On Your Bike

Cycling is free, fun, green and healthy, and with the British weather warming up it's the perfect time to jump on your bike and explore one of the many traffic free cycle ways without the summer crowds.

For those new to cycling, or even exercise, your best bet is to build your confidence and begin with a short, flat track such as The Crab and Winkle Way. This 7-mile track follows the disused railway line of the ‘Crab and Winkle', the third railway line built in the UK, and links Canterbury City with the coastal town of Whitstable.  The track begins in the city centre before climbing into the countryside, past fruit farms and Blean Woods, one of the largest areas of ancient broadleaved woodland in the south of the UK. Left your bikes at home? No problem, hire one from: www.downlandcycles.co.uk

The Tissington Trail is a 13-mile traffic-free cycleway, running from Ashbourne to Parsley Hay in the heart of the Peak District National Park. Following the old Buxton to Ashbourne railway line, and forming part of the much larger Pennine Cycleway Route 68 (250 miles), this trail winds through stunning landscapes and limestone scenery. Left your bikes at home? No problem, hire one by calling Tel 01335 343156

For those feeling a little more ambitious The Camel Trail, in Cornwall, is a 17-mile (27km) largely traffic free cycleway linking Padstow to Bodmin. The track follows a disused railway line, and passes through some of the most spectacular countryside in the South West. This trail is perfect for anyone new to cycling, or looking for a not particularly taxing ride. It is virtually level all the way and cars are banned. Left your bikes at home? No problem, hire one from: www.padstowcyclehire.com

For the more serious cyclist the Hadrian's Cycleway is a 170-mile coast-to-coast path, stretching the length of the Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site and, offering riders a look at some of England's most wild & dramatic countryside.

Whilst the UK's most challenging cycle ride is the 1,000-mile route from Land's End to John O'Groats. The End to End ride (your journey will literally take you from one end of the UK to the other) is challenging and demanding and an adventure, which many cycling enthusiasts aspire to achieve during their stay in the UK. Taking around 15-days to complete (that's averaging about 65-miles a day) this ride allows you to see in the UK in all its glory.