The UK towns and cities with the widest choice of beginner-friendly cycle routes is revealed

Finding a route that matches your confidence can make the difference between an enjoyable ride and a daunting one.

A ranking by FLBR Motorsport compared bike rides per 10,000 people across 49 UK towns and cities, focusing on routes classed as “easy” or “intermediate”. The route data came from Komoot, which classifies rides by difficulty.

Durham tops the ranking, with Cambridge and Oxford close behind. Durham ranks first, with 41.72 bike rides per 10,000 people.

Cambridge follows with 36.92 and Oxford with 33.14. The top three record rates well above London’s 1.33 rides per 10,000 people.

Durham’s rate is 40.39 higher per 10,000 people.

The UK’s top 10 towns and cities for bike rides per capita

1. Durham

2. Cambridge

3. Oxford

4. Norwich

5. St Albans

6. Lincoln

7. Bath

8. Newcastle upon Tyne

9. Exeter

10. Hereford

The results vary among larger cities, too. Manchester ranks 12th with 20.10 rides per 10,000 people, while Birmingham is 44th with 4.99 and Liverpool 46th with 3.56. Josh Felber, spokesperson for FLBR Motorsport, said: “A high rate of easy and intermediate rides gives people more options to explore, but the figures can’t tell you what a route feels like on the ground.

“Riders should check the route details and choose one that suits their experience and the journey they want to make.”