CYCLING THE WAY OF THE ROSES
COAST TO COAST ACROSS LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE, WITH SIX CIRCULAR DAY RIDES
by Rachel Crolla
JUNIPER HOUSE, MURLEY MOSS,
OXENHOLME ROAD, KENDAL, CUMBRIA LA9 7RL
About the Author
Rachel Crolla is lucky enough to live a few miles from the Way of the Roses. Her early biking memories include learning the hard way how to ride up the local hills on a single-speed BMX. Having lived and cycled all her life in the White Rose county, she was thrilled to write about places which are close to her heart. Rachel started out touring on hybrid bikes, completing rides such as the Coast to Coast (C2C) and a version of the Walney to Wear (W2W). She then explored some of the region’s excellent mountain-biking terrain but in recent years has become a convert to road cycling, in which she admits to having a slow and steady approach.
As well as spending time in the saddle, Rachel also enjoys hillwalking, rock-climbing and scrambling. In 2007, she became the first woman to climb the highest peak in every country in Europe. She has worked as an outdoor writer and photographer on three other Cicerone guides.
Other Cicerone guides by the author
Scrambles in Snowdonia (with Steve Ashton and Carl McKeating)
Walking in the Auvergne (with Carl McKeating)
Europe’s High Points (with Carl McKeating)
© Rachel Crolla 2018
First edition 2018
ISBN: 978 1 85284 912 2
Printed in China on behalf of Latitude Press Ltd
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
© Crown copyright 2018 OS PU100012932. NASA relief data courtesy of ESRI
All photography by Rachel Crolla and Carl McKeating.
Acknowledgements
I’d like to thank my long-suffering partner Carl McKeating, who has done everything but write the book; riding all the routes (some several times) and even completing ‘the Way in a Day’ in the interests of proving that it is possible for a mere mortal. Also thanks to my children, who have supported me on lots of cycling trips and have learned to ride bikes during the writing of this book.
Some other great people have volunteered their time to help. Thanks to Scott Barnett, Angela Newton, Mike Armstrong, Beck Crolla, Chris and Harriet Truss, Paul Copley, Charlotte Hatch, Glen Thistlethwaite, Marc Harrison, Bridget and James Blanchard, Ed Clews, Malcolm McCauley and Leo Carne. I am also grateful to Richard Keeble and the team at AGH for patching up my arm after I hit some ice during a research ride. Finally thanks to the late Dave Crolla, who passed on the wisdom that ‘you can never have too many bikes’ and who would have loved cycling the Way of the Roses.
Updates to this Guide
While every effort is made by our authors to ensure the accuracy of guidebooks as they go to print, changes can occur during the lifetime of an edition. Any updates that we know of for this guide will be on the Cicerone website (www.cicerone.co.uk/912/updates), so please check before planning your trip. We also advise that you check information about such things as transport, accommodation and shops locally. Even rights of way can be altered over time. We are always grateful for information about any discrepancies between a guidebook and the facts on the ground, sent by email to [email protected] or by post to Cicerone, Juniper House, Murley Moss, Oxenholme Road, Kendal, LA9 7RL.
Register your book: To sign up to receive free updates, special offers and GPX files where available, register your book at www.cicerone.co.uk.
Front cover: Superb cycling between the narrow dry stone walls of the road between Cracoe and Burnsall (Day 1)
CONTENTS
Logistics – getting there and back
Cycling the route east to west
What’s in a name?
Cycling in Roses country
Using this guide
Day 1 Morecambe to Burnsall
Day 2 Burnsall to York
Day 3 York to Bridlington
Route 1 Arnside and Silverdale tour
Route 2 The Way of the Dales
Route 3 Brontë country and the dark satanic hills
Route 4 Otley and Knaresborough round
Route 5 Around the Wolds in a day
Route 6 Bridlington