Depending on how confident and fit a cyclist you are, there are a range of destinations that can be accessed by bike from Portholme.
The centre of Selby is just minutes away by bike, as is Selby train station, which has a large number of sheltered cycling parking bays available. While many of the roads in the surrounding area don’t have formal cycle infrastructure, most are low speed and residential in nature – making them a good place to start if you’re a little nervous about road cycling.
There are two routes on the National Cycle Network (NCN) that run through Selby, route 62 and 65. The NCN is a UK-wide network of signed paths and routes for walking, cycling, wheeling and exploring the outdoors.
Route 62 connects Fleetwood in Lancashire, with Selby. Locally the route runs in a broadly south direction, to destinations such as Temple Hirst, Carleton and slightly further afield, Doncaster. The route has large traffic free sections along Selby Canal, and meets with route 65 along the River Ouse.
Route 65 is a 136 mile route between the coastal town of Hornsea and Middlesbrough. It also forms part of the Trans Pennine Trail between Selby and Hornsea. Locally the route can be used to access Howden and eventually Hull to the east. To the north, the route connects to York along mainly traffic-free sections.
For more information on cycling locally visit our useful cycling guides and resources page.
Planning a Journey by Bike
If you are unfamiliar with the local area and looking to plan a route by bike, an online route planner can be a really useful tool to use. You can enter your journey start point and end point and the route planner will display a number of route options on a handy map. Alongside easy to follow directions it will tell you how far the journey is, how long it will take, and even how hilly it is.
Cycle Streets is a handy website that allows you to plan your journey. Simply enter your start and end points and away you go! You can also use Google Maps to plan your journey by bike, simply click the button below and select the bike icon.
Why cycle?
Cycling is rapidly growing in popularity, and through the CV19 pandemic had for many people become an essential travel option. Cycling has always, however, been a great way to travel around for those able to do so. It offers many personal benefits, such as improved health and cost savings. It also offers significant benefit to the environment and local community, helping to take cars off the road, reducing pollution and reducing congestion.
Cycling can also be a great commuter travel option. If you’re new to cycling or aren’t really sure where to starting with your cycle-commute then check out some of our handy guidance on buying a commuter bike, commuting by bike whatever the weather and the benefits of choosing to travel actively.