Discover The King John Way
Website kindly sponsored by
Explore the beautiful East Midlands countryside on The King John Way cycling route. Whether you're looking for a challenging ride or a leisurely pedal, this 300-mile journey offers it all. Ride it in one go for the ultimate test of endurance or take your time over a week. Immerse yourself in history as you follow in the footsteps of King John on his tumultuous journey through the region.
Share In Our Passion
Welcome to The King John Way. We are excited to share our stunning region with you through a specially created route designed for cyclists of all abilities. Join us as we explore the beautiful landscapes and hidden gems that our area has to offer. Whether you're a seasoned Pro or starting out, there's something for everyone. We have curated this route, details of accommodation, places of interest and transport links, totally free of cost. We are cycle tourers and long distance cyclists so understand what is required to make your visit perfect.
Explore
Cyclist Friendly Accommodation
Adventure Awaits
Embark on our 300-mile loop through Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire. Experience serene rides on quiet lanes, avoiding busy roads. Encounter off-road sections suitable for most bike types. The emphasis is on fun - not an assault course!
Take as long as you like, or opt for a road-only alternative and aim for a course record.
_edited.jpg)
Whether you want to explore from a base or stay somewhere different each night, our accommodation picks should work for you. We have only included hospitality providers who offer secure, under cover, cycle storage and basic tools and equipment you can use in case of breakdown. Wherever possible, places to stay are spread throughout the route.
Ride Through History
We have consulted local history sources to route past historic sites and landmarks, giving you an insight into the historic counties you will pass through.
Along with major sites such as Newark and Lincoln castles, Lincoln Cathedral, The National Civil War Centre, The International Bomber Command Centre and Burghley Park, we will guide you to lesser known sites such as the mysterious remains of the Templar Preceptory at Temple Bruer.
Alternative Themed Routes
For those of you wanting to just visit for a day, or concentrate on a specific interest, we have created several themed routes, some of which can easily be ridden in a day. These include:
​
The Templar Preceptory
Military Heritage
The Civil War Trail
The Tennyson Way
The Vale of Belvoir
Leicestershire and 'The Terrace'
Ride the Meridien
​
View the selection of routes below and click the link to be taken to the Ride with GPS route.​
​
Mapping Kindly Donated By
Touring Route Links
You can plot your chosen route on a map or make it easy by downloading a gpx file for your cycling computer or phone. Points of interest, together with cyclist friendly accommodation and cafe stops etc, are noted along each route For free access to all Ride With GPS premium features while using these routes:
​
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Route Design and Safety
Publicly Accessible
Responsible Riders
The entire King John Way uses publicly accessible routes throughout. In some cases, local rules may state that cycling is not allowed, so please respect these.
Share Nicely
Parts of the route will be shared with walkers and other leisure users. Please pass these with respect and refrain from racing on shared paths.
Responsibility for safety rests with the cyclist or responsible adult, as on any public road. We have made the route as safe as possible, while allowing for the best experience. You will be sharing some routes with other vehicles, so if you are at all uncomfortable with conditions, please find an alternative route.
Strava
Many of us like the challenge of a Strava Segment. Please add as many as you like on roads, but please help us by refraining from creating segments on shared paths. Should any be created on shared paths we will apply to have these removed.
Tyre Glider
The King John Way website has been generously brought to you by
No need to be afraid of punctures on the King John Way with the amazing Tyre Glider!
If you've ever struggled with a tight tyre or you pinch tubes with traditional tyre levers, the Tyre Glider could be the answer to your problem.
These were the challenges encountered by Triathlete Kevin Baker. So, necessity being the mother of invention, Kevin applied the technology of a can opener to the the revolutionary Tyre Glider. Now a worldwide success story and made in the UK.
​
​
Wendy's go to solution in the event of a puncture was to call her husband. After some practice with the tyre glider she is totally self sufficient - watch....
​
​
How It Began
The King John Way was the vision of Roy Redman, creator of the Ride with Roy (and Wendy) YouTube Channel. Roy was disappointed that Lincolnshire has so much to offer cyclists but is not represented with a major cycling route. He used his experience as an accredited British Cycling route designer to utilise the existing network of routes, in and around the county, to develop the 300 mile loop that is The King John Way. And to cater for those less ambitious, he included a variety of shorter routes. After riding a major UK route, Roy realised that much more information was needed before commencing a long trip: Which accomodation would store bikes overnight? Where are the cycle friendly cafes? Where can we park free of charge? Where can we get a bike repair?​
​
Of course, this wasn't achieved by Roy alone. Experienced cyclists in the area have contributed their ideas and tested sections of the route to ensure suitability. In particular, Mike Ainsworth has contributed a large number of routes that explore the rich military history in the area.
The creation of the routes and this website has been achieved without any funding or advertising charges to local businesses, in an effort to make it a truly free resource. However, the mapping and web hosting were costs we couldn't avoid, so we are grateful to Ride with GPS for donating their mapping app, free of charge, and Kevin Baker of Tyre Glider for sponsoring the web hosting. Their generosity and belief in the project has made it possible to share the King John Way with you.
​
We hope you will enjoy the routes and look forward to your feedback and any suggestions. Please contact us by email here:
​
