Explore the top 5 motorcycle roads in the UK with this road guide video. Including flyby and overviews of the routes. From scenic coastal routes to winding country roads, these routes are a must for any motorcycle enthusiast looking to explore the UK on two wheels. Get ready to hit the road with this list of the top 5 UK motorcycle roads you have to ride! Discover scenic routes and breathtaking views on your next motorcycle adventure.
Snake Pass
https://maps.app.goo.gl/s3deHDq7C1LDn2mx7
NC500
https://maps.app.goo.gl/CKG52fiX2vXAPbCy8
Black mountain Pass
https://maps.app.goo.gl/9Wd9jNxCMN6Vj4ez8
Cheddar Gorge
https://maps.app.goo.gl/kNoamp6FWGMjnPD39
Hardknock Pass
https://maps.app.goo.gl/yFKjyuBjN9efHDaDA
Bealach na Bà
https://maps.app.goo.gl/v7Aere3Kf6jyqZFe6
40 Comments
amazing video! thank you, you have truly inspired me to explore this island in a new way!
North wales has some of best roads in Britain without a shadow of doubt.
Except that often large stretches of the A57 Snake Pass road are closed due to roadworks where the land is slipping away due to the UK's weather erroding it.
Bealach na Bà is part of the NC500…😇
You missed the North Pennines. Penrith to Hartside Pass (1900ft) on A686 up a twisty hairpins, a stunning ride, it can bite if you're not careful, with views at top of over 50miles, you can see the Cheviots in Scotland and all North Lakes mountains on a clear day. Stop at Alston petrol station for food and a brew with many other bikers, and sports car drivers, and people just touring and, then you can dissappear into the wildness of Cumbria, Northumberland and Country Durham and the Yorkshire Dales isolated roads for hours upon hours. Stop at Hawes in Wensleydale for perhaps the best fish & chips, or best ever ice cream. I'm a southern who moved from Hampshire to Cumbria 2 years ago. Please keep it to yourself, it much better up north..🤫
Snake pass lucky to live not too far away from there, theres some great twisties towards buxton and Matlock, and another favourite which is a really solid route is starting off in buxton head towards leek (straight past cat and fiddle) and take a left after the winking man pub and head towards Ashbourne and matlock very quick roads
Ladybower is also famous because of the Dam busters from WW2 it’s where they practiced .
Some very nice photography in there, although I wasn't aware of any horizontal stalactites (around 3 min 50 sec) in Cheddar …! 🤔🤫🙂
I'm claiming to have already done all those, one way or another. Rode pretty much what is now the NC500 (but wasn't then) with a mate over 50 years ago. The Snake is local(ish) to me. I'm into the whole Roman thing so Hardknott has always been a must for me, just watch out for the numpties in cars and the occasional minibus. OK, so Cheddar was done in a car but it'll be on the list when I next get back on 2 wheels. And yeah, so I walked the Offa's Dyke Path NEXT to the Black Mountain Pass. That's going on that list too! 🤣
Another really nice road is from Shafstbury down to Blandford in Dorset. You could even take the road from Tollard Royal, up over Cranborne Chase, past Compton Abbas, down ZIG ZAG hill to Cann Common, then to Shaftsbury, and do the Shafstbury to Blandford road. In fact, down here in Dorset, we have hundreds of miles of spectacular lanes to ride. I`ve driven the Hardknott Pass and Snake Pass in a car, and they are both recommended.
A good way to do the Snake Pass is to take the A616 & A628 Woodhead Pass in as well, from Manchester, about 2 miles after the Ladybower take a left onto Mortimer Road {aka "The Strines Road"} ….this will take you past the "Strines Inn" {a 1700's old coaching inn …which BTW sells good food …..at a price!!!} onto a 10 mile stretct of tarmac'd but unclassified road, with hairpin bends, 25% gradients, narrow bridges & stunning scenery.
It makes for a good Sheffield-Glossop-Sheffield circular route {or vice-versa} ….BUT, as of Feb '25, the Snake {A57} has restricted traffic on it, with traffic lights, due to landslips..
This is the UK. Distances are feet, yards and miles. Nowhere in the UK is a road distance on any signpost given in metres or kilometres. Cars and motorcycles have speedometers measuring mph. Trip meters and milometers measure in miles. Why do we have distances spelt out in kilometres on nearly all videos for the UK? This is a very good video otherwise.
Black mountain pass is ruined by average speed cameras at 40mph
Don't mention the NC500 😳🤞
Don't mention the NC500 😳
Don't mention the NC500 😳
1:11 FARK ! 🤬
Oh well, I guess we could use more traffic on our crumbling roads 😵💫
I’m near Hardknot. There are soooooo many more good roads than this.
The best bike road (my opinion) in the UK is 10 miles.
Newton to Crossgates. Mid wales.
Quiet, great road surface and done in the above direction, it just gets faster and faster.
6km…. Cheddar Gorge is 600m at a push smh
Great video 👍🏻
But I didn’t understand all the distances quoted in kilometres as we use mile in the UK, please atleast use both , thanx 👍🏻
For example I believe the NC500 is called that because of its distance in miles 🏴
Alston to Penrith over hartside pass, it’s a bikers paradise, shame the cafe burned down years ago as it was a great meeting place.
Did the Snake Pass many times when I was a motorcycle courier working out of Manc. Not bad. Hardknott? Yeah ,done that. Not a fast road, more a test of skill, especially on a Yamaha Fazer 1000. 😮 Applecross? 2 up on a Yamaha FJ 1200. Stunning views, great fun. But for a real hoot of a hidden gem, take the A5074 from Gilpin Bridge to Bowness- on -Windermere. It’s a peach, starts off point and squirt, ends up like riding through The Shire Mr Frodo with a rollercoaster in between. 😉
Antrim coast road N.Ireland? I am biased here though.
Lots of average speed cameras on some of those roads.
Ive been on all . But Apple cross pass feel like another world.
Cheddar Gorge is so often spoilt by cyclists who hold up cars. It's a stunning route, but I find it a bore when you're constantly stuck behind slow-moving traffic.
Ar. The NC500. Sadly,a victim of its own success. Rode it before it was designated so . quite, open roads back then.😢
Manchester and Sheffield are not "The North".
The A93 up through the Cairngorms via Blairgowrie & Glenshee, has to be one of the best roads in Britain. Long sweeping bends & gorgeous scenery. It's a must for any biker heading north to do the NC500. I recommend a stop at Tea in the Shee. A great cafe at the Glenshee ski centre. Always had a great welcome when I've been in, great cafe with great tea & cake..
In the Brecons try the Merthyr to Talybont road, just as epic as the Top Gear road but National speed limit. The Honey cafe at the end, Bronllys, is great.
When In Cheddar the best road is from the top of the gorge to Green Ore & Chewton Mendip. Absolutely incredible and also National speed limit (the gorge is 30mph.)
Ride to Wells to visit Quickshifter cafe.
Snake Pass is good, but the 50mph limit and density of traffic including large HGV's ruins it a lot. Now the NC500 – This is just pure heaven to ride. Yes there are campervans, but you can quickly slip past them safely.
Guaranteed the Brit gestapo will be setting up speed cameras on every road mentioned
I drove many times through snake pass absolutely beautiful drive 🚗
Great list, I'll have to give it a go and try to tick it off in the next couple of years. Ride safe👍🏼
Top right part of NC 500 can be completely skipped together with John on groats. Add outer Hebrides and start in Harris through Isle of Skye. Also towards mallaig it’s incredible. Also towards Braemar and some other passes. I think people miss so much if they do the standard NC500 that it hurts
these routes are only the top in your opinion…!!!!!!!!!
dumb yank
We use miles in the uk not kilometres
Been motorcycling for 45 years, had to give up due to the horrendous roads.
Honourable mention: butter tubs pass
Just pack your bags and go elsewhere. Anywhere. Spain probably. Roads in the uk are crowded, crumbling and littered with cameras. Snake pass? Really? 🤦♂️
Cheddar Gorge is just up the road from me. In summer, its hopeless, you're lucky if you get to 20mph. Theres just endless cyclists and tourist cars stuck behind them.
Snake pass is now heavily patrolled by the police, I never rated it tbh and I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to ride it.
The NC500 is great but the east coast section is pretty dull, you're better off riding the west coast up to Ullapool, turn around and ride the same route back to Fort William (pretty much anyone who you meet up there will give the same advice)
As for Wales, try Llandovery to Newtown 52 miles of twists and turns, enough to make your arms ache from muscling your bike around some of the best corners you could ever ask for.
if your going to do the nc500 get there using the A84-85from stirling to fortwilliam then to ullapool. i would also rate a lot of the roads in the loch lomond and the trossachs national park higher than most of these especially the dukes pass from callander to aberfoyle.