For all the family

1 Forest of Dean Cycleway

Start/finish: Cannop Cycle Centre, near Coleford

Distance: a 12-mile waymarked route

Best for: tree-huggers

The circular hard-packed track follows the former Severn and Wye Valley railway line, connecting former stations, old collieries, sculpture trails and some wonderful sections of the 27,000-acre deciduous and conifer forest. The shop at the centre, Pedalabikeaway, is an ideal place to hire, try out, get advice on and buy kids' bikes and bike-seats, carriers, trailers and trailer-bikes.

And the bonus? There's an advanced mountain-bike trail - 5km of rooty descents, switchbacks and drop-offs - next door. So adults and teenagers can cut loose on the single-track while the kids fill up on cake at the cafe.

· www.forestry.gov.uk; www.zen95975.zen.co.uk

2 Ramsgate to Deal

Start/finish: Ramsgate Marina/Deal Castle

Distance: 13 miles one way

Best for: a beano

Follow the coastal path out of Ramsgate, through the fishing village of Cliffs End, round Pegwell Bay (a bird reserve) to the medieval town of Sandwich. History buffs can detour to Richborough Roman fort, thought to be the invasion beachhead in 43AD. The landscape is almost as flat as the sea here, and pedalling round Sandwich Bay, past the famous golf courses, you get a tremendous sense of space.

The route is mainly traffic-free and ideal for improving kids' confidence and road sense. Try not to pick a raw, windy day - it can howl off the sea. Deal, with castles, delightful architecture, a Saturday market and a pier, is a great place to explore before catching the train back.

· www.sustrans.org.uk; Deal Visitors' Info Centre, 01304 369576

3 Lon Las Menai and LÔN Eifion Cycleway

Start/finish: Y Felinheli/Caernarvon/Bryncir

Distance: 17 miles one way

Best for: train spotters

Two connecting trails - Lon Las Menai (4½ miles) north-east of Caernarvon and Lon Eifion (12½ miles) to the south - provide a glorious introduction to this beautiful corner of Wales. The first section starts by the sea in Felinheli and skirts the Menai Straits, with views over the sea to Anglesey.

The second section, a green avenue of trees and, in late spring, abundant wild flowers, weaves southwards to the village of Bryncir. Again, the views, up towards the mountain-fastness of Snowdonia and the vivid green hills of the Llyn Peninsula, are superb. On the way back, let the train take the strain: the narrow-gauge Welsh Highland Light railway runs from Rhud Ddu to the quay in historic Caernarvon.

· www.cyclingnorthwales.co.uk; Caernarvon TIC, 01286 672232

4 Marlborough to Coate Water Country Park

Start/finish: Marlborough High Street/Coate Water Park, near Swindon

Distance: Eight miles one way

Best for: absolute beginners

Following a disused railway north from the coaching town of Marlborough, this is an excellent trail for kids just growing out of the local park. There are grand views across the chalk downs to Liddington Hill and plenty of birds to watch when you pause to regroup.

The final section, from Chiseldon, is specially surfaced, enabling disabled access and easy pedalling. At the park, there are bird hides and pitch and putt.

· www.swindon.gov.uk/leisure-parkscoatewater; Coate Water Ranger, 01793 490150; Marlborough TIC, 01672 512663

On-road cruising

5 Four Castles Cycle Route

Start/finish: Abergavenny Castle

Distance: 32 miles

Best for: country pubs

Up, up out of Abergavenny (the toughest hill) and into the rolling Monmouthshire countryside, follow the route signs on B roads and delightful, quiet lanes, taking care not to get lost. All four Norman castles, built to defend the southern Marches and keep an eye on the unruly Welsh, are wonderful.

White Castle is the most intact and impressive: climb the tower of the inner ward for grand views over the Skirrid and Black Mountains. There are excellent pubs in Skenfrith (the Bell) and Grosmont (the Angel).

· www.monmouth.org.uk; Abergavenny TIC, 01873 857588

6 Lochs and Glens Cycle Route

Start/finish: Carlisle/Inverness

Distance: 430 miles

Best for: escaping the floods (Scotland has had a fraction of the rainfall of England and Wales this summer)

The route is split into two sections: if you've only got time for one, take the high road. The northern section heads, on a traffic-free path, from Glasgow to Loch Lomond, and then on back roads across the Glen Ogle viaduct, round Lochs Venachar, Earn and Tay, up into the moors, over the Grampian Mountains at Drumochter Pass and down to the sea at Inverness.

It's hard going, but this is the best way to see Scotland. Every mile is spectacular. The gentler southern route skirts Solway Firth, climbs the quiet hills of Galloway and descends to the Ayrshire Coast.

· www.sustrans.org.uk; Lochs and Glens Guide (Pocket Mountains) is excellent.

7 Northumberland Coast

Start/finish: Berwick-upon-Tweed castle/ Newcastle railway station

Distance: 91 miles

Best for: coastal scenery

Pedal over the Tweed and out of Berwick and the rhythmic metre of this ride is established almost immediately: sections of wild coastline, crowned by vast skies and punctuated by medieval ruins. First stop is Holy Island (check the tides before crossing). On to the crag-top castle at Bamburgh and then, veering away from the coast on lanes, to the tumbledown cliff-top keep at Dunstanburgh.

Linger over this section; the approach to Tynemouth and Newcastle is more industrial. As this route works either way, check which way the wind is blowing before setting off. From the 'Toon', there are several options: return to Berwick via Hadrian's Wall and Haltwhistle, through Northumberland national park. If you're riding north, continue on another 100 miles to Edinburgh.

· www.sustrans.org.uk; Berwick-upon-Tweed TIC, 01289 330733

8 Yorkshire Dales Way

Start/finish: Skipton

Distance: 130 miles

Best for: doping scandals

A grand tour taking in the highlights, high passes and some quiet corners of the Yorkshire Dales national park. Kingsdale, Deepdale, Dentdale, Widdale and Wensleydale are all distinctive in scenery and character, but you pay to experience the differences.

Down dale means up hill: this spectacular ride is not for the weak-hearted. But before you reach for the performance-enhancing drugs, several bus services in the Dales do carry bikes, so you can bail out. The towns and villages - Malham, Settle, Ingleton and Hawes - are full of bustle and charm.

· www.cyclethedales.org.uk; Skipton TIC, 01756 792809

Rides from city centres

9 London: Putney Bridge to Hampton Court

Start/finish: Putney Bridge/Hampton Court Park

Distance: 12 miles one way

Best for: resurgent cyclists

If you're just starting cycling again, this is an ideal ride. Leave the frenetic traffic on Putney High Street behind and whistle past the rowing crews along the riverside cinder track. On a sunny Sunday, try to start early - it can get congested with joggers, pushchairs and dog-walkers.

Past Hammersmith, it gets quieter. Cut away from the river at Mortlake and cross Richmond Park, or follow the Thames through the Royal Botanic Gardens, past Ham House and Kingston, crossing over into Hampton Court Park.

Reward yourself with lunch in one of the historic riverside pubs. This is a wonderful ride on a cold day in winter or early spring (the bare trees mean superb river views).

Catch a train back from Hampton Court station, pedal back to Putney or, if you're feeling strong, continue on to Weybridge, Oxford and beyond.

· www.tfl.gov.uk/cycling

10 Gloucester to Frampton on Severn

Start/finish: Gloucester Docks/Frampton on Severn

Distance: 10 miles one way

Best for: Severn Bores. Check with Gloucester Tourist Information for times of this curious tidal phenomenon, a surfable wave on the leading edge of the incoming tide. Stonebench is a good place to view it

Dodge the traffic between the docks and Llanthony Road, where you get on to a good cycle path beside the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal. In dry weather, stick to the canal beyond Rea Bridge, but if it's wet under wheel, wiggle along the lanes via Epney (past the Anchor Inn, with a garden overlooking the river) to the architectural treasure of Frampton on Severn.

If the batteries are full, keep heading south to the 325-hectare Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust centre at Slimbridge, where you can see flamingos and enjoy magnificent views of the Severn Estuary.

· www.sustrans.org.uk; Gloucester TIC, 01452 396572

11 Taff Trail: Cardiff to Brecon

Start/finish: Cardiff train station/Brecon

Distance: 55 miles one way

Best for: industrial heritage

This largely traffic-free, one- to two-day route skirts past the Millennium Stadium and out of the capital, along the Taff River. In no time, you are in the steep-sided Taff Vale, one of the valleys and the former industrial heartland of the British Empire. Between Pontypridd and Merthyr Tydfil, you follow tramroads, cross canals and pass slag heaps: it feels like a huge heritage theme park dedicated to coal.

If you are on a mountain bike and feeling strong at Pontsticill reservoir, peel off the Taff Trail proper and scale the magnificent sandstone escarpments of the Brecon Beacons. The Roman 'Gap Road' goes over the pass at Craig Cwm Cynwyn. Then it's downhill all the way to Brecon.

· www.tafftrail.org.uk

Off-road boneshakers

12 Scottish coast-to-coast

Start/finish: Aberdeen/Ardnamurchan Point

Distance: 250 miles with 4,000m of ascent

Best for: highland heroes

Voted one of 10 'trips of a lifetime' by the American magazine Outside, this is the finest long-distance mountain-bike ride in the whole of the British Isles. Landscape highlights include Royal Deeside, the Cairngorm massif, the source of the river Spey, Corrieyairick Pass, the Great Glen, Glen Shiel and views of the Hebrides.

Following ancient drovers' roads, forest trails and lochside paths, the route eschews civilisation wherever it can, and the wildlife is correspondingly grand. Depending on your fitness levels, how many mountains you scale and where you decide to finish, allow four to eight days. Unwaymarked.

· For organised trips, visit www.wildernessscotland.com

13 South Downs Way

Start/finish: Winchester High Street/Beachy Head or Eastbourne

Distance: 100 miles one way

Best for: history buffs

There is evidence of 5,000 years of continuous habitation along this chalk backbone of southern England: from Stone Age 'camps' and Iron Age hill forts to stout Saxon churches and unexploded bombs from the Battle of Britain. It's a two- to four-day ride, depending on fitness.

There's a hefty 3,000m of ascent, as several steep river valleys cut the rolling escarpment. If you only have one day, the section across the open downs around Bignor Hill, where the Roman Stane Street crosses, is the cream.

When you are up, the views are extensive: Sussex Weald to the left, shining sea to the right. And when you are down, there are good hostelries in the villages.

· www.nationaltrail.co.uk/southdowns

14 Machynlleth, Mid-Wales

Start/finish: Machynlleth

Distance: three cross-country routes - 10, 15 and 19 miles

Best for: alternative technology

Machynlleth is home of the Centre for Alternative Technology, and the unofficial capital of green energy in Britain. The progressive community, keen to attract mountain bikers from elsewhere, waymarked these trails themselves. They now form part of an impressive web of Welsh MTB centres.

All three routes (Mach 1, 2& 3) start in the centre of this funky wee town (with good bike shops, pubs and cafes) and head straight out into the magnificent empty hills and forests of mid-Wales. This is old-school mountain biking, on ancient byways, farm tracks and bridle paths, via remote farmsteads and dark forests.

The grass is exceptionally green here, which can only mean one thing - rain. Come prepared for mud.

· www.mbwales.com/machynlleth; www.dyfimountainbiking.org.uk

15 Seven Stanes, Scotland

Location: southern Scotland

Distance: trails range from 1.5km downhills to 36-mile cross-country rides

Best for: aficionados

Riding 'single track' - narrow paths by another name - is the Holy Grail of mountain biking. It is, by turns, technically challenging as you negotiate your wheels over rock steps and out of tight chicanes, and terrifying as you whoosh steeply down through thick forests.

In under a decade, the Scottish Borders have established a reputation as one of the most exciting places for single-track rides on the planet, through a network of seven centres across the region. Start at Glentress, near Peebles, on the skills loop and work up through the graded trails. Then 'style it up' on a MTB safari around the other 'Stanes'.

· www.7stanes.gov.uk