Kirkby Lonsdale is an ideal location to base yourself for bike rides in the Lakes and Dales. You can start with some circular bike rides around Sedbergh, Dentdale and the Lune Valley.
Barbon Beck provides a watery ride along the riverside. Or try biking to Milnthorpe and through the deer park and along the coast road to Arnside. If you still have energy you can then push on to Silverdale.
The Forest of Bowland has some challenging hills for the fitter cyclist. There are lots of trails in Grizedale and Whinlatter forests, and of course you have the whole Lake District for exploring. We recommend the western shore of Windermere for family cycling, where you are sandwiched between the lake and the hills.
Perhaps you might want to try part a long distance route? The start of the classic Coast to Coast route (C2C) is fairly accessible by car, running from Whitehaven on the west coast of Cumbria to Sunderland. The Walney to Wear route (W2W), runs from Walney Island in south-west Cumbria to Sunderland via the North York Moors and Durham.
You can also pick up the newer Way of the Roses – a 170 mile route crossing the Yorkshire Dales and Wolds. The route starts in Morecambe and initially follows the River Lune.
At the Visitor Information Centre we sell lots of books on the best routes in the area. Or check out the Sustrans site or the routeu website for ideas.