Would fly into Leeds and do some cycling in Yorkshire Dales. Some lovely roads up there, not too busy, and cycling is getting pretty popular. Hosted the Tour de France opening a couple of years ago, and world champs are going to be there next year. Check out the Tour de Yorkshire stage maps for some ideas on routes - https://letour.yorkshire.com

Beware the climbs - UK doesn't have very big mountains, but there's a lot of steep gradients. Plenty of sections over 20% if you want to test yourself.

Lake District also stunning.

How many hours/miles are you looking at doing?

As cartsman says the Yorkshire Dales are a great location, as is the rest of the North West, with the Lake District, North Pennines and Forest of Bowland all great locations.

Road Cycling UK did a good feature on these areas a couple of years back:

https://roadcyclinguk.com/...ns-best-road-riding/


There are links to individual articles (inc. videos and routes) in those four national parks at the bottom of that article; I'm planning a similar trip at the end of September and have adapted those routes a little bit (mainly covering a bit more ground) but they're a solid start and give you an idea for the environment. For example, in the Lake District there's a very popular gran fondo called the "Fred Whitton" that those guys have used part of for their route in the article, but I'm just going to follow the whole thing.

If any of those take your fancy then give me a shout and I'll ping you over some slightly adapted routes that I think are going to be better, but they'll be a few long days in the saddle!

From a logistical point of view, Yorkshire and the lake District would be best. However, ideally you want to be spending a day in Wales.

Thanks — im thinking roughly 8 hrs over the two days.

Have heard if the ‘Fred W’ fondo... Hardknott 33% at the end?!?!?!! We have climbs in SoCal, but that is ridiculous!

Do tell! Sounds like I can get ferry from Dublin to Holyhead and head directly to snowdonia (another place I know nothing about). Please say more about Wales....

My advice... bring wet weather gear. It won't be cold, but if you are unlucky then you could have 48h of rain in any of those locations you mentioned. If you have the right kit and the right expecations it won't matter though.

A good weekend ride I know would be start at Bristol and then pick up the route of the Tour of Wessex through Cheddar Gorge and Sherborne down to the Dorset Coast. Dip in the sea at Lulworth Cove, over the Purbeck Ranges Road, stay at Corfe Castle overnight, then back up via Blandford Forum, Shaftesbury and Bath.

Those places you mention sound interesting, don't know how they are to ride though

Enjoy!

Yeah, it is pretty steep!

Yorkshire Dales, Yorkshire Moors, Lake District all good. And yes the climbs are short but there are some very steep gradients, especially on the Moors (25-33%). Bigger climbs in the Lakes if that’s your thing.

Tour De Yorkshire stages are good for ideas.

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So much choice.

Weather might be better the further south you go (rule of thumb, not exact!).
If you could fly into Bristol or S Wales then have a look at the Dragon Ride, you could pick it off in two good days.