This industrial north-east town has a lot more to offer cyclists than first appearances would suggest – especially if you ride recreationally as well

Middlesbrough’s nighttime skyline, and specifically the Wilton chemical works, inspired the opening scene of the dystopian sci-fi film Blade Runner. Director Ridley Scott grew up here and reimagined the view of belching chimneys and towers with lights on them.

Once known as “the iron-smelting centre of the world”, this north-east town was built on heavy industries such as iron and steel manufacturing, shipbuilding and refineries. Middlesbrough made Sydney’s Harbour Bridge and Newcastle’s New Tyne Bridge, as well as the local, Grade II-listed Tees Transporter Bridge. All this manufacturing capability made Middlesbrough a prime target in the Second World War: it was the first industrial target for German bombs and had to be extensively rebuilt. The pall of pollution that used to hang over the town was responsible for the nickname for Teesside locals: smoggies.

Deindustrialisation and the associated deprivation hit Middlesbrough hard in the late 20th century. Yet it’s still a town where stuff gets made. It’s heavily involved with renewable energies, such as wind farms, and has a strong presence in digital industries, with the University of Teesside having an excellent background in digital animation.

The Middlesborough you might see from a car, with dual carriageway overpasses and all those chimneys and lights, looks like it would be an intimidating place to cycle. However, the local council is rightly proud of its “89km of cycle friendly infrastructure”. You can ride through large parts of the town without sharing space with traffic.

The best type of bike for cycling in Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough was built on the south bank of the River Tees, on land that’s low lying and relatively flat. Yet if you ride south to the outskirts of the town, it’s pretty much all uphill, and the North York Moors are not far away.

Your best choice of bike will depend on whether you’ll be staying within the Middlesbrough/Stockton-on-Tees urban area or also exploring the countryside. Town riders don’t need anything more than inexpensive hybrid with a modest gear range. ‘Inexpensive’ because bike theft is an issue an Middlesbrough (see below) and a cheaper bike is less likely to be targeted, and not many gears because it’s not especially hilly.

The Elops Long Distance Step-Over City Bike 500 from Decathlon (RRP £499.99) has everything the commuting cyclist needs: mudguards, rear rack, dynamo-powered lighting and even a kickstand. The 1x9 gear range is ample for Middlesbrough streets, and the 38mm tyres are wide enough to cushion you on badly surfaced roads. There’s a step-through model if you don’t want to throw your leg over a top tube.

For exploring the countryside as well as commuting, a general purpose road bike that’s compatible with practical accessories is your best bet. While you can spend much more, the Marin Nicasio 1 (RRP £849) ticks the most important boxes. It will take mudguards and a rear rack, its steel frame and fork will withstand everyday knocks, and its mechanical disc brakes suit year-round use. Yet it has integrated shifters (2x8 Shimano Claris), a reasonable gear range and slick, 36mm-wide tyres for longer weekend rides. It also comes in a version with a lower standover, the Nicasio ST.

Middlesbrough’s transport network

Perhaps as a result of the post-war rebuilding, some big roads run right through Middlesbrough – notably the A66 and A19 dual carriageways. But as the Middlesbrough Cycle Map shows, the town also has a fairly extensive network traffic-free cycle routes. It’s not completely joined up but it’s better than what many towns and cities provide.

Middlesbrough is well connected to nearby Northern towns and cities, with regular services to Newcastle, Durham, Saltburn and Whitby, and also further afield to Leeds and Manchester. LNER runs a limited service from Middlesbrough to London; two or four bikes are carried, with reservations compulsory. Note that LNER’s Azuma train bike cupboards are best suited to lightweight bikes with narrow handlebars. Middlesbrough’s other train services are operated by Northern (two bikes carried on a first-come, first-served basis) and TransPennine Express (two or three bikes per train, mandatory reservations).

Bus services in Middlesbrough are run by Arriva North East and Stagecoach North East. Arriva buses carry folding bikes only, ideally bagged. Stagecoach buses also only carry folding bikes, although full-size bikes are usually allowed on the company’s coaches.

Middlesbrough has one of the UK’s largest ports, Teesport, but there aren’t any passenger services from it. There’s also a small airport between Middlesbrough and Darlington, Teesside International Airport.

Local rides in Middlesbrough

One of the nicest traffic-free rides for families near to Middlesbrough is the Castle Eden Walkway, a disused railway path that runs a little over nine miles between Thorpe Thewles (near Stockton-on-Tees) and Castle Eden. It’s a flat route with a decent surface, and it’s easily extended if you want to go further; it’s part of NCN Route 1. Within the town itself, there’s the four-mile, traffic-free riverside ride from the Transporter Bridge to the Tees Barrage. For families with budding racing cyclists, Middlesbrough has an outdoor velodrome and a 1km cycle circuit.

The countryside around Middlesbrough, particularly east to the coast and south towards the North York Moors, is ripe for road cycling. It feels like a different world from urban Middlesbrough, with rolling hills and well-heeled villages making it seem more like the Home Counties. On a longer day you can get into the Moors themselves where the climbs are spectacular; Rosedale Chimney is one of the steepest climbs in Britain. Komoot has a good selection of road routes to download. As ever, however, the best way to explore on road is with a local club.

CTC Teesside has regular rides.

Middlesbrough isn’t a bad place to live for mountain biking, as long as you’re willing to travel a little. Guisborough Forest, 12 miles away, has a short (4.5 mile) blue route. For more experienced mountain bikers, Hamsterley Forest (37 miles away) has blue, red and black graded trails, as well as Danny Hart’s Descend Bike Park. There’s also plenty of natural trails to explore on the North York Moors if you have a guidebook.

Bike shops in Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough has fewer bike shops than you might expect from its size, but there are nevertheless a selection of Cyclescheme retailers in the area that are highly rated by customers. Here are three of them.

Skinnergate Cycles on Brunswick Street in neighbouring Stockton-on-Tees is Teesside’s largest independent bike shop, with more than 150 bikes in stock from brands including Cube, Trek and Eovolt. Cyclescheme customer comment: “Really helpful and patient as I’d made a few errors with my email which they were happy to help me with.”

GO Outdoors Stockton-on-Tees is the nearest branch of the national outdoor store. Its cycling concession, open seven days a week, is run by Leisure Lakes Bikes and stocks Cube, Merida, Orbea and Whyte bikes. Customer comment: “Although I knew what bike I wanted, a chat about riding and bikes demonstrated the bike section guy knew his onions. Would buy again.”

Godleys Cycles in nearby Nunthorpe specialises in road and gravel bikes from Ridley. The shop runs several social rides a week and also organises training camps abroad. Customer comment: “Great customer service and knowledge of cycling.”

Keeping your bike secure in Middlesbrough

By postcode area, bike theft in the Middlesbrough area isn’t terrible. It’s in the worst 40% of places in England and Wales but has nothing like the levels seen in Cambridge or parts of London. However, theft levels in the town itself are significantly higher than the national average. The areas around Middlesbrough Railway Station and the University of Teesside are hotspots.

Always lock your bike whenever you turn your back on it, ideally with a Sold Secure Gold or Diamond rated lock. Lock the bike through the frame to a sturdy piece of street furniture or a dedicated cycle stand. If you have a high value bike or will be leaving it locked up for an extended period – for example, overnight – use two locks.

The vast majority of bike thefts take place not on the street but in ‘semi-private’ locations at home. That means on your property but not in the house – for example, a garage, shed or garden. Lock your bike to a wall or ground anchor if it will be in one of those locations. Alternatively, park it indoors.