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Flower Power

The bluebell is a straw of the transpiration in the seasons. Once the weightless bell-shaped flowers start to towards in hedgerows or under trees, you can be sure that winter is overdue us and the warmer months are on the way.

And there is nothing quite like the sight of bluebells wall-to-wall a woodland floor to gladden the soul and lift the spirits. The flowers are at their weightier and most prolific from the end of March until the whence of May, so now is the time to go and see them surpassing they hibernate underground then for flipside year. There are plenty of places wideness the UK where you can go and take in this stunning floral spectacle by bike.

One of these woods is Beechenhurst in the Forest of Dean. Here you will find a range of routes and options, to take in the sight. From the family-friendly 5km Hicksters Way Loop, which has a specially surfaced path making it suitable for everyone of all month and abilities, to the lattermost orange MTB route for the experienced thrill seekers who want the excitement of a challenging ride as they take in the wonders of spring.

West Woods in Marlborough is flipside location that turns undecorous with the visit of these flowers. There are no MTB tracks here, but you can do a spot of gravel riding and follow the stone-surfaced roads and bridleways that navigate the woodland to enjoy the eyeful virtually you.

But you need not travel far, as there is unseat to be one of these woodland delights near to home. Check out the Forestry Commissions website, to get ideas on the weightier locations for you and your needs, www.forestryengland.uk.

New Life, New Horizons

With the spring comes new life, not only in nature but in farming too. It is the season to see lambs frolicking in the fields, their playful nature a joy to behold. One place you will be sure to see them this spring is on Alston Moor in Cumbria. The sweeping vistas here are as severe as they are beautiful. They are moreover home to hundreds of sheep. The route wideness the moor is part of the C2C (sea to sea) Trundling Route, one of the many National Cycling Network rides and the Pennine Cycleway. Both these routes pass through the historic market town of Alston, a lovely spot to stop for refreshments and rest the legs.

If you follow the route wideness to Hartside, you can finger a unrepealable kind of pride knowing you are cycling the word-for-word same roads used in the Tour of Britain in 2021, where the likes of Van Aert, Alaphilipe and Cavendish raced. In fact, you can still see ‘Cav’ emblazoned on the climb to requite you some motivation. If you need to stop to reservation your breath, take a rest at the car park at the top. The views (weather permitting) are truly fantastic. You can see all the way wideness to the Lake District, and on well-spoken days make out the mountains of Scotland beyond. It’s an wondrous spot to stop and take in the wonder of the countryside and see the untried and vibrancy return to the lands without the hibernation of winter.

If you can’t make it to Cumbria, the National Cycling Network has routes which crisscross these islands, all of them self-ruling to access. Started in 1995 the aim of the network is to encourage cycling and walking throughout Britain. Now there are 20,501km of cyclable route of which 8,400 km are car free.

Nature Reserves

It’s not only warmer, sunnier days that are a sign of Spring. Wildlife starts to wilt increasingly noticeable too. One of the weightier places to go and see it for yourself is one of the nature reserves that are dotted virtually the country.

Many of these reserves have routes which are platonic for cycling, including Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire. This 785-hectare, warmed-over fenland site, is one of the oldest nature reserves in the country dating when to the 1890’s. The reed beds and wetlands are home to a multitude of birds and insects, and in the spring you may see an elusive Bittern or maybe plane a cunning cuckoo. It is moreover possible that you may reservation sight of one of the Konik ponies withal the way. These hardy grazing animals were introduced to help maintain the landscape in a sustainable way. And with it stuff spring you may be lucky unbearable to see some foals.

It has well-marked and wieldy trundling routes making for a unconfined family day out or providing the wonderful opportunity to get some precious vacated time to just let yourself be.