Wetherby/york

[Biscuitbasher]

Hi,

I am based between werherby and york and looking for some longer routes and ones including some hills. Does anyone know of any local hills and routes?

Thank you

[thirdcrank]

Your nearest local hills are the North York Moors.

[Oldjohnw]

N York Moors about as hilly as it can get.

[thirdcrank]

N York Moors about as hilly as it can get.

Here in Yorkshire, that is.

[Oldjohnw]

N York Moors about as hilly as it can get.

Here in Yorkshire, that is.

Quite! Although some parts are hilly by any standard.

[thirdcrank]

Don't say I didn't try to warn you :wink:
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PS Another hilly area (by Yorkshire standards) is the Yorkshire Dales eg around Pateley Bridge. The B1224 York-Wetherby Road is no longer the quiet idyll of my long-gone youth so going via Tockwith and Cowthorpe should be better. The new(ish) A168 all-purpose road alongside the A1(M) is flat and perhaps boring but it attracts a lot of riders and relatively little traffic unless there's something causing long tailbacks on the motorway. From the A 168 consider heading for Masham (home of the two breweries) by the numerous unclassified roads then over the moors to Lofthouse and on to Pateley Bridge. There are various routes from PB to Otley and then head back towards Wetherby on the North side of the Wharfe. (The other side of the river through Harewood is a no-no these days IMO)

If you are considering my PB suggestion, look at the route on something which shows the contours because there are lots of hills. The more-or-less direct route from Wetherby to PB via Harrogate used to be a nice ride and less hilly but now tends to be full of traffic.

[Dynamite_funk]

I used to cycle a lot round there. I have highlighted some of my favorite hills on a map and attached. Be warned, some are killers!!

[Chat Noir]

One of my usual rides out from York is to go to Wetherby from where I’m spoiled for choice. Quite like taking the old A1 up to Boroughbridge, quiet, lot of false flats and then excellent range of stops in the town or just sitting by the old water fountain in the square. Lots of good and quiet lanes south of the town to get you back to York or in between to Wetherby. I often continue on to Easingwold, another very pleasant old town with plenty of good places to stop and then up into the Howardian Hills via Crayke. This little-known line of east – west hills offer some of the most enjoyable cycling I know anywhere, plenty of 16% hills if you go along the ridges. You can turn south for York at many points, like the spokes of a wheel, or double back just dropping down to the next ridge to the south for variety. Anything with ‘bank’ in the name will be steep, usually short, but all memorable.

Crossing the rivers needs to be thought about because not many bridges. Cattal, just east and north of Wetherby, the site of an old Roman river crossing over the Nidd on Rudgate, is useful. If following this road north when it joins the B6265 be a little aware, lot of very fast drivers on this road. The wooden bridge at Aldwark over the Ure very useful, old toll but no charge for cyclists.

Going west from Wetherby loads of good riding available on quiet roads. Work your way over to Blubberhouses via the reservoirs, plenty of good hills, then cross the A59 and follow up to Greenhow from where you can follow west to Grassington and access to some classic big hills or just drop down into Pately Bridge and work out which of all the steep routes out of it to take – but there are excellent cafes there. Going north to Masham takes you to some really good cafes as well as over some long and draggy hills before turning back south, maybe through Ripon or via Fountains Abbey, down to Ripley where you can pick up excellent cycle route into Knaresborough coming in by the river Nidd at the bottom, past loads of excellent cafes (sorry, this appears to be a theme) and then meander back to Wetherby on more quiet roads.

You don’t say exactly where you’re based but masses of quiet roads, friendly cyclists (most people do acknowledge each other round here), the only problem being too many cafes.

[Cowsham]

Don't say I didn't try to warn you
============================================
PS Another hilly area (by Yorkshire standards) is the Yorkshire Dales eg around Pateley Bridge. The B1224 York-Wetherby Road is no longer the quiet idyll of my long-gone youth so going via Tockwith and Cowthorpe should be better. The new(ish) A168 all-purpose road alongside the A1(M) is flat and perhaps boring but it attracts a lot of riders and relatively little traffic unless there's something causing long tailbacks on the motorway. From the A 168 consider heading for Masham (home of the two breweries) by the numerous unclassified roads then over the moors to Lofthouse and on to Pateley Bridge. There are various routes from PB to Otley and then head back towards Wetherby on the North side of the Wharfe. (The other side of the river through Harewood is a no-no these days IMO)

If you are considering my PB suggestion, look at the route on something which shows the contours because there are lots of hills. The more-or-less direct route from Wetherby to PB via Harrogate used to be a nice ride and less hilly but now tends to be full of traffic.

Was through there on Friday in the car -- bring a winch ! Beautiful views though.

[thirdcrank]

The wooden bridge at Aldwark over the Ure very useful, old toll but no charge for cyclists.

Memory lane time. The toll for a pedal cycle used to be 1d and in the 1950s I've arrived here in a group and we struggled to to copper up to get everybody across. Much more recently I rolled up much better off, only to be told that it was now 1p so not worth collecting.

[Richard of York]

If you look on our York Wednesday Wheelers website and go through past runs, many have gpx file for routes in NYM or Eastern Pennines. I think Harrogate Wheel Easy also have a runs library.