Cycling and outdoor activities are the best ways to explore the New Forest. For cyclists, the New Forest is well catered for with over 100 miles of designated cycles routes throughout the national park’s 220 square miles.
Keep an eye out for cycling events throughout the year. One of the most popular on the summer calendar is hosted by ‘Bike Events’, the UK’s biggest organiser of fundraising and recreational cycle rides, who have a New Forest event on Sunday 18th June. You can choose to enter the ride for fun, get fit or raise money for charity. Take a look at the Bike Events website for more details.
Bike Events have designed four routes with gorgeous views over sprawling heathlands and dabbled woods, past rivers, ponds and chocolate box thatched cottages in historic villages and tiny hamlets. You’ll be cycling amongst the area’s wildlife of 9000 free roaming Forest ponies, cattle, donkeys and the odd pig foraging for treats. June in the New Forest is when the newly born foals are at play, bird numbers swell, dragonflies emerge and pinky purple carpets of heather mingle with vibrant gorse flowers, creating a colourful landscape.
Quiet roads and gentle climbs make the shortest route of 15 miles great for families with children age 7 and up and those who aren’t used to long distances. The three other routes are 30 miles, 45 miles and 60 miles long, with varying degrees of elevation up to 2340ft. Rides start between 8am -10am with the family route starting between 9.30am – 10.15am.
If you’re coming to the New Forest, why not stay and make a short break of it? You can arrive by train and many of the cottages have secure bike storage and cycle routes from the front door.
Book your trip now and find your perfect cottage with bike storage close to train stations:
Homelands, Brockenhurst
Heywoods Rest, Brockenhurst
Alva, Brockenhurst
The Cottage at Boscobel, Brockenhurst
4 Forest Edge Close, Sway
Apple Court House, Hordle
Quay Corner, Christchurch
Pink Cottage, Lymington
Seagull Cottage, Lymington
2 Kings Huts, Pennington
5 Newham Road, Lymington
7 Admirals Court, Lymington
Alexandra, Lymington
Normandy Garth, Lymington
The Sprout House, Pilley