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THE YORKSHIRE RIDE PAGES - ROUTE

Home - Route - Planning - Leaflet

Great news! There will be a ride in the City of York in 2006 on Friday the 9th of June (assemble at 6pm, set off at 6.30pm).

This page has is the route information - please read the Home page for full ride details. Also read the ride preparation page for practical advice.

The York ride will start with an assembly in the parking lot just left of the War Memorial Gardens at 6pm and ends at the Museum Gardens (in which cycling is not permitted, so the riders will walk the bikes at the very end).

GENERAL INFO ABOUT THE YORK ROUTE:

This route was proposed by an alumnus from York University. On Sunday the 7th of May, this route was tested with a rehearsal ride. The route has been slightly modified as a result of this rehearsal ride. York seemed a logical place to hold the ride as there are good public transport links and the cycling is excellent. The ride is registered as a Bike Week 2006 event and has permission from the York police - who are providing 5 cycle-mounted officers to accompany the ride. A paramedic from York's cycle-mounted paramedic service will also accompany the ride.

Bike Week 2006

ADVANTAGES OF THE ROUTE: The proposed York ride is mostly straightforward with minimal car traffic. It starts close to the Rail and Bus stations, and there is a Park and Ride parking a short cycle distance from the start of the route. The route passes various distinct features of York, including the City Art Gallery, Bootham Bar, the York Minster, historic bridges, pedestrianised medieval streets, the Ouse River bankside, Cliffords Tower, the Millenium cycle bridge, National Cycle route 65 and the beautful riverside Museum Gardens. This event is expected to be a registered event for Bike Week 2006.

ROUTE MAP: The following map shows most of the route. It is followed by the complete written directions for the route. Because we have changed the route slightly (following suggestions of the York Police), this map is incorrect in three places.

1- The assembly point will be in the parking lot just left of the Memorial Gardens.
2- The ride will go straight at the end of Museum Street (no left turn into St. Leonard's) proceeding into Duncombe Place, and turning right into High Petergate.
3- The ride will turn right from Parliament St into Coppergate (not right into High Ousegate which is just before Coppergate).

 

ABOUT THE ROUTE: This is an easy ride with a few light hills and fairly minimal car traffic. The ride could take 40-60 minutes at a very leisurely pace (it's important to keep an eye out for pedestrians because there are many on a Friday Night). Because the ride is in the evening, all the pedestrianised bits of central York are opened to both motor and cycle traffic except Stonegate (which is not on the route).

MEET AT THE ASSEMBLY POINT: Assemble by 6pm in the parking lot to the left of Memorial Gardens (which is near Leeman Road). Bring your own costumes/ bodypaint/ etc. If you are worried about having people recognise you, wear sunglasses/ bodypaint etc. See the UK creativity page for suggestions. Please put a sign on your bike/body to indicate some of the reasons why you are riding. This will save you having to call out to pedestrians to explain the purpose of the ride. The ride will depart at 6.30pm sharp, so be prompt. This should allow riders to get to the Train Station before 8pm on a Friday night, since the ride will take about an hour at most.

ROUTE DIRECTIONS: (this street map has more readable street names than route map above)

  1. Leave the parking lot to the left of Memorial Gardens and turn left into Leeman Road
  2. Take Leeman Road and bear left into Station Road
  3. Station Road crosses the river on Lendal Bridge
  4. This soon becomes Museum Street (map is incorrect - do not turn left at St Leonards St)
  5. This soon becomes Duncombe Place
  6. This reaches a T junction where the ride turns right into High Petergate (opposite the York Minster cathedral)
  7. The street soon becomes Lower Petergate (one way)
  8. When you reach King's Square, turn right into Church Street
  9. At St Samson's Square, turn left into Parliament Street (one way) (map is incorrect - do not turn right into into High Ousegate = this is because it is not legal to turn left from High Ousegate into Nessgate)
  10. Turn right at the end of Parliament Street, into Coppergate
  11. Turn left onto Nessgate
  12. This street becomes Clifford Street
  13. Which eventually becomes Tower Street
  14. Turn left for a visit to Clifford's Tower, Castle Museum, and the County Court
  15. After passing these, exit by crossing Tower Street and going toward the river
  16. Before you reach the river, there is a traffic free cycle path
  17. Turn left onto this cycle path (heading away from York centre)
  18. This car-free route along the river goes past St George's field
  19. Be careful as pedestrians join the path at Blue Bridge
  20. After Blue Bridge which this path becomes New Walk
  21. Turn right to cross Millenium Bridge
  22. Then turn right again onto Terry Avenue (heading back toward the City centre)
  23. From this point on the Route Map (see above) the route is drawn in blue
  24. You are on the national cycle route number 65
  25. Terry Avenue eventually crosses under the Skeldergate Bridge
  26. After passing under the bridge Terry Avenue becomes Skeldergate
  27. It is relatively quiet until you reach the junction with Bridge Street/Micklegate
  28. Carefully turn right onto Bridge Street which crosses the river and becomes Low Ousegate
  29. Turn left into Spurriergate
  30. This becomes Coney Street (one way) and then Lendal
  31. Cross Museum Street, dismount the bikes and continue by foot into Museum Gardens
  32. At the fork in the path bear left and walk your bike to the river front
  33. The ride finishes at the riverfront in Museum Gardens

 

York - Cycle Information
http://www.york.gov.uk/cycling

City Centre - Bike Map
http://www.york.gov.uk/visiting/citycentre.html

Greater York - Bike Map
http://www.york.gov.uk/cycling/citycentrecycleroutemap.pdf

Key to the preceeding map pages
http://www.york.gov.uk/cycling/mapkey.pdf

Information about the city of York pedestrianised area (cycles/cars are only allowed to travel during off-peak times)
http://www.york.gov.uk/visiting/citycentre.html

York Cycle Campaign
http://www.yorkcyclecampaign.org.uk