Cycling - Visit Norfolk

Pedalling through narrow country lanes and woodland cycle routes with the breeze in your hair and sun on your face. Or cycling along pretty coastal paths past fields of poppies and golden barley and with the distant sea sparkling on the horizon.

Cycling in Norfolk gives you the freedom to explore.

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Cycling routes

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The Sustrans National Cycle Network passes through Norfolk and is designed to make cycling fun, safe and simple as you cover huge stretches of the UK.

One third of the Network is completely free from motor traffic, using old railway paths, forest tracks, country parks and bridleways, and the rest uses quiet minor roads and traffic-calmed streets in towns and cities.

The quieter paths, including the Marriott's Way, are a great place for children and new cyclists to practice their cycling skills and many are just the right length for a day ride.

What is more, East of England Tourism have developed a full range of cycling routes ranging each with a leaflet to help make things easy for you. Check out the five Cycling Discovery Maps for Norfolk (routes 13 to 17).

Norfolk by bike and train

Trains and bikes seem a good combination in Norfolk. The Bittern Line railway is some 30 miles long, connecting the city of Norwich with the north Norfolk coastal towns of Cromer and Sheringham, via the Norfolk Broads. This is one of the most picturesque lines in the country and you can follow nine cycle rides from the Bittern Line stations. If you are in luck, you will be able to travel on one of the steam trains to get a real feeling of Norfolk nostalgia. Most trains in the county accept bikes but it is best to reserve a space in advance!

Cycle beside the Bure Valley railway on a 9-mile route between Aylsham and Wroxham and then ride back on the train. Or try Huff and Puff which combines an easy five miles of cycling (mostly traffic-free) with a trip on the North Norfolk Railway from Sheringham
to Holt - starting and finishing at Kelling Heath.

Other cycle trails

If you’re less interested in trains, and want to experience some pure cycling, follow the ancient Peddars Way from the heather-carpeted heaths of the Brecks to the wild north Norfolk coast. If you’re feeling energetic you can try the Norfolk Coast Cycleway adventure which covers 59 miles from King’s Lynn to Cromer. With much of the route passing through an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty it has dramatic views, beautiful countryside and outstanding wildlife. Thanks to the gentle gradients of the area the cycleway is perfect for cyclists of all ages and abilities. It follows quiet lanes just inland from the coast and around every corner you will see yet more breathtaking scenery. You can buy the Cycleway map from TICs or Sustrans online.

Or try the Weaver’s Trail, a 13 mile route from Aylsham to Stalham which links with the Marriott's Way for a challenging 60 mile trip.

If you fancy a shorter route, try the Broads by Bike Trails that take you through picturesque countryside in the Broads National Park. Or follow circular routes around peaceful south Norfolk villages or through the deserted landscape of the Brecks or the expansive Fens with their magnificent skies.

Many of the tracks and trails are in the heart of Norfolk - Broadland - and take you through a wide range of habitats including woodland, parkland, marshland, broads and heaths. Why not download the Walking & Cycling in Broadland leaflet and discover more? Or try one of three Off The Beaten Track routes?

If you're in the South Norfolk area, then why not download maps of nine 'Bike It!' cycle routes in the district, plus a South Norfolk tour map? Pubs, shops, cycle-friendly B&Bs and interesting features are all marked on the maps – download a set today and plan your next day out in South Norfolk!

Or how about some off-road cycling through Thetford Forest? In the heart of the largest lowland pine forest in the UK at Thetford, you will find miles of trails especially for cyclists. You can hire a mountain bike from BikeArt at the High Lodge Forest Centre and join one of the organised rides, or take your own bike and explore the forest at your leisure. Family trails vary in length between two and six miles and there is also a black route which is only for the more experienced and energetic mountain biker.

Cycle hire

We’ve got plenty of places where you can hire bikes and tandems - take a look at some of the Suggested Links on the right. Some will even deliver them to your cottage or B&B and many of our accommodation providers are happy to drop you off at the start of your route and then pick you up later.

Or how about a pre-packaged cycling holiday in Norfolk with everything arranged for you (see UK Cycle Holidays or Cycle Breaks)? Your accommodation will be booked, your bikes hired, your luggage transported to your next night’s accommodation and your personal itinerary worked out. There’s even breakdown assistance if you need it!

There’s no better way to discover the secrets of the Norfolk countryside.

Click here to search for cycle hire in Norfolk.

Urban cycling

You don't just have to be staying in the glorious Norfolk countryside to enjoying getting out on your bike - get pedalling to explore Norfolk's towns and Norwich too!

The National Cycle Network Route number 1 (Hull - Fakenham, Fakenham - Harwich) passes through King's Lynn, Fakenham and Norwich, with regional branches going through Downham Market (Route 11).

There's also a Norwich Green Map, to help you explore and get around the city on foot, by bike or by public transport. Pick up the Map from TICs, libraries or information points, or download via our Brochure page.

A secure cycle storage facility for bicycles and cyclist’s belongings especially suitable for touring cyclists is available at the Norwich City Council run St Andrews car park, (entrance from Duke Street; Norwich city centre close to Sustrans Route 1), ask at the car park office and staff will be on hand to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Toilets are also available at this car park.

If you're staying in King's Lynn, why not explore the area on bike too? Try part of the National Cycle Network route or download the King's Lynn Cycling Map (part 1; part 2) to get around and visit the town's stunning heritage.

Norfolk's route for the Tour of Britain cycle race

One hundred and seventeen miles of Norfolk's roads will be the route for the county's largest ever live sporting spectacle, as the Tour of Britain cycle race heads across Norfolk on Thursday September 16.

The Tour of Britain is the UK's biggest professional bicycle race and a centrepiece of the British sporting calendar - with live television coverage in the UK, live Internet coverage, and further television broadcast in more than 100 countries. The Tour is also the biggest free to spectate sporting event in the UK - attracting around a million spectators to the roadside.

The race will begin from Tuesday Market Place in King's Lynn on Thursday morning, taking in Hunstanton, Burnham Market, Holkham Hall, Wells-next-the-Sea, Sheringham, Holt, Aylsham, Norwich and Wroxham, before ending mid-afternoon on South Beach Parade in Great Yarmouth.

Find out the Tour of Britain Norfolk route

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