Track stars
Let the train take the strain off your countryside cycling routes and get some peak pedalling potential. Online travel platform omio.co.uk has saddled up to look at some of the best cycling routes across the UK which are easily accessible from railway stations.
Sea to Sea (C2C) Irish Sea-North Sea Berney Arms Norfolk Broads
CLIMB Box HIll
This popular long-distance route should be on every cycling enthusiast’s bucket list.
Riders can start at either Whitehaven or Workington, travel 137 miles, and end in Sunderland or Tynemouth, with the route best ridden from west to east to take advantage of the prevailing wind and longer downhill and shorter uphill sections. There are plenty of campsites along the way and villages to stock up on supplies.
Tradition has it you dip your back wheel in the Irish Sea at the start and front wheel in the North Sea at the finish. And if you have left your car in Cumbria you can get a train back for a well-earned rest.
sustrans.org.uk
RUGGED Cairngorms
“Very flat, Norfolk’’, according to Noel Coward. That, and the wide-open scenery, makes it a joy for cycling.
Jump off at the train at Berney Arms, which is one of the smallest, most remote and least-used stations in Britain. Explore the quiet marshy broadland, the large drainage windmill and the RSPB reserve.
Sadly, the equally remote Berney Arms pub is closed but there are others in villages a few miles away. The station
Box Hill, Surrey
GENTLE Norfolk Broads is a request stop on the Norwich-Great Yarmouth line and has zero facilities. And just six services a day.
visitnorfolk.co.uk
Bristol and Bath Railway Path Somerset
Head by rail to buzzing Bristol and then cycle along to beautiful Bath via the former track of the Midland Railway.
Smooth, wide paths are lined by trees most of the way. Bristol’s bustle rolls away to countryside views before you hit the light stone buildings of Bath.
Bristol Temple Meads and Bath Spa stations
(both on the same line) are close by at either end of the trail, so you can easily reverse the route.
Just 19 miles south of central London but a world away. Get off at Box Hill and Westhumble station and it’s just a short ride to the Surrey Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The eponymous hill is a 735ft bluff with sweeping views and its road climb featured in the 2012 London Olympics road race. And there’s a National Trust cafe for a reviving cuppa, or try a beer from the local Surrey Hills Brewery in one of the nearby pubs.
visitsurrey.com
Cairngorms National Park, Highlands
Unless you live locally, it’s probably going to be a weekend break.
Aviemore station is the best bet and there are many dedicated cycle routes with plenty of pitstops. Rides range from quiet roads for family groups to challenging routes for the experienced.