It's easy to slip into routines, but the start of a new year is the perfect time to rediscover the sheer joy, potential and dazzling variety of cycling.
Your regular training rides will boost your form and fitness, but you also need plenty of fun ideas, epic adventures, surprising new destinations and unusual challenges to keep you feeling motivated all year long.
With our A-Z of fresh ride ideas, you can escape your familiar routine and enjoy a kaleidoscope of exciting new adventures.
Why not try to chalk off all 26 rides by 31 December?
Adventure ride
Whether you have always dreamed of bikepacking the rugged North Coast 500 – Scotland’s answer to Route 66, cruising the historic Way of the Roses coast-to-coast route or gliding down the glorious West Country Way, make sure you celebrate 2026 with an adventure to remember.
Having a big adventure ride on the horizon will ensure you keep training during the cold months ahead, while the epic ride will create cycling memories that’ll last a lifetime.
Beach day
If you think a beautiful beach ride past sparkling sand and frothing waves is a distant dream, think again.
There isn’t a single location in the UK that isn’t within cycling distance of the sea.
According to the boffins at Ordnance Survey, Coton in the Elms, a village in Derbyshire, is the furthest place in the UK from coastal waters, and even that is only 113km from the sea.
So whether you complete an exciting out-and-back ride to the beach or book a hotel and extend your stay, start plotting your refreshing beach spin now. You’ll thoroughly deserve that bag of fish ‘n’ chips when you arrive.
Cultural escape
There are thousands of beautiful country houses in the UK, and 4,000 atmospheric old castles in England alone, many of which are set in stunning landscapes and boast cyclist-friendly cafes serving piping hot chocolate and fat, buttery scones.
English Heritage looks after 400 destinations, while Historic Houses supports more than 1,000 cultural treasures. Both of their websites offer a handy postcode search tool so you can discover a beautiful slice of cultural history on your next group ride.
Dawn delight
There is something magical about waking up before dawn, attaching lights to your bike and riding to a scenic local spot to catch the first golden rays of sunrise.
A dawn ride offers a mesmerising start to the day and an exhilarating reminder of what you can achieve by attacking the day, while most other riders are still tucked up in bed.
Everest challenge
You’ll never forget the unique thrill and deep satisfaction of knowing you’ve climbed to the summit height of Mount Everest, even if it was on a bike, on a local hill, barely a few kilometres from your home.
Everesting is a gritty bike challenge that involves clocking up 8,848m of vertical gain – the height of Mount Everest – through repetitions of a single climb, in a single ride.
There’s no time limit. You can have as many rest breaks as you like. And you can choose whatever climb you like.
Just make sure you hit 8,848m. It sounds simple, but it’s brutal.
Ferry trip
Bikes and boats make a surprisingly fun combination. There are more than 6,000 islands scattered around the UK, with many of the biggest ones offering spectacularly rugged and scenic cycling routes.
Whether you want to explore the Orkney Islands, the Shetland Islands or the Isle of Man – home of Mark Cavendish – most UK ferry operators carry bikes free of charge, so it’s easy to plot your own island adventure.
Gourmet tour
Cafe stops are an integral component of any bike ride, so make sure you let the glorious grub of Britain take centre stage on at least one dedicated foodie ride this year.
Tuck into a jammy tart on a spin to Bakewell in the Peak District, sample fresh seafood in Padstow, enjoy a tipple on Somerset’s Cider Trail, or sign up for Wheely Wonderful Cycling’s six-day Slow Food Cycle Tour in the Shropshire Hills.
Heroic hill climb
Hardknott Pass. Cheddar Gorge. Fleet Moss. Bealach-na-Bà. Britain has dozens of iconic road climbs and it’s about time you ticked them off.
Select one of the grittiest climbs in the country and turn it from a distant dream into a riding reality this year.
Imperial century
If you’ve never completed a tough but rewarding imperial century (a 100-mile ride), commit to conquering one this year.
If you’re already a hardy centurion, try an upgraded challenge somewhere lumpy, such as the Lake District, for extra kudos.
January challenges
January and February can be bleak months for cyclists, with dreary weather, limited daylight and all those extra pounds piled on over Christmas.
Fight back with a mood-boosting New Year challenge. It could involve doing a core workout every morning, signing up for your maiden cyclocross event, or aiming to ride 1,000km by March.
Strava also has a host of January Challenges – 2026’s include pedalling 400km or 1,250km throughout the month – so you can bag extra motivation and camaraderie as you go.
Killer ride
Beautiful beach rides and sunrise spins will inject some much-needed freshness into your riding routine, but every cyclist craves the pain and pleasure of a killer ride at least once a year.
Try the leg-flaming 304km Dragon Ride in Wales, the brutally hilly 182km Fred Whitton Challenge in the Lake District or the aptly-titled Struggle Moors in Yorkshire, with its 3,000m of climbing across 180km.
Lake loop
Lake rides offer relaxing waterside views, eye-catching wildlife, and the satisfying pleasure that comes from circumnavigating one of the 40,000 lakes and reservoirs in the UK.
The atmospheric 80-mile Loch Ness 360° Trail is perfect for gravel bikes, while the picturesque Rutland Water reservoir can be circled on the surrounding roads or dedicated trails, both of which hug close to the water’s edge.
Metropolitan adventure
Britain’s urban centres are rich in architectural wonders, historic monuments, independent bike shops and trendy cycling cafes, so plot a ride to an interesting city you haven’t yet explored.
Whether you opt for Oxford’s dreaming spires and college quads, or York’s charming medieval streets and cosy tearooms, choose a city with a small, walkable centre and plenty of outdoor cafes so you can stroll, ride, sip, munch, stare, gawp and explore without having to leave your bike locked up for hours.
Night ride
Night rides feel deliciously spooky and thrillingly illicit. All you need is a high-powered set of lights, a sensible route on quiet roads and a good ride partner.
Dashing along roads illuminated only by the narrow beam of your lights will electrify your senses and give you a wonderful sense of calmness and isolation.
On a clear night, you’ll see a blanket of stars above you.
If you really enjoy it, you can sign up for the Dunwich Dynamo – a 180km night ride from London’s Hackney to Dunwich on the Suffolk Coast, which takes place every July on the Saturday closest to the full moon.
- Read more: 5 reasons you need to try night riding this winter, from sharpening your skills to meditative climbs
Off-road scene
Gravel, cyclocross and mountain bikes provide a fun way to mix up your rides, freeing you to venture off-road and unlock fresh new terrain.
From the leaf-strewn trails of Northumberland’s Kielder Forest to the chalky South Downs Way in East Sussex, via a huge variety of remote routes in the Scottish Highlands and Wales, the UK is criss-crossed with glorious off-road trails to explore.
Enjoy those memorably muddy adventures while sharpening up your bike-handling skills and broadening your horizons.
Pro race
Attending a live professional race provides a great excuse to do some riding in a new part of the country while glimpsing the pros in action.
Whether you choose the Women’s Tour or the Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic, it will be a day to remember.
If you ask nicely, you might even bag a signed bidon at the finish line.
Queen stage
The Tour of Britain’s Queen Stage – the longest stage of the course – always attracts extra media attention, and it’s fun to follow in the tyre tracks of the pros by taking on the route yourself.
Last year’s 133.6km Queen Stage started in Pontypool and took in five categorised climbs, including two ascents of the first-category climb of The Tumble.
Whatever the organisers cook up for 2026, team up with some friends and slay it yourself.
Randonnée ride
Also known as an audax or a brevet, a randonnée is a long-distance, self-supported bike ride where the journey is more important than your finishing time.
The most famous event here is the 1,500km London-Edinburgh-London challenge.
The Pendle 600 offers a gritty 612km journey across the Pennines, North York Moors and Lake District, while the Bryan Chapman Memorial 600 is a stunning 600km there-and-back route between Chepstow and Anglesey.
Audax UK (audax.uk) runs multiple annual challenges, all neatly planned around the quietest routes and best food stops.
- Read more: Everything you need to know about audax riding: events, brevet cards and bike setup explained
Solstice challenge
The summer solstice is the longest day of the year, which makes it the perfect day for a stamina challenge.
Tuesday, 21 June, is the date of the summer solstice in 2026, so book a day’s holiday and head out for your biggest ride of the year.
If you can’t get time off work, you can still make the most of the extra daylight hours for an über-long evening ride, with the sun typically not falling past the horizon until gone 9pm.
Train trip
Taking your bike on a train will unlock a whole new world of adventures.
You could simply ride to a distant town, national park or scenic location, then take the train back.
Overnight sleeper trains offer an extra dose of magic.
The Caledonian Sleeper will get you and your bike from London to Aviemore, the gateway to the stunning Cairngorms National Park, while Great Western’s Night Riviera Sleeper will whisk you from London to Penzance in Cornwall.
UK ride
Most of us are guilty of exploring more of Europe than of the UK itself, so broaden your domestic horizons with a cross-border adventure in one of the home nations this year.
Choose the atmospheric hills of the Brecon Beacons in Wales, the relaxing charms of Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland, the Tolkien-esque scenery of Breadalbane in Scotland or the quaint coastline of Cornwall in England.
Just make sure you’ve pedalled through another part of the UK before the end of the year.
Velodrome spin
If you’ve never experienced the high-speed thrills of track cycling, this is the year to join in the fun.
The velodromes in London, Manchester, Derby, Newport and Glasgow all offer affordable taster sessions, usually with the hire of a fixed-gear bike included in the price.
You’ll enjoy the buzz of hurtling around the steep banking at speed, and then experience an extra surge of confidence when you get back out on the roads.
Weekend escape
You don’t need to sign up for a big sportive or an organised training camp to enjoy a weekend cycling escape.
Whether you fancy pedalling across the mesmerising Gower Peninsula or dashing along the ancient Jurassic Coast, head off for a memorable weekend adventure this year.
X marks the spot
The old-fashioned ways are still the best. Dig out an Ordnance Survey map of your local area, or pull up a Google map of your region on your computer screen, then close your eyes and place your finger somewhere at random.
Wherever your finger lands, work out the most scenic route to get there and enjoy the magic and mystery of exploring somewhere new.
Yes route
Ask a cycling friend what ride they’d love to do this year and agree to cycle it with them. Saying yes to somebody else’s plans will take you somewhere you hadn’t thought of going and provide a whole new experience. Plus, it’ll make it easier to rope your friend into returning the favour when you start plotting your own dream adventure.
Zen ride
Enjoy the blissful tranquillity of going back to basics with a stress-busting zen ride. Leave your bike computer at home, turn your phone to silent and just enjoy the relaxing rhythm of pedalling.
Avoid busy national parks and noisy roads and head to a quiet forest trail, some country lanes or a few peaceful villages: your sole mission is to relax, unwind and rediscover the sheer zen-like pleasure of riding a bike.
