A network of twelve new cycling routes ranging from 9 to 260 miles (15 – 415 km) in length on Route YC has been launched on the Yorkshire Coast with a new film by Edinburgh filmmaker Markus Stitz. ‘Edge of Heaven’ features world record holders Mark Beaumont and Jenny Graham and takes viewers on a journey through some of the region’s best coast and countryside scenery and local attractions. It is available to watch on YouTube here.
At the heart of the collection is the Route YC Adventure Route. It starts and finishes at Scarborough Railway Station and features stunning cliffs and beaches, remote moors, dark skies, picturesque villages and towns. Designed for gravel bikes, the bikepacking route is equally fun on mountain bikes, combining a good mix of gravel paths, singletrails, cycle path and quiet roads – at times on fast and flat sections, at other times negotiating the hills that give riders a taste of real Yorkshire grit. A friendly Yorkshire welcome is guaranteed where riders stop.
A shorter bikepacking route, the Route YC Adventure Weekender, packs in everything that is unique about the Yorkshire Coast into a long weekend, and a Route YC Cycle Touring Route from the ferry terminal in Hull to Staithes, offers a stunning journey along the coast on touring and e-bikes.
Mark Beaumont comments: ‘Whilst of course the bike’s the best way in my humble opinion to explore the world on two wheels, it’s not just about the riding. It’s about discovering these beautiful little Yorkshire villages and little market towns. There’s a lot of history in this area which I’ve really appreciated coming across and seeing by bike.’
Jenny Graham comments: ‘If somebody was coming out here on their first bikepacking trip, then they would be able to tailor it so it was really manageable. And equally, if people are out here and they are really experienced, then they have the option of making the days a bit more challenging and a bit harder. And I think that’s something quite unique about this route.’
The new Route YC cycle routes have been developed in partnership with navigation and route planning app, Komoot. Designed by Great British Gravel Rides author and Bikepacking Scotland founder Markus Stitz, they will help local people and visitors of all ages and abilities explore the Yorkshire coast and countryside on gravel, touring and road bikes. Several day trips start in the Yorkshire coast towns of Whitby, Scarborough, Filey, Bridlington, Hornsea and Withernsea, and the North York Moors village of Grosmont.
Rob Marshall, Marketing Manager UK at Komoot, said: ‘Komoot has been committed to providing a wide range of adventure inspiration since its inception – so we’re delighted to be supporting Route YC in creating accessible cycling adventures for everyone. The new cycle routes will showcase the diversity of the Yorkshire coast landscape and provide people with the inspiration to saddle up and enjoy everything the region has to offer.’
The new cycle route itineraries are available at routeyc.co.uk/cycling and komoot.com/user/routeyc. ‘Edge of Heaven’ is available on YouTube. People can also follow Route YC on social media, on Facebook at facebook.com/RouteYC, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/routeyc and X (Twitter) at twitter.com/routeyc.
Further Information
Route YC and Yorkshire Coast BID (Destination Business Improvement District)
Route YC is already working with over 250 tourism leisure and hospitality business members, local community groups and industry partners across the region to help extend the season and bring visitors to the area to boost the local economy. The initiative is being geared towards promoting reasons to visit Route YC from October to March, showcasing areas that can accommodate visitors in the quieter season, as well as highlighting the opportunities for wellness getaways off-season.
Route YC is funded and managed by Yorkshire Coast BID (Destination Business Improvement District). Yorkshire Coast BID Ltd is a private, not-for-profit company governed by a board of volunteer directors who represent independent, national and public sector operators. All directors are asked to provide area and sector information and advice and are committed to the coastal objectives to promote, protect and support the entire Yorkshire Coast. For more information, visit www.yorkshirecoastbid.co.uk
Komoot
Komoot is an app that lets you find, plan, and share adventures with the easy route planner. Driven by a desire to explore, and powered by the outdoor community’s recommendations, it’s komoot’s mission to inspire great adventures, making them accessible to all. Komoot helps over 35 million cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts all over the world to plan better outdoor adventures. www.komoot.com
Mark Beaumont
Mark Beaumont’s adventures have taken him to over 100 countries over the past twenty years, making him one of the most respected ultra-endurance athletes on the planet. Mark has pushed the limits of endurance; amongst other Guinness World Records he remains the fastest person to have cycled around the planet. Mark’s passion for entrepreneurship takes him into a range of businesses, backing innovation and advising on growth. He lives in Edinburgh, Scotland with his wife Nicci and two daughters. www.markbeaumontonline.com
Jenny Graham
Jenny Graham is an adventurer, presenter, public speaker, author and self-confessed endurance-loving, earth-hugging, fist-pumping ‘dirtbag’. Her debut book ‘Coffee First, Then the World’ shares tales of her most gruelling journey to date – a record-breaking cycle around the planet. Over the course of 18,000 miles, ridden alone and with no support crew, in 2018 Jenny Graham smashed the previous Guinness World Record by nearly three weeks finishing in 124 days 11 hours. www.jenny-graham.com
Markus Stitz
Markus Stitz is a route designer, filmmaker, photographer, and writer, based in Edinburgh. Before cycling 34,000 kilometres unsupported around the world on a single-speed mountain bike he mapped his first bikepacking route, the Capital Trail, awarded best new route in 2015 by bikepacking.com. Shortly after his trip he founded Bikepacking Scotland. Markus’ writing has appeared in a wide variety of magazines and online publications, and he is the author of ‘Great British Gravel Rides’ and ‘Bikepacking Scotland’, and co-edited ‘Big Rides: Great Britain & Ireland’. www.markusstitz.com
Route YC Route Highlights
Route YC Adventure Route
This is the ‘heart’ of the collection of the new Route YC cycling routes on the Yorkshire Coast. Travelling between Whitby and Spurn Point, riders can enjoy stunning cliffs and beaches, remote moors, dark skies, picturesque villages and towns, as well as a friendly Yorkshire welcome. Designed for gravel bikes, the Route YC Adventure Route is equally fun on mountain bikes, combining a good mix of gravel paths, singletrails, cycle path and quiet roads – at times on fast and flat sections, at other times negotiating the hills that give a taste of real Yorkshire grit.
- Komoot Collection: https://www.komoot.com/collection/2476247/route-yc-adventure-route-in-5-days
- Route YC Listing: https://www.routeyc.co.uk/adventure-route
Route YC Adventure Weekender
This bikepacking route packs in everything that is unique about the Yorkshire Coast into a long weekend. It gives riders the opportunity to enjoy the tranquillity of the North York Moors, the striking coastline and beautiful villages and towns while they cycle on gravel tracks, cycle paths, quiet lanes and roads through the beautiful countryside of England’s east coast. The Route YC Adventure Weekender is designed for gravel bikes, but equally fun on mountain bikes. It is suited for heavier e-Bikes and trailers, although some sections of the Cinder Track will only be suited for adventurous riders.
- Komoot Collection: https://www.komoot.com/collection/2476264/-route-yc-adventure-weekender-in-2-days
- Route YC Listing: https://www.routeyc.co.uk/adventure-weekender
Route YC Cycle Touring Route from Hull to Staithes
Designed to be ridden in both directions, this cycling touring route connects with the ferry and railways in Hull, and the well-known EuroVelo 12 route in Staithes, the North Sea Cycle Route. Along the route tourers can savour the beauty of the Yorkshire Coast, with more pastoral landscapes in the south, and the tranquillity of the North York Moors and the stunning coastline in the north.
- Komoot Collection: https://www.komoot.com/collection/2475756/-route-yc-cycle-touring-from-hull-to-staithes-in-3-days
- Route YC Listing: https://www.routeyc.co.uk/cycle-touring-route-from-hull-to-staithes
Whitby Road Loop
This is the jewel in the crown of road cycling on Route YC. From Whitby the route can be ridden in both directions. If cyclists are looking for something completely unique, they can bring their bike on the North York Moors Railway and start the ride from one of the stations along the way. Highlights along the route include historic Whitby, the picturesque villages of Robin Hood’s Bay, Goathland and Staithes, the wide open landscapes of the North York Moors and the stunning cliffs and beaches of the Yorkshire Coast.
- Komoot Route: https://www.komoot.com/tour/1380153206
- Route YC Listing: https://www.routeyc.co.uk/whitby-road-loop
Filey Gravel Loop
This is a fun cycling loop, which gives riders a great flavour of the riding on the Yorkshire Coast. It starts in Filey and takes cyclists on cycle paths, roads and gravel tracks through the town’s rural backyard, with the Yorkshire Wolds rising in close proximity. For people new to gravel riding, this is the perfect loop to get a taste of the off-road experience on Route YC.
- Komoot Route: https://www.komoot.com/tour/1380155400
- Route YC Listing: https://www.routeyc.co.uk/filey-gravel-loop
Hornsea Touring Loop
Starting in Hornsea, a seaside town dating back to the early medieval period and known for its pottery, this mainly flat route takes cyclists past the pastoral landscapes of the East Riding of Yorkshire. Passing the Hornsea Mere, the largest freshwater lake in Yorkshire, the route follows mostly quiet roads close to the coast through the countryside to Skipsea. Riders will enjoy the views towards the Yorkshire Wolds, but miss out on the hills on this ride, before following the Trans Pennine Trail back to the sea.
- Komoot Route: https://www.komoot.com/tour/1380156271
- Route YC Listing: https://www.routeyc.co.uk/hornsea-touring-loop
Bridlington Road Loop
This loop combines the rolling hills in the north and flatter pastoral country in the south of the East Yorkshire coast. Starting in Bridlington, the Lobster Capital of Europe, the route is best ridden clockwise. Highlights along the route include the RAF Memorial at Lisset, Rudston Monolith, the tallest megalith in the United Kingdom, and the rugged white cliffs and lighthouses at Flamborough Head, an outdoor lover’s paradise and perfect base for bird watching.
- Komoot Route: https://www.komoot.com/tour/1380155895
- Route YC Listing: https://www.routeyc.co.uk/bridlington-road-loop
Withernsea Road Loop
The flattest of all Route YC routes can be ridden in both directions. Cyclists can make it a weekend adventure by staying overnight at Spurn Point, or add in a coffee and lunch stop at Patrington and Withernsea if riding the route in one day. Riders pass the Prime Meridian as they travel through Holderness, an area of rich agricultural land, which has more in common with the Netherlands than with other parts of Yorkshire. As they visit Spurn they can experience the big skies and ever changing wildlife which make this one of the most iconic nature reserves on the Yorkshire Coast.
- Komoot Route: https://www.komoot.com/tour/1380157779
- Route YC Listing: https://www.routeyc.co.uk/withernsea-road-loop
