Somewhere flat near Leeds....

Squillinossett

Well the weather is improving, the sun is out and Mrs & Mrs Squill are on holiday for two weeks...

Looks like she will get a change to finally use her Orbea she got back end of last year. She is going to give her new SPDs a try, but im wanting to take her somewhere flat, so we can go for a decent length ride without her bonking, of just running out of steam!

She might only be a size 8, but she is not very fit!! So looking for a place to drive to where were can do a 30 mile or so cycle that is pretty flat.

Cheers

antfly

The canal is flat if you`ve got big tyres.

Bikerbaboon

well thats nice and easy. Head out form leeds to wetherby though to York. If you are still feeling fit ride back again, if not take the train.


I cant get a map you for you but if you go
wike ridge lane up to east keswick
then follow the a659 though collingham
on to the A661 then follow this to wetherby
at the large roundabout take the first exit and then head though wetherby to turn right on to york road. then just follow that all the way to york.

thats about as flat as you can get.
anything north or west from leeds does run in to hills quickly.

as for the canal if its a nice day on a weekend it will be full of old ladies with dogs and they just get in the way and its a pain if its your first time out with SPD.

keef66

You need to head east young man. Selby, Cawood kind of area. It's like Holland only flatter. Just make sure the tide's not in.

Ask Will, he's from round there.

leedsmjh

It will have a few lumpy bits but you could follow the Wharfe up to Bolton Abbey and catch the train back from Ilkley to avoid having to go up the hills on the return journey

Leeds-Harewood-Otley-Askwith-Ilkley-Nesfield-Bolton Abbey then retrace your steps back to Ilkley after cake stop at the Abbey, would be around 30miles. It's a very pretty route too.

antfly

Squillinossett wrote:

Well the weather is improving, the sun is out and Mrs & Mrs Squill are on holiday for two weeks..

Cheers

Are you a lesbian couple ?

keef66

If you follow the suggestion from leedsmjh which is undeniably prettier than the flat stuff round Selby, pause at the gates of Harewood House to check Mrs Squill's brakes, otherwise the next mile downhill could involve a lot of screaming.

leedsmjh

keef66 wrote:

If you follow the suggestion from leedsmjh which is undeniably prettier than the flat stuff round Selby, pause at the gates of Harewood House to check Mrs Squill's brakes, otherwise the next mile downhill could involve a lot of screaming.

I've been trying to hit 40mph down that corner ... not managed it yet

Ben6899

Squill,

Some good suggestions already. I can do you a map for a nice flat route to the east of Pontefract... ~40miles.

You might want to drive to the start point, but I can't imagine that being a problem. Give me a nudge if you're interested.

addicted to Langbar

I used to use this route sometimes along the far side of the river Wharfe when I first got into cycling and wasn't feeling too energetic. I have seen plenty of families on bikes doing this so shouldn't be too bad.

http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=107987

Coming back up the A660 isn't the quietest route, but it is just a long shallow drag with nice views across the valley rather than some shorter steep knee popper like Pool Bank.

pinnaclered

On sunday me and my boyfriend rode out to york from eastend park in leeds, we traveled up york road, selby road through garforth and along back roads to tadcaster, sherburn and york.
It was a little hilly until we got to barrick in elmet onto tadcaster and then sherburn so maybe drive out to tadcaster and set out from there.
It was my first proper ride with SPD's and i got the bruises to prove it.

wreckedmyklein

Tadcaster is a good ride. We live in North Leeds and do this ride when we don't want to go north and hilly, or up the Wharfe. We go to Shadwell, then across the A58 to Thorner. on to Bramham and Clifford and then follow or noses to Tadcaster. Nothing long or steep, just undulating roads. Mostly quiet too. We often then come back via Thorpe Arch and Wetherby. Its a good easy training ride. If you get tired, coffe in a pub ill usually get you going again.

freehub

Barwick in elmet, to aberford, then onto ulleskelf there is some nice flat stuff once you get round near Church Fenton and Ulleskelf.

30 miles would be abit tough like as leeds is around 18 mile west of that area, so direct it'd be like 36 miles.

Round bramham it's rolling, some long drags, I find it as tough as a hilly ride round there.

rolf_f

I find the Selby area a bit dreary. Nicer but still pretty flat is the plain of York SE of Boroughbridge. If I want flat cycling, I drive out to Great Ouseburn, park up and pedal across Aldwark Bridge to the East. Not totally flat but attractive and quiet. Any number of routes you can take.

Slightly further to the North I have a little circuit from Staveley via Boroughbridge to Easingwold and back (again crossing Aldwark Bridge) - it is, irrc, about 15 miles long so you can repeat as needed. The bit West of the A1 is slightly hilly but still fairly harmless.

keef66

You're right, anything south and east of Selby is not exactly visually stimulating, unless you're a big fan of power stations, but the OP wanted something flat.

I grew up just north of Ferrybridge. By the age of 10 or 11 me and my mate had given up on the flat stuff and invariably headed north via Tadcaster, wetherby or York for days out. As teenagers we'd make it up into the dales, the North York Moors, or over to Scarborough. Happy days!

simonaspinall

Man up!

Squillinossett

simonaspinall wrote:

Man up!

Man up? Its was for the Mrs???

Anyway, went out today on one of the routes today given by Ben6899, turns out she A: Took to clipless pedals like a duck to water! not even a slight wobble at lights & B: found a couple of hills, and she climbs like a billy goat (im not very happy about this!)

So she is fully hooked now, so getting her to come along to one of the century I will be doing this year!

Cheers for the replys though chaps, really didnt want to drag her up my usual training routes from wakefiled to Hudds for her first time!!

gjp112n

I have the (mis)fortune to have to stay in a certain brand of budget hotel in Knottingley or Darrington once a week and now its light in the evenings, I'll be bringing my bike over.
I'm a relative newbie to cycling, and 15 miles would be as far as i've been on a bike trip, but I'm aiming for 20, or possibly even (wooooo) 25 miles. If anybody out there can suggest circular routes of 15/20/25 miles that avoid massively busy roads, I'd love to give them a go.

cheers
Mike