Traffic free routes in West Yorkshire

lotus49

I took my younger son (11) and daughter (7) out on our first proper family bike ride today on the Spen Valley Greenway. My younger son managed all right on his rather heavy MTB but he's more of a musician than a sportsman and wasn't as enthusiastic as I might have wished.

My daughter, on the other hand, took it in her stride and rode 15 miles on her single speed Probike Princess with tassels on the handlebars without a word of complaint. Indeed, when we got to the end she wanted to keep going. Promisingly she asked me when we could next go out for a ride together.

Because she is only 7 I'd rather hone her cycling skills a little somewhere safe before we mix it with the traffic. Does anyone have any suggestions as to other places in West Yorkshire that are traffic-free where we could cycle together? My only bike is a full road bike so realistically it will have to be metalled.

Rigga

Whereabouts in West Yorks? There are a few nice 20-30 mile loops via canals near me in Wakefield

lotus49

Rigga wrote:

Whereabouts in West Yorks? There are a few nice 20-30 mile loops via canals near me in Wakefield

North of Leeds but I don't mind driving a little bit. A canalside ride would be good because it would presumably be flat and 20 miles is a fair way for a seven year old but I think she would manage - she is pretty fit and sporty (unlike her father).

If you could give me more details I would be very grateful.

zx6man

There is the calder greenway which heads towards hudderfield too.

you can travel the canal too at the end of the spen grenway to wakefield as said above. and from sandal you can hit the TPT route all the way to doncaster.

Shaun67

We go to Dunford Bridge and ride the TPT, it's nice there with a free car park and you can ride on the
flat for miles & miles.

zx6man

Yeah, we do that bit quite regular, hadfield to doncaster. We have done the entire coast to coast on it..top stuff.

Mike Healey

http://www.sustrans.org.uk/search-resul ... orth+Leeds for list of nearby(ish routes)

make mine a triple

New cycle path opening from Harrogate ASDA car park all the way to Ripley nice place for a picnic / ice cream...

http://philsnidderdalesite.co.uk/philsn ... nway_1.htm

Alternative you can cycle from Boston Spa to Spofforth (small section on road)

Another is a great ride from the York ring road (Rawcliffe Bar park & ride) all the way into York City centre took 3 ( 5 and 7 year old (youngest on a tag along)

lotus49

make mine a triple wrote:

New cycle path opening from Harrogate ASDA car park all the way to Ripley nice place for a picnic / ice cream...

http://philsnidderdalesite.co.uk/philsn ... nway_1.htm

Alternative you can cycle from Boston Spa to Spofforth (small section on road)

Another is a great ride from the York ring road (Rawcliffe Bar park & ride) all the way into York City centre took 3 ( 5 and 7 year old (youngest on a tag along)

Harrogate isn't far from me so I'll definitely give that one a go. Thanks for the suggestions.

Tigger con carne

You can get between Dewsbury and Ossett on the Ossett to Dewsbury Greenwaywhch is quite good, though it's not quite finished yet (the remaining bit through to Ossett is on very quiet roads. It's not very long but I think might link quite well with the Spen Valley. I've not explored much further but I'm pretty sure it will then link up with the Calder Hebble Navigation which can take you into Wakefield.

Mike Healey

Tigger con carne wrote:

You can get between Dewsbury and Ossett on the Ossett to Dewsbury Greenwaywhch is quite good, though it's not quite finished yet (the remaining bit through to Ossett is on very quiet roads. It's not very long but I think might link quite well with the Spen Valley. I've not explored much further but I'm pretty sure it will then link up with the Calder Hebble Navigation which can take you into Wakefield.

It will also be a bridleway, so you'll be able to 'Osset

muscleflex

Anywhere around Leeds?

Mike Healey

muscleflex wrote:

Anywhere around Leeds?

See my earlier post giving the Sustrans details. There's not a lot.

lotus49

I've noticed that the canal towpath that you can see as you pull into Leeds station has now been metalled. I don't know how far that extends though. Does anyone else?

I dare say I wouldn't wreck my bike going along a normal towpath but I don't fancy off-roading too much.