Way of the Roses - Day 3

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 - 85km (53 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 today starts in the historic city of York and we head out of town along the traffic-free Foss Island path.  

The easy riding continues through the flatlands of the East Riding of Yorkshire, passing Stamford Bridge – site of the other important battle in 1066. A section of the route involves a short stretch along an unsurfaced bridleway, but it’s easily rideable and avoids the busy A-road running parallel.

Next stop will be Pocklington, a small market town and perhaps a good place to stop for a cream tea. Pocklington marks the beginning of the Yorkshire Wolds, a superb yet relatively quiet cycling area. The next ten miles of riding are among the best on the whole route, tiny lanes nestling in narrow dales. 

We'll stop for a pub lunch in the Wolds - probably in Millington or Huggate - before we head on through Driffield to our destination in Bridlington on the North Sea coast. 

For those with time, or staying the night in Bridlington, a short (7km) ride will take us further along the coast to Flamborough Head lighthouses, via Sewerby Hall.

The cycle will be slightly less challenging than the first two days: 94km (58 miles) with 470m (1541ft) of elevation, but you'll still need to be a confident road cyclist, as the whole distance is on-road (albeit mostly relatively quiet country roads).  For those who do not need to rush off, we will cycle on to Flamborough Head, which is another 8km. The proposed route can be viewed and the GPX downloaded from Cycle.travel here (or here including Flamborough Head).

** If you're not planning to head straight home when we finish for the day, you will need to book your own accommodation, to suit your own tastes and budget, with a variety of options to choose from in Bridlington. **

Please check that your bike is roadworthy before the ride, as you will be responsible for dealing with your own mechanical issues, should they 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: Public Domain; Image 2-4: Pixabay Public Domain; Image 5: Bridlington Sea Front © Nicholas Hutton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.