Cycle routes and guides round-up
New coast-to-coast ride, and more

A new British coast-to-coast route is due to open on Saturday. The Way of the Roses runs for 170 miles from Morecombe to Bridlington through some spectacular countryside which includes the
Fully signed, it uses cycle tracks and roads to form a new, challenging ride which is the seventh coast-to-coast route on the National Cycle Network.
Highlights along the way include historic
A route map is available from the Sustrans shop priced £6.99. You can view the route online by searching Sustrans’ mapping for Way of the Roses. A couple of websites seem to be in the throes of development: www.wayoftheroses.co.uk and www.wayoftheroses.info.
First English and
Earlier this year, Sustrans opened the first section of the Bridgewater Way. The two-mile route between
It’s also the first of the Sustrans Connect2 projects to be completed in
The first Connect2 to be completed was in
The first Connect2 in
. To see how the other Connect2 schemes are progressing, see the Sustrans Connect2 website.
Around the UK
Shropshire: The first chunk of a nine-mile greenway between Bridgnorth and the Ironbridge Gorge has been opened.
Essex: A gap in National Cycle Network Route 1 has been plugged with the signing of a route bypassing Maldon on quiet roads with a spur into the town.
Fife: A 5.5-mile stretch of traffic-free cycling has been created between Low Valleyfield and Kincardine.
Argyll: Four miles of traffic-free path have been constructed between Appin and Dallens on the emerging
.
Surrey: Existing routes between Guildford, Woking and
Hampshire: A section of railpath has been completed on the Hayling Billy Trail between Havant and Hayling Island, along with a further section of NCN 2 along Southsea Promenade.
Addition to French cycle route network
A recent addition to the developing French cycle route network is the Veloroute Ouest Creuse, an 83km route in
The route is signed and has a number of stops along the way equipped with bike racks, bins and benches, along with plenty of cyclist facilities in the town of
Recommended new route publications
Simon Warren, author of 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs (ISBN 9780711231207, £8.99), writes that “
Red Dog Books is a small publisher based in
Traffic-Free Cycle Trails by Nick Cotton (ISBN 9781900623216, £14.99) contains more than 400 traffic-free cycling routes in its revised and updated third edition. Description, directions and supporting information are provided, along with some nice photographs. This is the perfect book for finding that safe and peaceful bike ride.
Cycling in the North of
All of these titles are available from www.cordee.co.uk or www.sustransshop.co.uk except Brittany’s Green Ways which can be ordered from www.reddogbooks.com.