West Yorkshire is a particularly beautiful part of the world, isn’t it? If you cycle around it as a family, you will get so much more out of your holiday than if you drive it!
4 Family Cycle Routes In West Yorkshire
There are a great many family cycle routes in West Yorkshire, so let’s have a look at a few of them:
The Solar System Route
This is a great ride to go on with slightly older children. You follow a lovely cycle track – and find each of the nine planets in our solar system as you go along!
The Solar System ride is 6.4 miles long, and follows the old East Coast mainline railway.
Because it is sited on this railway track, the ride is generally pretty flat which means it’s ideal for little legs that can get tired quickly. The lack of traffic is another great bonus.
This ride is actually a to-scale model of our solar system, so your kids will be kept entertained by finding each of the different planets – and you might learn something too!
This ride is suitable for the younger ones as well as the older solar system enthusiasts, as it is mostly off road with one small section through a housing estate, and there are no steep inclines.
You can find a “serve yourself” honesty cafe on the ride, with toilet facilities, which will help you get all the way to the sun!
There are also multiple places that you can stop and enjoy a picnic and a breather, and to check out the local wildlife.
A great trail for young and old alike, this one is a fun, easy ride.
Leeds Urban Bike Park
This one is ideal for those who have kids of different ages to entertain – there is enough to interest the older ones as well as the tinies!
You can enjoy trail rides which are separated into ability and clearly marked with red, blue and green.
It’s great to have different abilities catered for, as you can entertain different ages and abilities at the same time.
There is also a mini pump track which is perfect for little ones just starting out in their cycling journey – they can start on this and then move on to one of the trails.
You will also find a cafe, toilets, and a bike repair centre – this is a great asset, especially if you get a flat on your way round the trails and you haven’t brought a puncture repair kit!
No need to pack too much as there are facilities on the site, so you can quench thirsts and refuel hungry little cycle enthusiasts.
This is a man-made bike trail, with the added bonus of having natural cycle paths nearby too.
Start out on the pump track, to give your kids confidence, then you can move them on to riding the trails as their confidence and ability increases.
Penistone To Dunford Bridge
This route is perfect for families, especially those with small children, as there is absolutely no traffic whatsoever.
Following the Trans Penine Trail, this ride is fully surfaced, making it easier for little legs, and the incline is gentle rather than startlingly steep.
There are a great many things to interest you on the way, not least all the information panels about the fascinating local history (the kids might not be too interested, but you will learn a thing or two!)
You will see lots of wildlife, and even pass the Magic Wood and a nature reserve – it may be worth a stop off to see what you can see in the way of local wildlife.
There are also a few locally crafted sculptures to keep an eye out for – perfect for inspiring the interest of a small, flagging cyclist!
There are benches with fantastic views where you can stop and rest your legs and feast your eyes, and you can stop for a picnic at multiple sites along the way.
Once you reach the small hamlet of Dunford Bridge, simply turn around and retrace your steps to get back where you started.
At 5.7 miles long, this ride should take you around half an hour, which is ideal for little ones who may tire easily.
It’s also great for panicking parents – there is no danger at all that your new cyclist will be knocked off their bike by a passing car!
Dewsbury To Oakenshaw
This one is ideal for the slightly older child. At 11 miles long, this route should take around an hour.
It is a completely surfaced ride, with short trips through quiet towns, and two crossings of a larger road where you will need to keep an eye on your little ones.
After this, however, there are 10 miles of gorgeous traffic free countryside to pedal through, and very few inclines, steep or otherwise.
There are a great many interesting things to keep an eye out for – check out the metal sculptures of animals, in case you can’t spot any living wildlife!
A lot of these sculptures are made from recycled industrial scrap, which not only makes them eye catching and interesting, but a great way of repurposing – keep your eye out for the herd of metal sheep…
You also pass close by a few small towns, which means you can stop off for a cheeky pint or a coffee, or take your kids to a play area if they are still feeling energetic!
When you arrive at Oakenshaw, you can enjoy Victoria Park or visit one of the two nature reserves, before you turn around and head back.
Final Words
If you and your family are bike enthusiasts, a family cycling holiday is just about the best thing that you can do – and Yorkshire is a beautiful county in which to do it.
If you have found yourself in the beautiful countryside of West Yorkshire, hopefully you are now a bit more clued up on the family cycle routes you can enjoy. If you’re looking for more inspirations, here are a few routes in the Lake District area or in Norfolk.
