Each evening we return to the delights of Harrogate to relax and enjoy good food and the company of your fellow riders and guides.

Overview of Routes

All daily routes start and end from our Hotel in Harrogate

Itinerary

Arrival Day: Harrogate

The first day involves your arrival in the beautiful Victorian spa town of Harrogate with an optional gentle introductory ride at 13.00 from the hotel on quieter and flatter roads to help you acclimatise for the tour.

We meet for a tour introduction proper at 18.30 and roll into a group dinner. Do not worry if your travelling distance from home means you cannot make the introductory ride – we will be on hand to warmly meet and greet you at the hotel from around 17.00        

The hotel accommodation is just a short walk from Harrogate train station and the hotel has plenty of free on-site parking. Let us know when you plan to arrive. Any luggage can be left safely with the hotel prior to check-in if required. 

If you are not cycling the optional familiarisation ride on day one - we ask that guests arrive at the hotel by 18.00 latest on arrival day. This is because at 18.30 we will have a tour briefing covering important information relating to safety and general advice.

After this we have a group evening meal at 19.15 in our hotel so you can socialize and meet your fellow guests. If you choose to arrive early in Harrogate – take some time to enjoy its fabulous architecture, parks & gardens and its chilled vibe. It has some great retail therapy too.

Day 1: Uredale (optional half day familiarisation ride)

43 miles | 71km | 1620 ft | 495m

Our tour begins with and optional familiarisation ride to help you settle into Yorkshire and your saddle. We will route out of Harrogate and head north east into Uredale and the Roman settlement of Boroughbridge where we will cycle through delightful Yorkshire villages on mainly quiet roads

We will route back through historic Knaresborough with its ruined castle and stunning view over the river Nidd and its viaduct. We will then return to Harrogate via the traffic free Beryl Burton Cycle Way – A Yorkshire racing cyclist who dominated women's cycle racing, winning more than 90 domestic championships and 7 world titles.

The first day ride allows you to get familiar with your bike on flatter Yorkshire roads prior to the more demanding tour days that follow.

Day 2: Harrogate -Wharfedale -Harrogate 

71 miles | 115km | 5330 ft | 1625m

Day 2 gets hilly, We work our way through quiet villages to open moorland continue with gentle climbing to Greenhow where the landscape shows clear evidence of the rich and productive lead mining industry that once dominated this area of the Dales.

Onward past Stump Cross Caverns, we then enjoy a very steep descent into Hebden and a quick circuit of the chocolate box village of Grassington with its cobbled streets and delightful Dales shops.

We follow the River Wharfe upstream towards Kilnsey Crag. This huge, overhanging limestone cliff is an important landmark in Wharfedale. It was shaped by glaciers that once filled the valley. Today it is a challenge for rock climbers drawn to it from far and wide.

At approximately mile 30 we stop for lunch at a pub/café in a quiet wooded area. After lunch we follow the Wharfe downstream to Burnsall and Appletreewick, both perfect examples of pretty Dales villages. We continue along quiet single track roads to the Cavendish Pavillion, cross the Wharfe by wooden footbridge to enjoy fabulous views of Bolton Abbey, the ruins of a 12th-century Augustinian monastery.

From here we follow the river downstream, briefly visiting Ilkley, famous for the Ilkley Moor song and the absence of hats. We climb away from Wharfedale near Poole-in-Wharfedale before riding quiet and gentle lanes back to Harrogate and some well-earned rest.

Day 3: Harrogate – Wensleydale - Harrogate

84 miles | 135km | 5870ft | 1789m 

Our most challenging day in both distance and ascent whilst we ride parts of the 2014 Tour de France route.

We leave Harrogate via one of the UCI Worlds routes near the Royal Air Force Menwith Hill station (which provides communications and intelligence support – wink, wink) with its enormous white “golf balls” sat on the horizon and ride on to Blubberhouses Moor.

Navigating quiet country lanes, punctuated by sleepy Dales villages climbing to open moorland where we follow Wharfedale into Upper Wharfedale along the Tour de France route through quirky named Kettlewell (comes from Chetelewelle, a bubbling spring or stream). Signs of the farming methods of Romano-British and early medieval agriculture can still be seen in terraced fields around the village.

We ride as far as Buckden, here we climb Kidstones Pass, the “easy route” out of Upper Wharfedale over the wild moors of Langstrothdale Chase and down into Bishopdale and Wensleydale. It is a challenging climb at 3km long. (On 5th July 2014 huge crowds gathered on Kidstones Pass to watch world champion cyclists climbing what was dubbed the "Cote du Cray" - the first significant climb of Day One of the Grand Depart of the Tour de France)

We meet Wensleydale near Aysgarth where route takes us to a cafe and farm shop for lunch then onto neaby Wensley, which had prominence as the only market town in Wensleydale until being devastated by the plague in 1563, leaving what was once an important and prosperous town, mostly abandoned.

The ride post lunch is much easier with shorter rolling hills taking in quiet country lanes. We then route on a traffic free path to Ripley with great views of Ripley Castle and a well-deserved world famous Ripley ice-cream. Finally it is an easy ride into Harrogate via the Nidderdale Greenway and its viaduct with great views across Harrogate.

Day 4: Harrogate -Nidderdale -Harrogate

70 miles | 112km | 5560ft | 1695m

Day 4 we enjoy the delights of Nidderdale, taking the traffic free Nidderdale Greenway out of Harrogate to Ripley, pause at the Tour de France Monument for photos and head on up the dale. Taking gentle climbing roads we will detour briefly to visit Brimham Rocks at around 11 miles - Weird and wonderfully shaped giant rock formations, created by an immense river 100 million years before the first dinosaurs walked the earth.

We will continue through quiet rolling country lanes, including some great descents to Pateley Bridge and from there gently climbing continue up Nidderdale past the “twitchers paradise” of Gouthwaite Reservoir to the small village of Lofthouse. 

Most of the climbing today is achieved in the morning therefore we enjoy a more “rolling” afternoon taking in quiet country lanes passing Fountains Abbey, one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England, hopefully to enjoy a brief view of it

Return to Harrogate through quiet roads - a truly memorable day cycling befitting our cycling conclusion.

On our final day we hope to finish cycling around 17.00. Take some time to freshen up and relax as we join a group celebratory meal in a private dining room at our hotel.

What's included

   4 Nights Bed & Breakfast Accommodation

We stay in a 4* Hotel. Bikes are either locked in a secure area of the hotel or in your room. Breakfasts are all included with a choice of Full or Continental available.

 Fully Supported Tour 

The Pedal Britain support van is never far away to provide any assistance you need, be it access to your day bag, resolve a mechanical issue, report a first aid problem or just have a morale boosting chat. Just phone the driver or tap helmet as we pass if you need anything and we'll stop for you.  

Includes Lunch and Brew Stop Refreshments 

Lunches are a mix of rolling buffets in pubs and cafes or a picnic in a very scenic spot. The famous Pedal Britain pop up café delivers welcome brew stops at strategic points along the route to keep energy levels up providing you with water, tea, coffee, fruit, biscuits, cake, flap jacks and anything else you specifically request.

Expert Cycling and Tour Guides

Pedal Britain prides itself on having staff with a 'can-do' attitude, their entire focus is on ensuring they attend to your every need, to ensure that you have the best experience possible. They have detailed knowledge of the route, are first aid qualified and decent mechanics - but most importantly they care about you. When asked 'What makes Pedal Britain better than others?' quite simply it is our amazing staff - the one thing our competition cannot copy.

Pedal Britain Tour App & Detailed Route Notes

From here you can download the relevant file format for the daily route maps - GPX, TCX etc.. These can then easily be transferred to whatever GPS unit you are using such as a Garmin or Wahoo.

Don't have a GPS unit? No problem, just download our APP and it turns your Smart Phone into a GPS unit with turn by turn route navigation.

Live Tracking App

Pedal Britain Live Tracker app allows family and friends to see how well your progressing. The same tracker also helps us keep you safe and also ensure your following the route!!

Not Included

Evening Meals - although group bookings will be made at local restaurants attendance is optional, however payment isn’t!!

Travel Insurance - We highly recommend you take out insurance 

Transport to Start at Harrogate

Easy Bike Transfer (Available for a Fee)

Single Room Option (Limited number available for a supplement of £130pp)

Guide Gratuities Tips for your guides are not included in your tour price. Please feel free to tip your guides based on their guest care, service and level of professionalism.

Travel logistics

Getting to Harrogate

By Car

Harrogate is quite central in the UK and easily accessible from major road networks including the A1, A19, M1 and M62. The Hotel has plenty of free car parking.

By Train  

There are frequent trains from York and Leeds both of which are on “intercity” primary rail routes. The hotel is 5 minute flat walk from Harrogate train station.

1. If you are bringing your bike on a train, please ensure you also book a cycle reservation too as many train services have restricted capacity for cycles.

By Air

You can fly to Leeds/Bradford and arrange a taxi to Harrogate.