This summer the good lady wife and I took the opportunity, on a glorious sunny day, to ride from Scarborough to Whitby and back along Sustrans Route One, which incorporates locally the Cinder Trail. Route One runs from Dover to the Shetlands. I haven’t managed to find anyone yet who’s done the whole route, but from what I can gather parts of it are more aspirational than actual.
The section we rode mainly followed the old railway line between the two towns. The surface was mostly compacted cinder and was generally in good condition. Although as you would expect, there were no sharp gradients there were two noticeable climbs. The first a very gradual ascent of several miles out of Scarborough and the second a shorter one before descending to Whitby. On the return journey the ride back to Scarborough was exceptionally pleasant due to the long gradual descent. There were one or two places to get refreshments on the way and a must for anyone doing this route has got to be a short detour down to Robin Hoods Bay. I challenge you to ride back up the hill out.!
We had some of the best fish and chips I’ve ever had in my life at The Edge in Whitby. You’d be best to avoid the National Trust Visitor Centre at the top of the hill on the trail where I purchased one of the most expensive bottles of Coca Cola I’ve ever bought and where you can buy ice creams for double what you can in Whitby, just few miles further on.
Depending on which publication you read or which signs you take notice of, the route varies between 21 and 24 miles. I clocked the round trip at just over 50 miles. It’s worth noting that once you’re on the route you are committed to return the way you came, as the road option is much busier and hillier, there is no train alternative and the buses won’t take bikes, as a very tired couple we met on the way back confirmed.
