A collection of places to go, trails to ride and places to eat and stay

Looking for a change of scenery on your ride? Then the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley has awe-inspiring routes for all abilities. Enjoy the view, take a break and sample some lush local food and drink, relax and unwind in a traditional country hotel, a yurt or shepherd’s hut or book a cottage with a hot tub.

Whether you're a family looking for an easy day out, an ebike leisure rider or a hardened MTB or road cyclist, the thrill of discovering the world on two wheels is tough to beat. Here in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley we welcome all cyclists to some of the most beautiful rides that the UK has to offer.

Download our Cyclists Welcome hotspots PDF here, our guide to the best rides, hires and places to eat and stay.

Jump to:

• Where to Ride
• Where to Stay
• Where to Hire
• Where to Refuel and Recharge
• Do Something Different

Where to Ride

Some do it for the quiet, the freedom, the leisurely pedal. Others do it for the thrills, the speed, the jumps and drops. Cycling is one of the most popular activities in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley and there are trails for all ages and abilities.

With access to the nine-mile circular Family Cycle Trail, blue and red graded cross-country trails including Verderers’ and Freeminers and a number of more advanced downhill trails, the Forest of Dean Cycle Centre has something for everyone. You can even brush up on your off-roading technique with its specially designed skills areas and pump track. This is the best spot to begin your cycling adventure and has a shop, cafe and bike hire.

From the world famous Symonds Yat Rock enjoy tracks such as the Bracelands Cycle Trails or drop down to the River Wye and enjoy the flat Peregrine Path between Monmouth and Symonds Yat East.

Try the Wye Valley Greenway, a five-mile off-road shared use path between Chepstow and Tintern opened in 2021. Part of the route is through a beautifully renovated old railway tunnel

The Newent Loop is a 28-mile on road cycling route on quiet roads and lanes through the Forest of Dean countryside. There are two short cut routes of 19 miles each. The routes are sign posted and can be ridden in either a clockwise or an anti-clockwise direction.

Go it alone or enjoy a guided bike ride through the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley with an expert-led tour. Pedalabikeaway, Dean Forest Cycles and WyeMTB offer a range of guided rides, ideal for exploring ‘some of the best mountain bike trails this side of the Alps’.

Find out more about the variety of cycling routes available here.

Where to Stay

From luxury hotels to cosy cottages, log cabins to B&Bs, our area welcomes cyclists of all kinds and our accommodation providers often go the extra mile to ensure your precious cycles are super safe for your stay. 

Broom Hill Retreat, located on a quiet lane in Longhope offers a unique stay in an old railway carriage, peace of mind with secure cycle storage and a relaxing hot tub to ease tired limbs.

Tintern Abbey Cottage overlooks the iconic Tintern Abbey and offers a secure cycle store in addition to a magnificent view.

Parish Mill Holidays offers a secure stable block for bike storage and a hosing down area. There’s a steel moonwalk sculpture in the garden which makes for great cycle selfies.

Forest Barn Holidays in Littledean is a private, rural, hamlet of five luxury holiday cottages with no passing traffic. Enjoy the tranquillity of a post cycle woodland walk or just relax in a hot tub or in front of a roaring fire.

Located between the rivers Wye and Severn, Resilient Woodlands Retreat offers two luxury glamping log cabins, hot tubs and panoramic views over the Severn estuary.

Hope Farm Retreats is a boutique glampsite set between the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean on 13 acres including an eco-flower farm, bike wash and log bike stand.

Set in two acres of woodland Belvedere House B&B has secure cycle storage and overlooks the River Wye from a fabulous elevated position in Lower Lydbrook.

Mill End is three fashionably converted properties including a large mediaeval country house. There’s a hot tub and sauna for soothing aching limbs after a bike ride.

Secluded Thatch Close Cottages near Ross-on-Wye offers views of the Garron Valley, secure bike storage and laundry facilities.

Greenacres is a family run campsite situated a short walk from Coleford, a short drive to Newland or Symonds Yat Rock with its cycle trails, views and peregrine falcons.

Click here for more cycle-friendly accommodation providers.

Where to Hire

From kids bikes to trailers, MTB and e-bikes take a look at our bike hire providers to start your cycling adventure.

Hire a mountain, gravel or ebike from Dean Forest Cycles in Parkend and work up an appetite on the trails before returning to the cafe for coffee, cake, ice cream and more.

With a range of hire bikes for all ages and abilities, including trailers and tagalongs for kids and dogs, Pedalabikeaway has access to the Family Cycle Trail and some of the best MTB trails. 

Based at Bells Hotel & Country Club in Coleford, Wye Bikes offers delivery and collection for a wide range of bikes for all ages and abilities, and included in your hire fee are helmets, tool kits and locks.

Symonds Yat Bike Hire is situated in a fantastic location for off-road cycling. There are a wide range of tracks including picturesque old railway paths, trails along the river and forestry tracks.

WyeMTB doesn’t hire, but it does do guided rides for friends or families in South Wales, the Forest of Dean and the Brecons, plus coaching, MTB qualifications and skills training.

Click here for more information on bike hire in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley.

Where to Refuel and Recharge

Thanks to our gloriously rural, rich, fertile valleys and orchards, we’re home to some of the best independent food and drink producers in the country. Cycled up an appetite? Let’s eat.

Beechenhurst Cafe is the perfect pit stop where you can enjoy access to the Family Cycle Trail. While you’re here, take some time out to visit the world famous Sculpture Trail.

The Red Hart Inn at Blaisdon is CAMRA Pub of the Year 2022, tucked away in cycle friendly lanes and offers pub grub and specials, plus a huge beer garden with places to secure bikes.

As well as its well-stocked cycle shop and hire centre, Pedalabikeaway Cafe welcomes muddy mountain bikers, excited families and groups of friends with or without soggy dogs. 

A short detour off the Family Cycle Trail is Mallards Pike Cafe, a glass-fronted lakeside cafe serving Forest of Dean-roasted coffee, homemade cakes and snacks using local produce.

A stone’s throw from Dean Forest Cycles is The Fountain Inn, the oldest surviving building in Parkend with a delicious home-cooked menu and real ales.

Even if you’re not an overnight guest, stop by the Speech House Hotel, a 17th Century former hunting lodge, where you can enjoy lunch or dinner in the Orangery or historic Verderers’ restaurant.

The restaurant at Tudor Farmhouse Hotel offers flavour-packed dishes sourced directly from local producers and the luxurious hotel's own gardens. Enjoy the warm, friendly service and check out a superb wine list. 

For all our great cycle-friendly places to eat and drink click here.

Do Something Different

There’s a wealth of experiences, activities and places to visit when you want a break from the saddle, here are some of our favourites.

Ride a Steam Train: Take a magical trip through the mediaeval forest to Parkend on the Dean Forest Railway. Pay once and ride all day to experience the sights, sounds and smells of steam travel. Stations are near real ale pubs, parks, shops, footpaths and cycle paths,

Freemining in the Forest: Hopewell Colliery Museum and Cafe is a working coal mine managed by a freeminer of the forest. Through a guided tour you will go deep underground to experience the mine workings, where you will see how coal - the power source of Britain for many centuries - is mined and understand the extreme conditions that miners have to work in.

Going Underground: The caverns of Clearwell Caves are a chronicle of thousands of years of iron ore and ochre pigment mining where you discover the hidden world among natural caverns. Open to all ages, all you need to explore the nine caverns are a pair of sensible shoes and a sense of wonder.

Experience Living History: The Dean Heritage Centre chronicles the Forest’s history from the Ice Age to the present day set in an interactive five acre site. Visit the museum and gallery, explore the Gruffalo woodland trail, see inside a reconstructed Forester's cottage, visit a charcoal burner's camp, see a working water wheel, millpond and stream. Kids will enjoy the woodland playground, cafe and gift shop.

Learn to Cook the Basics or a Banquet: Harts Barn Cookery School is all about cooking for all ages and skill levels through regular cookery and baking classes, workshops, supper clubs and events. Learn practical skills and knowledge that are accessible, practical, affordable, give confidence and are lots of fun. Check the website for pop up restaurants, a Hire-A-Chef service, chef demos and outdoor cooking experiences.

Magical Woods: There are bike racks for day visitors and secure storage for cottage guests at the enchanted world of Puzzlewood. From aliens to ancient Scowles and wizards to wildlife its atmospheric ancient woodland is a natural stage that’s more than a home to history and nature, it’s an inspiration for authors and storytellers, where Stormtroopers and Time Lords have rubbed shoulders with dragons and unicorns. 

See our Things to Do page for more activities and experiences in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley.

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