Off-road cycling
Best family friendly bike rides in Britain
Try out our easy bikes routes are perfect for family friendly days out and cycling holidays
Bike ride: Middlewood Way and Macclesfield Canal, Cheshire
Cycle an old railway up the rural eastern edge of Cheshire then meander back along a pretty canal towpath – without doubt, a cut above the rest
Bike ride: Exe Valley Way, Devon
Follow the banks of the River Exe from the historic streets of Exeter to the quietude of the Devonshire countryside, where otters slink and kingfishers spy
Bike ride: Tissington Trail, Derbyshire
Take a nostalgic ride through the high hills and lush valleys of the Derbyshire Dales
Bike ride: The Kelpies, Stirlingshire
The largest equine sculptures in the world set the stage for a meandering canal-side cycle – listen closely and you can almost hear the hoofs that once trod these historic banks
Bike ride: Cuckoo Trail, Sussex
This Sussex cycle trail is best explored in mid-spring, when its broad, bushy verges billow with wildflowers and its overhanging woodland canopies resound with birdsong
Bike ride: Elan Valley Trail, Powys
Discover tranquillity amid the drama of Elan Valley, a landscape of shimmering reservoirs, gushing rivers and wooded slopes that ring with birdsong
Bike ride: Camel Trail, Cornwall
Cycle alongside the River Camel, a route once traced by whistling Victorian steam trains
Britain's best rail-to-trail cycling and hiking routes
Old railway lines around the UK are being turned into cycling and walking routes. Offering scenic and safe cycling for families and cycling enthusiasts, many of these paths run through beautiful countryside. Here is our pick of the best former railway trail paths for cycling and walking in the UK.