A great biking route hidden away in the middle of England

This relaxed route not far from RiDE’s home territory rolls through the hills of the East Midlands, taking in some vintage biking roads — and one or two quieter ones that aren’t so well known. It passes plenty of sites of biking interest along the way as well, like Donington Park and the Triumph HQ in Hinckley. Though the factory isn’t picturesque, the new Factory Visitor Experience is and tours can be booked. Mallory Park and Rockingham are also nearby, so you could use this route when you next visit an event at one of those.

But this isn’t really a route for seeing sights – it’s all about the riding. With every kind of road, from flowing A-roads to tight and demanding backroads, it’s the kind of route we love. You never know, you might meet us when you’re out riding it...

Map of motorcycle route around Market Harborough

STAGE ONE

Market Harborough to Hinckley: 25 miles
Leave Market Harborough on the A4304 to Lutterworth. When you get to the M1 roundabout, carry straight on along the A4303 towards Hinckley. At the A5 roundabout, take the third exit for the minor road signed to Wolvey and Willey. When it reaches a roundabout, go straight across and then, at the T-junction, turn right on the B4109 to Hinckley. At the M69 roundabout, take the second exit for the A5 into Hinckley.
Morning coffee: Sovrano CafeNormally our routes avoid going into town centres but it’s worth going into Hinckley. On the pedestrianised Castle Street is Sovrano — a fantastic Italian cafe and restaurant. Park in Church Walk to enjoy an outstanding coffee.

STAGE TWO

Hinckley to Zouch: 30 miles
Leave Hinckley on the A447 to Ibstock (look for signs to the community hospital). Stay on this road for 13 miles, all the way to the Coalville bypass. Take the second exit from the roundabout, through Swannington. Go straight over the next roundabout, through Peggs Green. At the staggered crossroads with the B5324, go straight over on the minor road to Worthington. At the roundabout, go straight across to take the A453 towards Castle Donington. Pass the circuit, cross one roundabout for the airport, then take the next right turn to Diseworth. Stay on this road through Long Watton. At the T-junction, turn left to Hathern. At the A6 traffic lights, turn left then right for the A6006 to Melton.

Lunch: The Rose and Crown, Zouch. A pub lunch is a fine thing if you have the time, or there’s the option of an all-day breakfast served until 3pm. At the moment it’s two courses for £10 on Saturdays. There’s a generous ploughman’s too.

STAGE THREE

Zouch to Ashwell: 45 miles
Keep on the A6006 towards Melton, through Rempstone and Wymeswold. At the Shoby Crossroads, turn left to Grimston and Old Dalby. Go straight over the A606, towards Eastwell. At the T-junction, turn left to Eastwell. After about two miles, turn right to Waltham. In Waltham on the Wolds, turn right on the A607 to Melton Mowbray. At the traffic lights in Melton, turn left on the B676 to Colsterworth. After four miles (just past the self-store centre) turn right to Wymondham. Stay on this road to a T-junction, turning right to Thistleton. After one mile, take the right turn to Market Overton. In Teigh, turn left to Ashwell.

Afternoon tea: The Potting Shed Cafe, Ashwell. Carry on through the village of Ashwell to reach the Rutland Village shopping centre (on the left). The Potting Shed’s an excellent cafe but shuts at 4pm so don’t get there late.

STAGE FOUR

Ashwell to Market Harborough: 35 miles
Carry on from Ashwell to Oakham, turning left on the ring road. At the third roundabout, turn left on the A606 to Stamford. Go through Empingham, then take the right turn for Normanton and Rutland Water South Shore. At the mini-roundabout in Edith Weston, turn left to North Luffenham. At the roundabout, turn right on the A6121 to South Luffenham. In Morcott, turn right then first left on the B672 to Caldecott. When you get to the T-junction, turn right to stay on this road. In Caldecott, turn right on the A6003 to Oakham. At the traffic lights in Uppingham, turn right on the B664 to Market Harborough. When it meets the A427, turn right to return to Market Harborough.

See

Triumph Visitor Centre. For full details, see our routes to the visitor centre here

Shop

Moto Central: Just outside Hinckley is the huge and well-stocked Moto Central — so whether you want a new neck tube, a Rukka suit, a crash helmet, boots or gloves, they will have exactly what you need.

Stay

The Three Swans: This large, comfortable, modernised hotel is part of the Best Western chain but it has bags of character — and a great restaurant as well.

Route summary

Start/finish: Market Harborough
Distance: 135 miles
Time: 4 hours
Download the GPX file

Please note: This page contains the motorcycle touring routes for The RiDE Guide To Great Britain which was published in October 2017. These website pages are not regularly updated, so please check all critical information before you travel. All route files are in .gpx format. Garmin and BMW users can download the main file, which contains all the routes. TomTom users can either download the individual routes or use the MyRouteApp (depending on the age of your device).