Checked out most of the local Trans Pennine Trail. Gone west to Dunford Bridge, east to Harlington and north Wakey way. Are there any lesser known cycle routes that mostly avoid roads I could give a go? Pub at the end to undo my good work is preferred but not necessary
i dont know if you still can but your bike used to travel for free on the train after 0900 and a couple of us used to go through to donny ( bentley) and come back on the trail ( 25 ish miles) or from bentley through the back end of donny, thorpe marsh, trumfleet, fishlake, all mega flat and when not on the trail its very quiet country lanes. go on the sustrens website and you can pick cycling maps up for specific areas
At Wortley you can go through on the TPT to Greno woods, Ecclesfield, Shiregreen, Meadowhall, Blackburn Meadows Rotherham. Also to Rother Valley Country Park to Chesterfield. Further afield we like Clumber Park, High Peak Trail, Monsal Trail and around Derwent. Also Bamford and around Win Hill.
TPT North through Royston, Waterton Park, Walton to Stanley Ferry is lovely. You can carry on further through Woodlesford and stay on designated cycle paths into Leeds City centre. Walton to Stanley Ferry is now routed on the recently built Wakefield Eastern Relief Road (Neil Fox Way) where there is a cycle path alongside it, but you can go over Heath Common for a more scenic route.
Hermit Hill lane, cross M1, track to Higham bottom then to Silkstone waggonway, blacker lane, down to oxspring, tpt to wortley station (through tunnel), finkle street to Wortley, through wortley park to tankerersley, Black lane past Kes's home, harley, barrow lane, elsecar to brampton on tpt, tpt home to barnsley. About 30 miles.
You could carry on past Mexboro’ and onto Sprotbro’ falls. A few pubs on that route. The Ash Inn has extended its beer Garden also does meals. You could call at the cafe at the Old Moor Bird Sanctuary, then there’s a cafe on Manvers lake at Wath. It’s a nice cycle route out that way.
Catch train to Penistone then cycle up past Cubley Hall and over to Midhope. Then follow road over the Strines and join with A57 down to Ladybower and on to Bamford then catch train to Sheffield and eventually back to Barnsley.
Follow TPT to Dunford then make your way down into Holmfirth turn left at the traffic lights then follow road up over Holme moss down to Crowden and follow road back towards Penistone but take a left and continue back down to Dunford bridge and TPT back to Barnsley
You can get to the East coast, depends how far you want to go. My mate did the coast to coast challenge from Southport to Hornsea over 3 days.