NCN 71 - Lakes to the North York Moors

148.5 km 1939 m climbing About 2 days 5% off road Road cycling Lake District & Cumbria

The route runs south-east from Penrith, dropping almost immediately to Eamont Bridge before climbing steadily through Clifton, Hackthorpe and Morland toward the Eden Valley.

Past Appleby-in-Westmorland the ground rises through Great Asby toward Waitby and Kirkby Stephen, then commits to a long crossing of the North Pennines that sees you through Langthwaite and Reeth before the gradient relents into Wensleydale. From Bedale south through Northallerton to Kirby Knowle the road is flat and largely undemanding, and the surface is sealed for the great majority of the distance.

The figures

Distance	148.5 km
Climbing	1939 m
Off road	7 km, about 5% of the route
Riding time	about 8 hours, roughly 2 days at a moderate pace
Region	Lake District & Cumbria
Route from	Sustrans

Worth knowing before you go

The section between Kirkby Stephen and Reeth is the remotest on the route; resupply between Oxenthwaite and Langthwaite is not available on the line. Appleby-in-Westmorland is the last sizeable settlement before a long open stretch, so it is the place to stock up. Bedale and Northallerton are the main resupply points in the second half.

Put your own dates on this and TourTrax splits it into days at your pace, finds somewhere to sleep at the end of each one, estimates what it will cost and gets you to the start without flying.

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Other route guides

NCN 71 - Lakes to the North York Moors is an official route from Sustrans (their website).