Five cycling experiences in Suffolk

The Tour of Britain is scheduled to kick off on Sunday 9 September in Suffolk.

A little research reveals you don't have to be a world-beater to enjoy a cycle round the county. 

Newmarket Rides starts at Newmarket and heads out towards the fenland areas of Suffolk, home to once thriving inland ports dating back to Roman times. It returns through rolling chalk grasslands, paddocks and woodlands and passes many stud farms.

The Painters' Trail is a 69-mile route that uses a mixture of quiet roads, cycle paths and well-surfaced tracks exploring locations that were made famous by local artists, such as Constable, Munnings and Gainsborough.

The Stour Surprise is a two-day challenge for road bikes. The road route offers nearly 4,000ft of ascent each day, as riders follow the course of the River Stour from the sea to its source and back again.

The Three Rivers Rumble is a two-day excursion for mountain bikers. The Rumble takes the rough with the smooth, to create a grand tour right round the Stour, Orwell and Deben coastal estuaries.

The National Cycle Route 1 is the main north/south route through Suffolk, forming part of the Fakenham to Harwich cycle route. The route enters the county from Essex at Stratford St Mary and passes through Hadleigh, around the north-west of Ipswich, through Woodbridge and Halesworth.

www.visitsuffolk.com