Intermediate and Long Social Rides

Details of future rides can be found in two places.

Click here (new window) for the Rides Calendar showing all rides including Easy Rides

Click here (new window) for just the Intermediate and Long Rides in a spreadsheet form

We also send out a reminder email midweek before the Sunday ride with the details and usually a link to the route.  If you would like to receive the email or have any other queries about the social rides please email longrides@leedscyclingcampaign.co.uk   The rides are also advertised on our Facebook page.

We are always glad for people to try us out and you will be welcome if you just turn up at the start point and introduce yourself.  You are only required to join LCC as a member when you have been on two rides.

 

Intermediate Rides

These rides are on the third Sunday of the month and are between 30 and 40 miles long, but still slower and gentler and with less hills than the Long Rides.  There is always a café stop around the middle of the ride.

 

Long Rides

These rides are on every Sunday except the third Sunday of the month, generally between 40 and 80 miles with the longer rides in summer. They are all-day rides and usually include an elevenses and a lunch café stop.  In winter we aim to get back before dark although that is not always possible. 

These rides are not for beginners as you have to have a certain level of fitness but we are definitely not racers and we never leave anybody behind having a system of back stops to bring up the rear.  If you have done the Intermediate Rides OK then you would soon get acclimatised to the Long Rides.  Generally rides in an easterly direction are flattish and rides in a westerly direction are hilly.  How hilly the ride is should be flagged up in the details each week. Of course the best views are out west in the Pennines and Dales where it is hilly.

Start times:  In winter we start at 9.30 am to avoid the early morning ice. In spring and autumn it is 9 am and in summer it is 8.30 am so we can go further. 

Start points:  To give members from all parts of the city a chance of a start near where they live we vary each week’s start point between Moortown, Oakwood, City Square and Pudsey. The start point then determines the direction that the ride is going so we are soon out into the countryside.

Suitable bikes:  Most bikes are suitable but a full suspension mountain bike will be hard work as nearly all our riding is on tarmac.  However sometimes we do venture down muddy Sustrans tracks.

 

 

Intermediate Ride to Wetherby

Out via Eccup Reservoir, down to Harewood Bridge, then Kirby Overblow, Follifoot, and Spofforth where we take the Wetherby Railway Track into Wetherby. Choice of cafes in Wetherby. 

Then continuing on the railway track towards the Thorpe Arch Trading Estate and returning via Thorpe Arch, Boston Spa, Bramham, Scarcroft and Slaid Hill.

The track has a generally good firm surface.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27961816?privacy_code=WDfZUrfT3rPeSXhs

Long Ride to Oxenhope and Ilkley

START POINT is The Old Ball roundabout in HORSFORHT

Fairly hilly. Cafe stop in Queensbury (15 miles) then another 10 miles to see the Tour de Yorkshire racing downhill (no other spectators?) into Oxenhope for about 1 o'clock. Some rough stuff going over Ilkley Moor to 'Outside the Box' cafe in Ilkley (36 miles). Return trying to avoid the T de Y coming back into Leeds.

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