Route Review - The Rebellion Way
In October this year, Cycling UK launched their latest long-distance route, the Rebellion Way. This 232 mile (373km) cycling route takes in the best of Norfolk with a mix of quiet, mostly flat back roads, byways, cycle paths and bridleways under huge panoramic skies.
“It’s a fantastic introduction to multi-day adventuring for anyone.” — Cycling UK
Members of the Bikepacking Buds team were lucky enough to be among the first people to ride the route, setting out from Norwich on a crisp Thursday morning with a plan to finish in four fairly relaxed days. Keen local cyclist Stephanie joined us, and has been kind enough to share her view of the Rebellion Way, and her thoughts and advice on the experience.
Photo credit: Paul Redsell
Getting there, and starting out
After recently moving to Norfolk, I fell in love with the scenery. It seems green for days here with many secret gems to find. After hearing about the launch of the Rebellion Way, I was keen to be able to explore this route. It’s perfect for first time bikepacking adventures and as a person who really does not like hills, it's mostly flat too. We started in Norwich at the launch with Cycling UK and the BBC in the Maitland hotel, which is cycle friendly accommodation. The route has been designed exceptionally well by Cycling UK, and is easily accessible at many points, including Thetford Forest or Kings Lynn train stations, and many more local stations that take you back to Norwich.
After being part of the January event that started the Bikepacking Buds I knew that this community was always very welcoming, and relaxed, so I knew there would be no worries when riding with the group, even with the potential different variants of skills and levels. There was a wide range - from an experienced ultra cycling athlete, to an ex-road tourer turned mountain biker extraordinaire, to an experienced hiker taking their first plunge into the bikepacking world. I knew one team member already, Cat Green, who had just come back from her three month trip across Europe. It goes without saying I was looking forward to hearing her story. And after meeting all ‘the Buds’ there were so many stories and such a variety of experiences to listen to.
What will I see?
The Rebellion Way takes you through woodland and quiet country lanes, along single-track, past railway lines and along the coastline. It's hard to describe such tranquillity in words or imagery, it's a place you have to experience. The place that really captured us was the Bawsey Lakes, which was also a surprise to two of the actual locals we were riding with. It took all our breaths away, perfect for those wanting to take a dip when out on the route too.
With the Bikepacking Buds we did around 95-100km a day, over four days. Although this to some would seem like a large amount, as it would have done to me a year ago, it is a rather flat route. However day three seemed to have all the hills going over Cromer Ridge! This gave us time to sight-see, refresh the legs, enjoy local cafe stops and have some surprise picnic stops, without any time pressures. There are plenty of places to find food and water along the route, for a wide array of budgets. There are also a fair few honesty boxes around with local fruit on offer for you to keep a keen eye out for.
Photo credit: Paul Redsell
What bike and kit should I bring?
Although there are plenty of roads, they have a habit of getting a lot of sand on the surface, along with thorns, especially in the spring/summer months. The off-road is also rather sand heavy, therefore during the drier times in the year wider tyres may be best, though for more experienced/skilled riders, still possible on thinner tyres. It would be rather muddy in places during the wetter months but all will be possible on a gravel bike.
We wild camped for two nights in the woods and on the third night we stayed at Baconsthorpe Meadows, which is accredited as a cycle-friendly campsite by Cycling UK. I’ll be heading back there to check out their camping pods! Accommodation is easy to come by along the route, whether wild camping, staying in campsites or booking hotels and B&Bs.
Photo credit: Paul Redsell
How much time do I need?
For those that want to have more of a challenge, or have time constraints, it would be possible to complete the route in two days, and I would like to attempt it in one when it comes to summer. Actually Paul, an experienced ultra-distance cyclist fresh from the TCR who joined the Bikepacking Buds is already finding time in his diary to do it, it may become a regular training route for us locals in ultra training. Not sure we could get bored of the views either.
For those really wanting to explore Norfolk, there are plenty of ways to extend your stay and keep yourself entertained. Swim in the lakes, rivers, and in the sea, enjoy hikes and walks arounds country & National parks, investigate railway paraphernalia including a running steam train at Bure Valley, or take the bike a little off-piste into the forested areas.
Final thoughts
Three of my favourite local facts (or myths - not quite sure!) I picked up from people I have met here in Norfolk are:
The ‘hills’ around North Norfolk were formed by an “Anglian ice sheet that reached as far south as North London, but as it waned it retreated northwards, pausing for a long time in north Norfolk and creating the Cromer Ridge” — National Trust
In Cromer, on the coast front there are steep embankments from the town to the sea edge where machines are unable to cut the grass, so they bring in mountain goats to eat the grass.
Norwich/Norfolk is where the postcode system was tested.
I recommend buying the Cycling UK guide book on this one. It includes a wealth of local knowledge built around the route and provides tips and historical notes on all the areas you visit. Allowing those history buffs to go down rabbit holes and delve into Norfolk’s wonderful best kept secret history!
Photo credit: Paul Redsell
Thank you Stephanie! For more about Steph and her days on the bike, find her on Instagram here. You can read more about the Rebellion Way on the Cycling UK website, and if you’d like to join us on an adventure like this make sure you’re signed up for our emails, or maybe you’d like to propose one yourself!
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