Home of the iconic Fred Whitton Challenge, the Lake District is an incredible place to get out on two wheels. Whilst flat roads are hard to come by, the climbs always feel easier when combined with awe-inspiring views and the promise of as many coffee stops as you can agree on. Just remember your puncture repair kit and watch out for the potholes!
A great little route to get out for an hour or so, this does what it says on the tin. Head out of Keswick through Portinscale. A little blast up the steep S-bends at Catbells End is rewarded by a gorgeous, flowy descent alongside Derwentwater and through Grange. Enjoy the prevailing tailwind for a fast return to Keswick along the Borrowdale Road.
Two iconic Lakeland passes, Honister and Newlands, are must-dos for any keen cyclist. Most choose the direction of the famous Fred Whitton route, which goes clockwise and heads first down the Borrowdale Valley towards the looming presence of Great End.
Through Seatoller, the pass proper begins, and you’re straight onto a 25% gradient. Make it to the cattle grid, and you know you’ve cracked it; the steepness lessens here before a final kick up to Honister’s grey scree slopes. Take care down the bumpy descent and enjoy a breather along the shore of Buttermere before the road turns right and heads up again over Newlands. The descent to Keswick is fast. Watch out for sheep ont’ road. Anticlockwise makes for an easier climb of Newlands but the harder side of Honister.
Cumbria is more than just lakes and hills. Turn right at the end of Fellpack Skiddaw’s drive and head out along the A591 to wind your way through the pretty villages and meet the coast road at Allonby. Head north along the shining Solway Coast and test your Paris-Roubaix skills on the cobbles of Silloth, a Victorian seaside town that retains its imposing architecture and an excellent chippy!
If you’ve still got the legs, carry on north to the shifting saltmarsh of Skinburness and once-bustling Port Carlisle. A less-explored area where you can feel the history of the region’s seagoing past.
Once considered just mountain biking for road cyclists, gravel cycling is now a fully-fledged discipline in its own right. The Lake District has plenty of gravel cycling options, from old coach roads and muddy back lanes to sweeping forest tracks.
A perfect little blast post-arrival at Fellpack Skiddaw, this is a straight-up, straight-down route.
Head up via the Forestry Commission car park and join the fire road past the Osprey viewpoint. The track opens out to reveal expansive views over Keswick and Derwentwater to the Helvellyn ridge beyond, before turning back towards the brooding hulk of Skiddaw. Only the most fit and technically adept will make it to Dodd summit, so if you don’t fancy pushing, either head back the same way once you get to the stile onto the fell or carry on and back down to the car park via a steeper but shorter track.
England’s only mountain forest, Whinlatter never disappoints. Whether there’s mist moving across the trees on a rainy day, or the scent of scattered pine needles in summer, this outdoor playground has something to offer all year-round. Join together the various fire road sections (all waymarked) for a non-technical adventure amongst the trees.
From Swirls car park at the foot of Helvellyn, head into Wythburn wood. Continue along the fire road up above Thirlmere reservoir and either return the same way, or do the full loop of Thirlmere (the western side is a single-lane tarmac road) and back to Swirls across the dam and the main road to Grasmere.
Stay a gear ahead of the climb. Conditions in the mountains can change in a heartbeat. Be ready for any scenario with our handy mountain kit list.
With everything from challenging road climbs and forest trails to scenic lakeside laps and family-friendly trails, the Lake District is a cyclist’s paradise.
Please contact us if you would like our help planning your perfect cycling break in the Lake District.