Cycling in the valley

The Esk Valley is superb cycling country, provided you like hills. The lanes on either side of the river are quiet, the moorland roads are spectacular, and the railway means you can ride out and train back.

Road routes

The classic loop follows the lanes along the valley from Whitby through Sleights, Grosmont, Egton Bridge, Glaisdale, Lealholm and Danby to Castleton, and returns over the moor tops. Expect gradients of one in four out of Grosmont and Egton Bridge and a long pull onto Castleton Rigg, rewarded by the road over Blakey Ridge to Hutton-le-Hole or the descent through Danby Dale.

The road from Castleton to Westerdale and on over to Kildale is quieter still, and the climb from Sleights onto Sleights Moor gives sea views.

The Cinder Track

The old Scarborough railway line is now the Cinder Track, a 21-mile traffic-free trail from Whitby to Scarborough via Robin Hood's Bay and Ravenscar. It leaves Whitby over the Larpool Viaduct, high above the Esk at Ruswarp, and is suitable for families and hybrid bikes, though the surface is rough in places.

Off road

There are bridleways and forest tracks throughout the dale and on the moors; the tracks above Glaisdale, Danby and Westerdale and through Sneaton Forest are popular with mountain bikers. Stick to bridleways and byways, not footpaths, and give way to walkers and horses.

Bikes on the train

Northern carries bikes free on Esk Valley trains, with limited space and no reservation, so travel outside busy times. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway carries bikes on some services by arrangement; ask before you travel.

Hire and repairs

Bike hire is available in Whitby. There are no cycle shops in the villages, so carry a spare tube and a pump.