Routes around Yeadon, Guiseley, Otley

lmcamoes

Hi,

I am new in the area and commute every day on my bike between Rwadon and Leeds but I want to go for a long ride on weekends.
I don't know the around and I would appreciate any suggestion for a 30/50 miles routes, preferable with a starting and finishing point around Yeadon.

socistep

I live in yeadon and you are spoilt for choice! Most popular is up past Bolton abbey, grassington and back is 50 miles, I also like going over oxenhope moor to hebden bridge and back, or something like up norwood edge.

Flatter rides are harder to come by, going east up wharfedale is flatter but you often come back into the westerly wind.

Oh another loop I like doing is from yeadon, down through Shipley to silsden, over to ilkley and then back to yeadon.

Hope that helps, I'm on strava to see routes - ian Stephenson

PS I'm also a daily commuter

ben@31

Yeadon - Pool Bank - take the B6161 to Harrogate (this is a nice road) - take A61 to Harewood - can return on A659 or go into Leeds and back another way such as via Kirkstall or Horsforth.

or

Yeadon - A65 to Menston - to Ilkley (nice bike shop with cafe) - Addingham - Silsden - back roads to Bingley and Saltaire - take the A6038 (never ending hill) back to Guiseley

Or Yeadon - Pool Bank - take the backroad thats opposite to the B6161 and goes through Castley and Weeton ( a real quiet single track road) - cross the A61 and go towards Kirkby Overblow - Then into Weatherby - you can get back via Harewood or the A58 takes you into Leeds but be warned its a very busy road with fast traffic. Its a real scenic route to Weatherby but I need a better way back.

For a quick route...
Yeadon- Rawdon - A65 down to Kirkstall - stop off at Bridge Inn pub at Kirkstall by Morrisons and Halfords - cross the canal and turn right to take the B6157 - Rodley - Calverley - Shipley - back up that never ending hill back to Guiseley. Or from Kirkstall you can go up to Headingley and along Otley road towards Lawnswood / Hosforth / Cookridge.

I enjoyed doing the Yeadon - Ilkley - Bolton Abbey - Grassington

You'll get fit cycling around West Yorkshire. No road is flat. But soon got used to it, fitting a big rear cassette helped. For most of my routes I just look at Bing Maps for nice looking loops and give it a try and explore, the course creator on Strava or Garmin Connect will calculate the distance for you.

lyn1

http://www.ilkleycyclingclub.org.uk/rides/route-library/

Start from Ilkley although you could adapt many of them to start elsewhere.

Matt Bianchi

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19640634#p19640634]lyn1[/url] wrote:

http://www.ilkleycyclingclub.org.uk/rides/route-library/

Start from Ilkley although you could adapt many of them to start elsewhere.

Remember safety first - don't go baht 'at.

bronco016

Hi

Lots of options. Some good routes already mentioned.

Also, consider Haworth-Oxenhope-Hebden Bridge route. Some gorgeous scenery but lots of hills.

the_rover

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19640634#p19640634]lyn1[/url] wrote:

http://www.ilkleycyclingclub.org.uk/rides/route-library/

Start from Ilkley although you could adapt many of them to start elsewhere.

I'm staying in Harrogate soon for a couple of weeks ( work related but I'll have quite a bit of free time ) and I've been looking for routes, the one you've linked is great but I don't suppose you know of any similar ones that start/finish in Harrogate?

I'm looking myself but you can't beat local knowledge.

Cheers Stuart.

bronco016

Depends what you want. Go East from Harrogate and it is reasonably flat, particulary towards York.
Go West and you will be in the Dales where it is anything but flat!!

the_rover

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19640796#p19640796]bronco016[/url] wrote:

Depends what you want. Go East from Harrogate and it is reasonably flat, particulary towards York.
Go West and you will be in the Dales where it is anything but flat!!

Hi, I don't have an issue with hills as such, I live in Blackburn, lancs and my 12 mile commute is 900ft each way so you can imagine it's far from flat round here. That said everyone loves a nice flat run!?
So I suppose I'm saying I'm open to both! Any help is appreciated.

ben@31

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19640751#p19640751]Matt Bianchi[/url] wrote:

Remember safety first - don't go baht 'at.

Looks pretty steep going up t' Moor from the Ilkley side. T'other side from Shipley and Baildon aint bad ( easy enough to do it without realising where I was going). Even one of those funny speaking Southerner folks can do it.

lyn1

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19640789#p19640789]The Rover[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19640634#p19640634]lyn1[/url] wrote:

http://www.ilkleycyclingclub.org.uk/rides/route-library/

Start from Ilkley although you could adapt many of them to start elsewhere.

I'm staying in Harrogate soon for a couple of weeks ( work related but I'll have quite a bit of free time ) and I've been looking for routes, the one you've linked is great but I don't suppose you know of any similar ones that start/finish in Harrogate?

I'm looking myself but you can't beat local knowledge.

Cheers Stuart.

A few here:
http://prologuecycling.co.uk/category/rides/

the_rover

Thanks lyn1, that link is great and it took me to the ridewithgps site which I've signed up to. I can print off the directions by doing that. Plenty of routes now!

Thanks again.

lmcamoes

Thank you all! Great options! See you around! Ride safe!

ben@31

All the best. if you're feeling knackered on a hill remember it can only make you fitter. Keep it up and this time next year you'll be used to the hills and will be more fitter than you imagined.

lmcamoes

last Saturday I was lost, wet and feeling miserable...
I found myself on a road with a very very steep hill in front of me, it was like more a wall to climb than a hill... I am not used to that and I struggled and a needed to hide my proud and walk it up pushing my bike.
Do you know Black Hill Road, from Arthington to Adel?

ben@31

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19643623#p19643623]lmcamoes[/url] wrote:

last Saturday I was lost, wet and feeling miserable...
I found myself on a road with a very very steep hill in front of me, it was like more a wall to climb than a hill... I am not used to that and I struggled and a needed to hide my proud and walk it up pushing my bike.
Do you know Black Hill Road, from Arthington to Adel?

I know what you mean, I resigned to the fact that the whole of north Leeds is a long ridge line to be crossed over. I remember going up past Eccup reservoir and it got hard in places.
I found the gradient is easier if you start from the west side of Otley and go up the A660 towards Bramphope, it's like a ramp that contours the side of the ridge. The other side of Leeds... The A58 is a long gentle ramp but very busy with traffic. Going past Harewood House on the A61 is a short sharp incline ( climbing past the traffic jams and trying to beat a distinctive vehicle or a bus gives you motivation) then rolling hills once you reach the top at Harewood.