Cycling in Britain

Britain's National Cycling Network Is Here!

By Ted Shoemaker

In Britain and elsewhere in Europe there is a growing awareness that cycling is a fun, healthy, and non-polluting activity. That's why Britain's 6,000-mile National Cycling Network (NCN) is being laid along city streets and on minor country roads, woodland paths, abandoned rail lines, canal tow paths, and the like. The vast network is accessible to hikers and the disabled as well as cyclists.

While many paths are not yet in compliance with NCN standards, some of the long-distance routes are already open. And they are spectacular. Here are a few of the more popular ones.

The Coast to Coast Cycle Route, or the "C2C," runs 140 miles from the Irish Sea to the North Sea, through the Lake District and the Pennines to Newcastle-on-Tyne. It's a challenging but rewarding route that can be cycled in easy stages.

Bristol to Padstow. This 230-mile trail in the southwest, through particularly beautiful countryside, runs from Bristol out the Cornwall peninsula via Glastonbury to Wells Cathedral and Exmoor National Park and finally to Padstow. The traffic-free Camel Trail, which runs on abandoned railroad lines, is flat and popular for family outings.

Hull to Harwich. For 370 miles it traverses the gentle landscape and picturesque villages of the fens, wolds, and broads and passes the historic cathedral cities of Lincoln and Norwich.

The Scottish National Cycle Route, 402 miles of breathtaking scenery from Inverness to Carlisle, passes the historic battlefield of Culloden, crosses the Highlands, passes by Loch Lomond and the scenic landscape of Dumfries and Galloway. It includes 50 miles of traffic-free paths in and around Glasgow.

The Thames Cycle Route runs 44 miles through the London area from Hampton Court in the west to Thamesmead Town in the east, passing the Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge, the Globe Theater, and the Cutty Sark.

Other paths follow Hadrian's Wall and the Whisky Trail in Scotland and link Salisbury with Stonehenge, and these are just a few that are already open. The ultimate British cycling experience is to travel 1,000 miles from Land's End, at the tip of the Cornish peninsula in the extreme southwest, to John O'Groats in Scotland, the northernmost point on the mainland. If you complete this one you can have a certificate from the Cyclists' Touring Club (Cotterell House, 69 Meadrow, Godalming, Surry, GU7 3HS; 011-44-1483-417217, 011-44-1483-426994; cycling@ctc.org.uk).

Trip Planning

A number of maps are already available at bookstores. Paths that don't yet meet NCN standards are on the maps but marked as "interim."

Contact: National Cycle Network Information Department (www.sustrans.org.uk), Sustrans, 35 King Road, Bristol, RS1 4DZ; (011) 44-117-929-0888.

Most airlines permit bicycles as part of your baggage or take them for an additional fee. Taking a bike on a train is usually possible, but different railway companies have different rules.

Renting a bike once in Britain is easy. Bike tour operators (see box) offer a variety of biking holidays, usually including bike hire, luggage transfer, accommodations, and help with itineraries. Local Tourist Information Centers can also provide information about hotels, guesthouses, bed and breakfasts, camping sites, and other accommodations.

Safety issues: If you plan to do any night-time riding you must have a rear reflector and your front and back lights must be in working order.

Also, you can't carry a child on a bicycle unless you have a special seat.

Biking Organizations

The following organizations can help you with bike rentals and itinerary planning.

Compass Holidays (Cotswolds), www.compass-holidays.com/activities.asp?section=activities&page=CYCLN.

Country Lanes, www.countrylanes.co.uk.

Scottish Cycle Safaris, www.cyclescotland.co.uk/1home.htm.

The Youth Hostels Association, www.yha.org.uk, offers bicycle rentals and organizes cycling holidays among its 240 hostels.

Useful Web Sites: The British Travel Authority, www3.visitbritain.com/uk/outdoorbritain/get_active/cycling/cycling.htm; Sustrans, www.sustrans.org.uk; the Cyclists' Touring Club, www.ctc.org.uk.

TED SHOEMAKER writes from Frankfurt, Germany. He is a regular contributor to Transitions Abroad.