Someone once asked me what was easier and far more enjoyable than walking. I took a full minute before answering, cycling, and I still hold it true to my heart.
To feel the pleasant rush of wind through your hair, to catch a quick whiff of the passing fragrances, to pedal through an untouched landscape and to greet the local passersby is an experience like none other.
If you’re craving for a hard-earned break from your dull routine and hoping to explore the ‘off-the-grid’ countryside, there’s no better way to do that than via a bicycle. So, get yourself geared up because I’m going to list some of the best cycling routes that the UK has to offer you this year. Check them out below.
Red Squirrel Trail
Located in the English Channel, the Isle of Wight boasts an amazing coastline with some of the most interesting dioramas of the farmed country life. There are natural wildlife habitats, secluded wetlands, and smooth traffic-free ways, which are ideal for cycling.
One such renowned route, which starts at Cowes and goes up to Sandown, is called the ‘Red Squirrel Trail’. It is a full two days’ journey if you’re pedaling leisurely, with relaxing stops along the way. Regularly frequented is The Pedaller’s Café, the reviews of which you can check out online. Trust me. You will not be disappointed.
Coed y Brenin Trails
Pssst. Do you know that there’s an actual mountain bike ‘mecca’ in the midst of Wales? Well, yes, there is, and it has more than one trails piercing through the heart of the famous Coed y Brenin forest, also known as the ‘forest of the king’. And these are not just any cycling trails, but world-class rated ones, attracting adrenaline junkies from all over the continents.
Besides the hardcore trails like the ‘Beast of Brenin’, testing your physical and mental duress, there are pleasanter, less intense trails too, like ‘Ya Afon’. This 1-3 hour long cycling route takes you through open forest roads—flat and downhill alike—and affords you some of the most spectacular views of the waterfalls on Mawddach and Gain rivers.
Monsal Trail
Relatively straighter yet more adventurous in its own way, the Monsal trail is located in the Bakewell area of Derbyshire, England. Specifically, in the Peak District, which is famous for its limestone dales. The trail started on the cadaver of a former Railway line, yet turned into a traffic-free route for cyclists when people realized its one-of-a-kind ambiance.
Wish to ride through a network of tunnels? Head over to Monsal Trail right now. There’s a podcast too, going by the name of ‘Monsal Memories’, which you can access online over your Spectrum internet, and listen to other people’s experiences before going. What do you say?
Dixcart Trail
You know what they say about the Isle of Sark, right? That it is a ‘dark sky’ island. Thus, an ideal place for stargazing. Being one of the most unspoiled of the Channel Islands, this region boasts an incredible fauna with fields upon fields of flowers, sprawling gardens, seventeenth-century buildings, and a rolling hill landscape. Several dirt roads have been carved to allow an interesting cycling experience, one of them being the Dixcart trail, which covers the coastline closely and gives a breathtaking panorama of the blue waves. The locals are friendly and the food is organic to perfection.
Glyndwr’s Way
On the Welsh-English border lies this wild cycling trail which is 135 miles long. Remember the open moorland from ‘The Wuthering Heights’ where Heathcliff used to wander for a greater part of his life? Well, it’s real life replica of that topography, and equally haunting in its own way. Basically, this way commemorates the war-like adventures of the last Welsh prince, Owain Glyndŵr. It is a rough and tough track but affords spectacular views of the rolling hills, the ancient bridleways, the lakes, and the reservoirs. The cyclists are bound to have one hell of a time pedaling through this untamed Welsh way.
The Camel Trail
An exquisite waterside scenery and amazing wildlife views? Count on the Camel Trail to show you all. Set in Cornwall, England, this route is easily the most traveled one by the cyclists worldwide. It is an 18 miles long, smoothly leveled track which allows an indispensable cycling ease for all age groups.
Once you begin your journey, you’ll get to comb through the beautiful Cornish countryside along a former railway line. The routes start at the picture-perfect Padstow, touches the tranquil Camel River, skirts around the moving Bodmin Moor, and all the way to Wenford Bridge. If you get hungry along the way there is a traditional tea and cakes vendor at Penquean quarry, going by the name of ‘Treats on Trikes’ which you can go for.
Hope these aforementioned routes inspire you enough to begin your epic bicycle journey. Let me know how it goes.
Daisy Smith is a tech-writer and tech-blogger whose work majorly focuses on the internet service providers, tech-news and social media. She works in close collaboration with the ISPs and tech companies and explain the pros and cons of their provided services like Xfinity bundle deals on platforms like Local Cable Deals and others. If you want to learn about an ISP, give her read a try.