Cycling the North York Moors

Every route we have written up

Type of riding, grade, distance and whether it is traffic-free, shown up front. Use the filters to narrow the list. Every route uses the published information and sources listed here.

Mountain biking: Dalby Forest and beyond

Dalby Forest is the star, a purpose-built trail centre with graded, waymarked trails for every level, run from the Dalby Forest Cycle Hub, where you can hire bikes including e-bikes. The green and Ellerburn family routes are the gentle end, the Jubilee Blue is the step up, the Red is the longest red trail in the UK, and the World Cup trail carries Dalby's UCI cross-country heritage. Dixon's Hollow Bike Park and its skills area sit at the far end of the forest. Beyond Dalby, Guisborough Forest and Sutton Bank are the other main off-road centres.

Road cycling: the climbs and the quiet lanes

The moors are laced with quiet lanes and punctuated by some genuinely iconic climbs. Rosedale Chimney Bank is the bucket-list one, around 1-in-3 at its worst and one of England's steepest roads. Sutton Bank is a relentless 1-in-4 escarpment topped by the “finest view in England”, and Carlton Bank and White Horse Bank are the other moor-edge tests.

The North York Moors Cycleway links quiet roads into a signed road route, and the area's Tour de Yorkshire heritage speaks to the quality of the riding. Many of these roads are the same ones our Classic Car Country routes follow.

Traffic-free and family riding

The Cinder Track, the former Scarborough-to-Whitby railway, is 21 traffic-free miles along the coast: gentle, scenic and ideal for families. The Ellerburn Green Trail at Dalby is an easy forest spin beside Dalby Beck, and gentle sections of the wider network make relaxed, safe days out with children. Horses share the Cinder Track and the bridleway network; our horse riding guide covers where riders can go across the park. On the quieter routes, the dog can come too if you are visiting the moors with dogs.

The Moor to Sea Cycle Network

For longer adventures, the Moor to Sea Cycle Network strings together around 150 miles of off-road loops linking Scarborough, Whitby, Dalby Forest, Pickering and Great Ayton, moorland, forest and coast, ridden as a day-loop or over five or six days.

Gravel Explorer routes

The National Park publishes Gravel Explorer routes for gravel, mountain or hybrid bikes, with maps and downloads on its Gravel Explorer routes page. Three earlier routes are based at the Sutton Bank cycling hub. In September 2026 four new routes were added in the north of the park, around Great Ayton, Guisborough and Danby, each starting near a station on the Esk Valley line. Distances, grades and climbing below are the National Park's:

• Gribdale Gravel Explorer: 11 km (7 miles), easy to moderate, 300 m of climbing. A taster loop around Roseberry Topping from Bike Base, Gribdale Terrace, near Great Ayton (TS9 6HL). The nearest stations are Great Ayton and Kildale.
• Ingleby Horseshoe Gravel Explorer: 35 km (22 miles), moderate, 620 m. Also from Bike Base at Gribdale, through Easby and Ingleby Greenhow to the Ingleby Horseshoe, returning by Kildale and Guisborough Forest.
• Esk, Coast and Iron Gravel Explorer: 60 km (37 miles), hard, 1,000 m. From Guisborough (TS14 6BX) through Castleton, Commondale and Danby to the coast at Skinningrove, returning along a dismantled railway. The nearest station is Nunthorpe.
• Blakey and Fryup Gravel Explorer: 50 km (31 miles), hard, 1,000 m. From Danby Lodge National Park Centre (YO21 2NB) onto Blakey Ridge past the Lion Inn and back down Fryup Dale. The nearest station is Danby, and the Park suggests waiting for a clear day because the tops are exposed.

Bike Base at Gribdale hires bikes. After a muddy ride, check, clean and dry your bike, footwear, clothing and kit before you use them somewhere else: the National Park asks for this to stop invasive species spreading into the River Esk catchment, home to Yorkshire's last freshwater pearl mussels. Our wildlife guide explains why.

Bike shops, hire and repairs

Beyond the Dalby Forest Cycle Hub, two independent bike shops serve this side of the moors from the market towns on the A170. Neither is in Dalby Forest itself. The Cycle Hub also keeps adapted cycles for a range of abilities, which our guide to accessible days out covers alongside the rest of the park:

• Big Bear Bikes, Pickering. An independent bike shop at The Co-Op Building, 2 Southgate, on the main A170 through Pickering, which describes itself as being on Dalby Forest's doorstep. It carries over 150 bikes in stock and hires mountain and road bikes, with a large free car park at the rear used for test rides. The workshop is staffed by Cytech-qualified mechanics and can often offer same-day service, and the shop also offers guided rides, bike fitting and suspension servicing. It is listed by both the North York Moors National Park Authority and Visit North Yorkshire. Check opening times and hire rates directly with the shop.
• Northern Ride, Malton. A cycle shop in Malton that positions itself as a bike shop for cycling in the North York Moors and near Dalby Forest. It has a servicing and repairs department and is an authorised Fox suspension service centre. Check the address and opening times directly with the shop.

For the village end of a Dalby ride, including the cycling businesses in Thornton-le-Dale itself, see thorntonledale.org, our sister guide to the village.

Practical

Hire bikes and e-bikes at the Dalby Forest Cycle Hub; refuel at forest and village cafés and pubs; pack for changeable moor weather; and base yourself centrally, see where to stay.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I mountain bike in the North York Moors?

Dalby Forest is the main trail centre, with graded green-to-black trails, a bike park and a cycle hub with hire and e-bikes; Guisborough Forest and Sutton Bank are the other main off-road centres.

Is the Cinder Track suitable for families?

Yes, the Cinder Track follows the old Scarborough-to-Whitby railway, so it is largely traffic-free and gently graded, making it one of the best family cycling routes in the area.

What are the best road-cycling climbs in the North York Moors?

Rosedale Chimney Bank, at around 1-in-3, is the most famous and one of England's steepest, with Sutton Bank, Carlton Bank and White Horse Bank close behind.

Can I hire bikes in the North York Moors?

Yes, the Dalby Forest Cycle Hub hires mountain bikes and e-bikes, and is the natural base for exploring the forest's trails.

Are there gravel cycling routes in the North York Moors?

Yes. The National Park publishes Gravel Explorer routes: three based at Sutton Bank, and four added in 2026 in the north of the park, from the 11 km Gribdale loop around Roseberry Topping to the 60 km Esk, Coast and Iron route from Guisborough. Each of the northern four starts near a station on the Esk Valley line.

The village and classic-car sister sites linked here are also written by the author of this guide.