IMAGE:
JORDAN
GIBBONS
CYCLING
Making
tracks
WITH SO MANY NEW ROUTES TO
DISCOVER, NOW IS A GREAT TIME
TO EXPLORE THE UK BY BIKE
Adding to its growing network of new cycling routes,
charity Cycling UK’s latest trail winds for 145 miles
around the Kent and East Sussex countryside, starting
and ending in the village of Wye, close to Ashford.
Described by Cycling UK as ‘equal parts culinary and
cycling tour’, it aims to combine tourist favourites such
as Whitstable, Canterbury and Dover with some of the
lesser-known rural treasures of both counties, including
orchards, vineyards, tearooms, farms and oast houses.
Perhaps best of all, however, is how easy it is to access
the route — it can either be tackled in one go or broken
up into stages over a few days, with many of the stops
reachable by train. cyclinguk.org
Over in North Yorkshire, the 1 2-mile Market Town
Trail launched earlier this year, mixing Ryedale’s lush
landscape with some of the county’s top food off erings.
The trail connects Malton — regarded as Yorkshire’s
food capital — with Pickering, home to the North
Yorkshire Moors Railway, and also provides a welcome
link with other trails in the Yorkshire Wolds, the North
York Moors National Park, and the cyclist’s paradise of
Dalby Forest. There’s cycling prestige here, too: the area
will play host to British Cycling’s National Road Race
Championship Series in August and the Tour of Britain
in September. outdooractive.com
Bikepacking fans, meanwhile, will want to set off on
the 1 15-mile East Devon Trail, which launched in May.
It begins and ends at Exeter St Davids station, making
it easy to access, but veers off the beaten track into
Devon’s famed countryside, home to freshwater marshes
and quiet woodland, before dipping into neighbouring
Somerset and Dorset. eastdevontrail.com AMY SEDGHI
THREE MORE TRIPS ON TWO WHEELS
RIDE AND RAVE IN IBIZA
Gourmet barbecues on the beach, an after-party
with Radio 1 DJ Pete Tong and tips from cyclists
Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish — it’s all on
offer with this new Ibiza trip from luxury cycling
tour operator LeBlanq. As well as rides ranging
from 37 to 99 miles, there’s also sunrise yoga and
drinks by the pool. 20 -2 3 October 2022.
From £2,795. leblanq.com
TEST YOUR METTLE ACROSS EUROPE
Push yourself to the limit with the Cent Cols
Challenge. The 10-stage mountain biking routes
are not for the faint-hearted, so the addition of
new six-stage events (with a rest day halfway
through) is a welcome tweak. The CC6 Northern
Alps runs from 4 to 10 July 2022 , while the CC6
East Pyrenees takes place from 26 September
to 2 October 2022. centcolschallenge.com
HIT NEW HEIGHTS IN SWITZERLAND
With over 200 miles of bike trails, the
resort of Laax has long attracted mountain
bikers. A flowing enduro route, the Segnes Trail,
is set to be launched in August, connecting
directly to the Runca Trail — one of the longest
flow country trails in Europe. Expect plenty of
jumps and banked slaloms, all set amid dramatic
Alpine landscapes. flimslaax.com
Cycling beneath the
13th-century New Gate,
near Winchelsea, East
Sussex, on the Cantii Way
THE CANTII WAY
is named for the
ancient Celtic Cantii tribe,
from which Canterbury
and Kent derive
their names
JUL/AUG 2022 23
SMART TRAVELLER
