Canals of Brum, Birmingham

With more miles of Canals than Venice, its a great way to explore the city away from traffic. You can meander through the old industrial heartland and refresh yourself with a stop for some local ale in a cool new bar.

Chocolate Tour, Birmingham

It should be easy to persuade everyone on this trip around a veritable Wonker wonderland. The trail starts in Birmingham and meanders along the Rea Valley to Yorkshire, Humberside Midlands.

Hanson Way, Oxfordshire

Oxford is natural cycling territory, with cyclists as ubiquitous as the spires. An easy route is to follow the river south to Abingdon and Didcot, where you can catch the train back to Oxford, or do it in reverse. Most of the route is traffic free on riverside tracks and purpose built paths.

The Pennine Cycleway– Southern section

The Pennine Cycleway is England’s longest ‘challenge’ cycle route. It runs from Derby to Berwick-upon-Tweed, through remote countryside in the National Parks of the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland. Complete all 355 miles or just go with the Southern section of Derby to Holmfirth.

Tissington Trail, Peak District

The Tissington Trail runs from Ashbourne to Parsley Hay. At this point it joins up with the High Peak Trail, which runs from High Peak Junction to Dowlow near to Buxton and you can significantly extend your ride by taking this in too. Surrounded by beautiful countryside the traffic-free trail is ideal for cyclists of all standards.

A Stage of the Tour of Britain, Stoke on Trent

You don’t have to be a pro cyclist to ride this as you can opt for a shorter stage and also attempt it independently. The full 100 mile route celebrates the centenary year of Stoke-on-Trent as a city and now ventures further in to the Peak District to give some truly demanding race conditions midway through the stage, before the battle on Gun Hill. We recommend the half route.