Way of the Roses - Day 1

The Way of the Roses is a three-day 'coast-to-coast' linear road cycling event. 

The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars in the 15th Century fought for control of the throne of England between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the House of Lancaster, represented by a red rose, and the House of York, represented by a white rose.

The 280km / 175 mile Way of the Roses cycle route is almost entirely on quiet roads and tarmac paths, from the Irish Sea through the valleys of Lancashire, the Yorkshire Dales and the lovely, but little-visited Yorkshire Wolds, to the North Sea coast at Bridlington.

Tradition dictates that you start the ride by dipping your back wheel in the Irish Sea and only ends when your front wheel gets a dip in the North Sea at the finish.

• Way of the Roses Day 1 - Morecambe to Grassington - 84km (52 miles)
• Way of the Roses Day 2 - Grassington to York - 98km (61 miles)
• Way of the Roses Day 3 - York to Bridlington / Flamborough - 94km (58 miles) / 102km (63 miles)

Our journey starts in Morecambe, home to the UK's largest tidal estuary, Morecambe Bay. We'll meet on the seafront at the Way of the Roses start / end sign for the obligatory photo, before setting off for the east coast.

Although called the Way of the Roses, only 19 miles (30km) of the 175-mile (280km) route is in the red rose county of Lancashire, before it heads into white rose Yorkshire. We skirt the top of the Forest of Bowland, perhaps making a quick side trip to see the Great Stone of Fourstones, before stopping for a pub lunch in Clapham or Settle.

Any coast-to-coast route is going to involve some hills.  The good news is that the Way of the Roses is much kinder than many routes.  However, the climb out of Settle is crazy steep . . . and cobbled.  But it’s also pretty short; the main action is over in half a mile, after which you can take in the views of the Yorkshire Dales.

We head further east through the Dales before finishing up in Grassington, where we spend the night. 

The cycle will be challenging: 84km (52 miles) with 1,200 (3,609ft) of elevation.  You'll need to be a confident road cyclist, as a lot of the distance is on-road (albeit mostly relatively quiet country roads).  The proposed route can be viewed and the GPX downloaded from Cycle.travel here.  

** You will need to carry all your kit and book your own accommodation, to suit your own tastes and budget, with a variety of options to choose from in and around Grassington.  Skip plans to stay at the Old Hall Inn in Threshfield (1.5km outside Grassington). **

Please check that your bike is roadworthy before the ride, as you will be responsible for dealing with your own mechanical issues, should any arise.

If you have any questions about the event or the route please contact Skip.

IMPORTANT! - Participation Statement

You MUST complete the Cycling Participation Statement in addition to booking your event space before attending a cycling event. You only need to complete this Participation Statement once, not for each cycling event you attend. 

Image Credits: Image 1, 4, 5 and 6: Pixabay Public Domain; Image 2: First Way of the Roses Waymarker © Antiquary and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence; Image 3: provided by ODL member and permission for its use and reuse is granted to ODL.