Cycling around lake windemere

[Cyril Haearn]

The railway to Barrow along the bottom of the Lake District passes quite near. If trains are running there

[eileithyia]

I have ridden up from Newby Bridge when it has been busy at a weekend it wasn't the pleasantest of experiences.. with a couple of impatient close passes, but obvious can vary from day to day and driver to driver. You are better doing it anti-clockwise, that way you get to see glimpses and views of the lake... whereas clockwise it is possible to miss some of the views.

[Cugel]

I have ridden up from Newby Bridge when it has been busy at a weekend it wasn't the pleasantest of experiences.. with a couple of impatient close passes, but obvious can vary from day to day and driver to driver. You are better doing it anti-clockwise, that way you get to see glimpses and views of the lake... whereas clockwise it is possible to miss some of the views.

Good advice. Anti-clockwise also reduces the number of right turns that must go across the intended paths of impatient and inattentive Toads.

Unless one is a fairly confident cyclist with a well-developed 6th sense for detecting motoring loons well before they threaten a prang, I would suggest that it's best to avoid the main roads (those habitually used by car-borne visitors) of The Lakes in its high season, which has already begun and will get "higher" through the next couple of months. There are many alternatives that are hilly but thereby give much better vistas of The Lakes in general and, around Lake Windermere, that particular mere itself. You don't see much of Windermere if you go along the roads closest to it's shores.

One route that's an alternative to 'round Windermere might be to cross the ferry near Bowness to the west side of the lake, go past Esthwaite Water then up and through Grizedale Forest, eventually going to Spark Bridge at the very southern foot of Lake Coniston before returning via the east shore of Coniston then back up/down to Hawkeshead, Sawrey and the ferry back across Windermere. Hilly but very, very beautiful with some stunning vistas, lakeside cycling (Coniston east shore) and not so much traffic.

Cugel

[rmurphy195]

Where is Lake WinderMere please?
And how many lakes are there in the Lake District?

They are all shown on any road atlas, you can count them on there. I keep an AA one in the car, usually pay about 1.99.

Or online try here http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/maps

[Tangled Metal]

TBH I'd prefer to ride somewhere else. Unless you want it as a tick list there's more pleasant routes around.

From Windermere Station anticlockwise there's no decent route until you can get onto the track from Wray / Wray Castle to ferry nab. Then smaller roads until Newby Bridge. Then not that nice back. I reckon.

Mind you I only really know weekend traffic on those roads. From Ambleside clockwise until Wray there's some narrow country roads which traffic is fast and doesn't seem too cyclist friendly. I've never ridden those roads and don't really want to.

Other lakes might be better but I'm not sure. East side of Coniston or west side of thirlmere might seem good but whilst quiet the cars driving down those roads tend to drive quickly, too quickly for my liking. Ullswater isn't a good lake to ride plus you've got to go off road to b to around it all.

[cycleruk]

Recently the narrow road from Ambleside to Wray / Hawkshead has "cycle" markings to make motorists "think" about us.
But where ever you go in the area you are either going uP or going down. There isn't much that is flat.

[Cyril Haearn]

Where is Lake WinderMere please?
And how many lakes are there in the Lake District?

They are all shown on any road atlas, you can count them on there. I keep an AA one in the car, usually pay about 1.99.

Or online try here http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/maps

I know all about it actually, used to live there %)
I am trying to confuse strangers And keep them thinking. Only one Lake

[sharpedge]

There is supposed to be a replacement ferry taking foot passengers and bikes replacing the car ferry across the lake. Latest news on the rail front is that trains are running again from Oxenholme to Windermere. The specials were formed of mk2 loco hauled carriages so there was probably a coach with a large guards compartment - and travel on them was free! Now the Northern trains are on the specials have probably gone. I personally would go north bound first to get the terrible section to Ambleside out of the way. The rough track is certainly fine for bikes, just take it slow over the rough sections if not on a mountain bike.