The best known long distance riding route is the Coast to Coast or C2C (also ‘Sea to Sea’), from the Irish Sea coast at Whitehaven or Workington across to the North Sea coast in the east at Sunderland or Tynemouth following National Cycle Network routes 7, 14 and 71.

A newer and exciting addition is NCN Route 72. Part of this route, from Ravenglass northwards to Silloth and onward to South Shields, is already open. Known as Hadrians Cycleway, it roughly follows Hadrians Wall and his coastal line of defences which ran south to Ravenglass, a major port in Roman times.

Find out more about the many National and Regional Cycleway Network routes in our area s and obtain maps and guides from Sustrans.

For a great day out, take a look at the 8½-mile (14km) Eskdale Trail. It’s a fully way-marked route taking cyclists from Dalegarth Station on the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Centre back down Eskdale to the coast at Ravenglass. It is mostly on forest and farm tracks with some tarmac and only two short stretches shared with cars. Pre-book your bikes on the train from Ravenglass to Dalegarth, ride the train up and then cycle back. The Railway also sells some route cards for shorter circuits starting from Dalegarth.

The Lake District National Park arrange a number of guided cycle rides every year. Available at a range of different venues, they’re a great way to see an area you don’t know. See their website for more details.

Got an electric bike? You’ll find a network of electric bike charging points around our region, including Ravenglass and Dalegarth Stations on the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway and also at Muncaster Castle.