God’s own county

Recently my home has found favour with the world of international cycling, a phenomenon that started when the Grand Depart of the 2014 Tour de France graced our roads.

This led to the creation of an annual three-day, ASO-endorsed race, the ‘Tour de Yorkshire’. It was also announced this year that the pinnacle of road racing – the UCI Road World Championships – will be coming to the county in 2019.

The riding is never easy, the terrain is undulating with some sharp steep ramps, keeping your heart rate high and your mind focused. However, the views that accompany you as you ride around this famous county will keep your spirits up and bring you back again and again, to test yourself once more.

Buttertubs Pass, Fleet Moss, Park Rash, Malham Cove and Langcliffe Scar are all names that send a shiver through any local cyclist. None of them are particularly long – at least not by European standards – varying between three and six kilometres. They’re somewhat similar to the climbs found in the Ardennes.

Riding around this county is a joy. Quiet narrow country lanes are easy to find and with them comes the guarantee that you will seldom see a car – instead you’ll be accompanied by rows upon rows of dry stone wall, vivid green fields and small rural villages with great cycling-friendly cafés to refuel and relax.

As the seasons shift, as does the riding – in autumn and winter this place can become cruel and harsh. The roads turn heavier, with one hour of riding easily pushing your average power over 240w. This time of year builds your base for the coming season and it’s good to know that a little time spent on the bike offers big training gains. As the old adage goes, ‘There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing’.

With the knowledge that winter miles = summer smiles, you’ll wrap yourself up, don your deep winter tights, attach the mudguards and think of the joy that spring and summer will bring – at least until you reach the next café and settle down with a mug of Yorkshire Tea and a slice of ginger parkin.

So, when are you going to visit?