Bike rides from caravan sites.

[ericmark]

Want to ride from the caravan site rather than have to transport bikes to a venue to start the ride, wife has an electric hybrid, I have a poor quality mountain bike, and a road bike which tyres are not too narrow, however found the canal tow paths with gravel surface hard going.

So last year went to Forest of Dean, the mountain bike I took from the camping and caravan club camp site to Symons Yat and down to old railway, but too steep to return wife collected me from Monmouth, we did a ride together Monmouth to Symons Yat and back but not up the hill, but that means transporting bikes on car to start point.

There are some good runs we have done, Shotton onto the Wirral and back when we lived in Shotton, and Mawddach estuary run was very good parking at Penmaenpool riding to Barmouth and back. We are leisure riders and old railway lines, and canal tow paths are ideal being reasonably flat. Hills are a problem for me, wife's electric bike is far better than mine at hills so we end up not riding together, which defeats the idea. Reasonably flat and I can match her speed at 16 MPH she gets no assistance.

Not against road riding for short links between off road sections, but want mainly off road and flat. Ideas please. Caravan and camping club members so those sites work out cheaper for us.

 

[cyberknight]

I have a question
if people have caravans why dont they transport bikes in them rather than using a rack ?
Surely they can secure them to something solid enough inside the caravan so they dont move or is their some regulations against it ?

 

[ericmark]

Getting a bike around the corner with door in side not so easy, and they can break loose causing damage, I have carried a Honda 90 in a caravan with the wheel off, well reason was wheel failed, so yes will fit, but unless reversing I find the rack on the car far easier than stripping the bike down to get in caravan, also there is the weight, car has weight limit, and tow ball has weight limit, and caravan weight limit, so depends what is already carried, bedding etc.

I am considering a folding electric bike with the idea it can go in car boot, or caravan, or even camping trailer, on a bus, and maybe the train, not sure if I would be charged on the train with a folding bike, it's £3.50 with standard bike, and not easy carrying up the three steps into the carriage. Wonder if they could fit bike rack at back of train? heritage carriages so may be not.

Some motor caravans have special boxes for motor bikes, some caravans have a rear panel strong enough to take a bike rack, found A frame bike racks very expensive, and be it on back of caravan, front of caravan, or in the caravan unless you can ride from the site, you still need a rack for the car.

So this is one of the main reasons for asking about caravan sites where you can ride from the site, with disc brakes the wheel comes off easy, so can get bike in caravan, but unless can ride from the caravan site, still need a bike rack for the car.

 

[G3CWI]

Delamere Forest
Sherwood Pines

 

[OldShep]

I have a question
if people have caravans why dont they transport bikes in them rather than using a rack ?
Surely they can secure them to something solid enough inside the caravan so they dont move or is their some regulations against it ?

I usually carry my bike within the caravan. I can’t use a tow bar rack as it would increase the noseweight and I struggle with that anyway. I wouldn’t use a rack on the back of the van as it will be weight high up and at the back. Also unless they are built in by the manufacturer I think they’ll pull it apart eventually. I can put it in the car but it’s a faff and usually bends a mudguard.
I stand the back wheel in a L shaped wheel stand, remove the front wheel and clamp forks to a piece of old kitchen worktop to stop it moving about.
Southport is a good site for flat rides ( I struggle to find a hill there) but that’s CC. C&CC sometimes have rallies in the park though.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

When we had a van I always put the bikes inside, several when the kids were young. As to site, the Camel trail in Cornwall is easy to ride try to find a site along it's length. Clumber Park in Worksop has thousands of acres to explore & you can ride offroad to Sherwood Pines

 

[Tigerbiten]

I know two sites which will let onto a canal path without going onto a road.
Gullivers Milton Keynes Camping and Caravan Club site will let you onto the canal path south along the Grand Union Canal towards Leighton Buzzard.
Devizes Camping and Caravan Club site, will let onto the canal path west along the Kennet and Avon canal towards Bristol/Bath.

 

[cyberknight]

I usually carry my bike within the caravan. I can’t use a tow bar rack as it would increase the noseweight and I struggle with that anyway. I wouldn’t use a rack on the back of the van as it will be weight high up and at the back. Also unless they are built in by the manufacturer I think they’ll pull it apart eventually. I can put it in the car but it’s a faff and usually bends a mudguard.
I stand the back wheel in a L shaped wheel stand, remove the front wheel and clamp forks to a piece of old kitchen worktop to stop it moving about.
Southport is a good site for flat rides ( I struggle to find a hill there) but that’s CC. C&CC sometimes have rallies in the park though.

sweet . i am only going by what i see when going on trips where you see a caravan then the bikes on a roof/ boot rack too which i think is odd

 

[rivers]

We stayed at Dingwall Camping and Caravanning site over the summer and cycled from there to Inverness and then cycled along the Calendonian Canal. The route from Dingwall to Inverness is mostly on shared path/back roads. Alternatively, you can take the train to Inverness and cycle the canal from there.

 

[BoldonLad]

Sounds like you enjoy similar cycling to us, ie, traffic free if possible, reasonably flat!
In UK, we have used:
Malvern Hills CAMC Site (N52.09674, W2.27805), Video
Naburn Lock Campsite, near York, Video
York Rowntree Park, York,
Dunstanhill Camping and Caravan Club Site, (Northumberland)
Sunnydale Campsite, Netley Abbey (N50 53'8" W1 20'30"), (Hampshire) Video
Bridlington CAMC Site,
Ferry Meadows CAMC Site, (Peterborough) Video
Hertford Camping and Caravan Club Site.
Maryport Marina (Cumbria) Video

If you are interested in cycling friendly sites in mainland Europe, a few ideas here, if you can make the time to dig through it! https://kenandkathleen.blogspot.com

 

[Blue Hills]

When we had a van I always put the bikes inside, several when the kids were young. As to site, the Camel trail in Cornwall is easy to ride try to find a site along it's length. Clumber Park in Worksop has thousands of acres to explore & you can ride offroad to Sherwood Pines

Be careful about bike thefts of course. My parents were keen motorhomers, went to clumber park often, one night two bikes were nicked from the back of a van. I think they were secured in some way. Situation may have improvee but I think there was a spate of such incidents.

 

[jongooligan]

Delamere Forest

This. We stayed there earlier this year and Mrs. jg managed to wear herself out without going anywhere near a road.