Destination Guide
Cycling in Yorkshire Dales
Cycling the Yorkshire Dales: Tour de France-tested climbs, quiet moorland roads, and stone villages. Britain's most dramatic riding.
The Yorkshire Dales became a cycling heartland when the Tour de France Grand Départ thundered through in 2014, showcasing some of Britain's most dramatic climbing to the world. This is where you'll find the highest paved roads in Yorkshire, brutal gradients that rival Alpine passes, and mile after mile of quiet tarmac threading through limestone valleys. From the iconic Buttertubs Pass to the savage ramps of Park Rash, cycling in the Yorkshire Dales offers challenges that test even seasoned riders—with traditional stone-built villages and welcoming cafés as your reward.
Last updated: 16 Mar 2026
- Terrain
- Road, Climbing
- Difficulty
- Moderate — Expert
- Road Quality
- Good
- Cycling Culture
- Strong
- Traffic
- Low
Best Time to Cycle in Yorkshire Dales
May-September cycling season. July-August most reliable. Winter passes close due to snow and ice.
Temperature: -2°C (winter) to 22°C (summer)
Best Cycling Climbs in Yorkshire Dales
Buttertubs Pass
5.6km · 280m · 5.6% · CAT2
The jewel in the Dales cycling crown. Featured in the 2014 Tour de France Grand Depart.
Fleet Moss
8.5km · 405m · 4.8% · CAT2
The highest paved road in Yorkshire at 589m. A relentless grind across barren moorland.
Kidstones Pass
4.3km · 310m · 7.2% · CAT3
Where the Dales shows its teeth. Extended 12-14% stretches and a brutal final 500m at 17%.
Park Rash
1.8km · 227m · 12.6% · CAT3
A 1.8km monster averaging 12.6% with ramps hitting 25%. Among the steepest paved roads in Britain.
Tan Hill
6.8km · 333m · 4.9% · CAT3
Climb from Keld to Britain's highest pub at 528m. Remote moorland and vast horizons.
Food & Culture in Yorkshire Dales
The Yorkshire Dales feed their cyclists with a directness that matches the landscape. Tea rooms, farmhouse cafés, and traditional stone pubs form the food infrastructure of the riding here, and the culture of the mid-ride stop — with a proper mug of tea, a round of toasted teacake, and ideally a slice of Wensleydale — is as much a part of the experience as the climbs themselves. The Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes, sitting in the valley below Buttertubs Pass, produces the crumbly, slightly sweet cheese that has been made in the dale since Cistercian monks introduced the recipe in the 12th century. A visit here after a long day in the saddle is a recognised cycling tradition.
Insider Tips
Compact chainset (50/34) with 11-32 or 11-34 cassette minimum for climbs like Park Rash.
The Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes is a mandatory post-ride stop.
During lambing season (March-May) be especially cautious around sheep.
Download offline maps — phone signal is patchy on high passes.
Base yourself in Hawes for a multi-day trip.
How to Get to Yorkshire Dales for Cycling
Getting around: Car Optional
Compact road network — everything rideable from a single base. Skipton and Settle have rail connections.
Best Cyclist-Friendly Hotels in Yorkshire Dales
The Crown Hotel Hawes
Hotel · Mid Range · Bike storage
The definitive cyclists' pub-hotel in Hawes, at the centre of the Dales road network with direct access to Buttertubs Pass, Fleet Moss, and Tan Hill. Bike storage is available in a secure outbuilding, and the kitchen opens early enough for a cooked breakfast before a long day on the fells.
Simonstone Hall Hotel
Hotel · Premium · Bike storage
A country house hotel near Hawes with private bike storage, an excellent restaurant for evening carbohydrate loading, and the quiet luxury of Dales countryside with Buttertubs Pass practically visible from the upper rooms. One of the finest cyclist bases in northern England.
Rookhurst Country House B&B
Hostel · Mid Range · Bike storage
A highly regarded B&B near Hawes with a bike storage shed, substantial cooked breakfasts, and owners who are active cyclists and can suggest current road conditions on the high passes. Books quickly for summer cycling weekends — reserve in advance.
YHA Hawes
Hostel · Budget · Bike storage
The Youth Hostel Association hostel in Hawes offers secure bike storage, drying facilities for kit, and an excellent communal atmosphere among cyclists tackling the Dales roads. The self-catering kitchen allows flexible meal timing and sports nutrition preparation.
The Falcon Inn Arncliffe
Hostel · Mid Range · Bike storage
A remote, walker-and-cyclist friendly pub with rooms in the quiet Littondale valley, offering secure bike storage in an outbuilding and genuine Dales hospitality. The surrounding lanes — Park Rash and Kidstones are within reach — see almost no traffic even in peak season.