Cycling

The rural nature of Herefordshire makes it a great county to explore by bike and there are some great routes in Hereford as well as the wider county. Ideas for scenic bike rides in different parts of the county include:

Hereford area

Short routes

• Haywood Park and Grafton Loop (part I)
• Haywood Park and Grafton Loop (part II)
• Greenway Loop
• Breinton Loop
• Hereford Leisure Ride

Longer routes

•  Cider Circuits

Ledbury Area

• Three Rivers Leisure Route
• Ledbury Loop

Leominster area

• Berrington Hall and Croft Castle Cycle Route
• Black and White Village Route

Ross-on-Wye area

• Wye Valley Cycle Route

There are a number of cycling clubs in the county who welcome new riders and have many more cycle routes available

Sustrans Cycle Networks

We are working with national sustainable transport charity, Sustrans, to develop four National Cycle Network (NCN) routes crossing the county:

• NCN46 Newport (Gwent) and Neath - Abergavenny - Hereford - Worcester - Droitwich and its Skenfrith spur NCN426 (provides two access points for Monmouthshire's four castles route).
• NCN44 Shrewsbury - Hereford - Ross-on-Wye - Cinderford - Forest of Dean
• NCN423 Goodrich - Symonds Yat - Peregrine Path - Monmouth - Cwmbran
• NCN426 Kentchurch - Skenfrith
• NCN825 also crosses into the north west edge of the county skirting round Hergest Ridge, through Kington, and then back into Powys via Titley.

You can find more information on these and other routes on the Sustrans website. You can also order cycle route maps from the Sustrans shop website.

Cycle touring

In addition to the signed Sustrans routes, Herefordshire is ideal for cycle touring with plenty of scenic country lanes to explore. There are some tough climbs but the fantastic views at the top will make it worthwhile.

There is lots of cycle friendly accommodation available in the county, and many local campsites. Websites such as warmshowers.org are specifically set up for cycle tourers.

Travelling here

There are four railway stations in Herefordshire, with Hereford railway station being served by lines in three directions: Marches line connecting Newport to the south and Shrewsbury to the north and a line from the east (Worcester).

Always check before travelling if you need to reserve a space for your bike on the train beforehand as different rail companies have different policies.

Route planning

One of the most exciting elements of cycle touring is studying the maps and planning your route. If you like a bit of extra help with finding quiet roads and lanes, have a look at route planning websites and apps such as Komoot, Route You, and Bikemap, as well as many others.