The Reality of Cycling in the Lake District

The Lake District looks like cycling country. Quiet lanes, beautiful scenery, no urban traffic. It is cycling country, but with a significant caveat: those hills are not decorative. What looks like a gently rolling valley road in the green-shaded tourist brochure is often a sustained climb of 150 metres that your legs weren't planning on.

Go in with accurate expectations and it's genuinely wonderful. Go in thinking it'll be like the Netherlands and you'll be walking your bike up Hardknott Pass wondering what went wrong.

Mountain Biking: The Dedicated Trails

The safest and most enjoyable mountain biking in the Lakes is on the purpose-built trail networks in the two main forest parks.

Whinlatter Forest

Near Braithwaite, above Keswick. The Altura Trail is the flagship mountain bike route — a purpose-built, flowing singletrack loop of around 19 km with a mix of berms, drops, and technical sections. Well-maintained and signed.A cafe and bike wash facilities are at the visitor centre at the top of the pass. Bike hire is available at the forest, including full-suspension mountain bikes.

Suitable for: Anyone with some off-road experience for the blue; committed mountain bikers for the red. Not suitable for road bikes or beginners on standard bikes.

Grizedale Forest

Between Coniston and Hawkshead in the southern Lakes. Also has dedicated mountain bike trails through mature forest. Less dramatic terrain than Whinlatter but more varied in character.

Grizedale has the added interest of large outdoor sculptures scattered through the forest. The combination of art and trail is distinctive.

Bike hire: Available at Grizedale Visitor Centre, including full-suspension bikes.

Road and Lane Cycling

Lake District road cycling is for people who are genuinely fit or genuinely masochistic, ideally both. The passes — Kirkstone, Honister, Wrynose, Hardknott — are among the hardest road climbs in England. Hardknott has a maximum gradient of 33%.

That said, they are also genuinely spectacular. The Hardknott and Wrynose combined — crossing both passes in sequence from the Langdale Valley to Eskdale — is a legendary cycling challenge in the north of England. It involves around 20 km of serious climbing and descent on extremely narrow roads.

For less intense road cycling, the valley roads between Keswick and Borrowdale, and around Ullswater, offer excellent cycling with more manageable gradients. The road around the eastern side of Ullswater is particularly good — quiet, scenic, and relatively flat compared to the fell passes.

Leisure and Family Cycling

The Keswick to Threlkeld Railway Path follows a former railway line (flat, 6 km, traffic-free). Ideal for families and anyone who wants the Lake District landscape without the climbing.

Around Windermere: Several traffic-free and quiet-lane options around the lake, though none are completely flat.

Staveley to Burneside: Part of the C2C (Coast to Coast) cycle route passes through this area. Mostly quiet lanes.

E-Bikes: The Equaliser

E-bike hire has transformed what's possible for casual cyclists in the Lakes. With pedal assistance handling the worst of the climbing, routes that would be effectively inaccessible on a standard bike become achievable. The Borrowdale Valley, the lanes around Grasmere, and the Ullswater circuit all become significantly more enjoyable.

Hire is available in Keswick, Ambleside, and Windermere. Book in advance in peak season — e-bike availability is limited relative to demand.

Practical note on e-bikes: E-bike assistance typically cuts out above 25 km/h. The motor helps with climbing; it doesn't do the work for you on descents or on flat. You still need to pedal.

Practical Notes for All Cyclists

  • Narrow roads: Most Lake District roads are not designed with cycling in mind. Traffic moves on narrow lanes where there isn't room to overtake safely. Most drivers are patient, but take care on blind bends and be prepared to stop or pull over to let vehicles pass.
  • Fell passes: If you're attempting Hardknott or Wrynose by bike, go when traffic is lightest (early morning, midweek). The roads require full concentration from drivers; adding cyclists to the mix increases risk.
  • Weather: Wind and rain affect cycling more than walking. A headwind up a fell pass is demoralising in a way that requires prior warning.
  • Hire: Bike hire in Ambleside (Ghyllside Cycles is the main operator), Keswick, and Windermere. Mountain bike specific hire in Whinlatter and Grizedale.

The ConciseTravel Lake District guide covers specific cycling routes with distances, elevation profiles, and recommended hire operators.