Medium routes (35-50km)
These routes are perfect if you have a couple hours to spare and want to explore a little further from town. If you are planning on joining the medium club rides then these are the kind of routes to expect.
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Nailsea - Claverham Drove - up Belmont
Distance: 40km Elevation: 435m If you're in need of some peace and quiet then this is the ride for you. Practically flat for Bristol rides, this routes takes you along some beautiful lanes in the middle of fields which go for miles. Starting out going down Ashton Court, head into Nailsea and then along Nailsea Wall Lane. At the end of this road take a sharp left onto Kenmoor Road. Your next left turn down Claverham Drove is very sharp so make sure you break in advance! You'll stick on this road for a while, enjoying the view and hopefully some fast, quiet roads. To get home, you'll turn onto Brockley Way before heading through Backwell, along the cycle path and then up Belmont. Seeing as you will have saved your legs with no climbs during the main part of the ride, you can now chase that PB up Belmont and down Beggar Bush Lane for satisfying end to your ride. Kennmoor lanes, through Yatton
Distance: 43.3km Elevation: 466m Heading out of town down Beggar Bush Lane and then Clevedon Road, take a left turn onto Church Lane (before the descent into Tickenham). From here enjoy a loop round the lovely Kenn Moor country lanes before heading through Yatton and back home through Backwell and up Belmont Hill. If you fancy a flatter route, then head up Ashton Court instead to knock off a bit of elevation. Up Backwell, down Brockley
Distance: 45km Elevation: 627m This route is the definition of no pain, no gain. It includes getting to ride down Brockley Coombe Road which is always good fun. However, to get to the top of Brockley, you will have to head up a Backwell Hill Road which is a bit of a brutal climb and does go on for a while. Once you're up the hill through, you get to enjoy the descent down Brockley and some lovely quiet lanes before heading through Nailsea and home up Ashton Court. Blagdon Lake
Distance: 48.8km Elevation: 695m Riding to Chew lake (avoiding Dundry!), up along the edge of Mendips with some lovely lanes climbing up from Blagdon lake. This route takes you both in and out of town through Ashton Court. Portishead-Clevedon Coastal Route
Distance: 48.8km Elevation: 639m A route through Clevedon following coastal roads, quiet country lanes and one of the meanest hills around. Taking the standard route out of Bristol (Abbots Leigh Rd -> Beggars Bush Ln -> Clevedon Rd) the fun begins when you turn right onto Portbury Lane. Here you get a relatively long and fast descent with nice wide corners to test your descending skills. At the bottom you take a left and immediate right to take the footbridge over the M5 and follow the A369 into Portishead. There is a climb out of Portishead up Nore Road which brings you up to some nice coastal views (provided the estuary isn't shrouded in mist). Following the road along the coast you eventually descend down on Walton Street onto the B3124. Be careful near the end of this descent, the road becomes quite narrow on a corner and cars can come round quite fast, taking up the entire road. Join the B3124 by turning right at the bottom of Walton and take an immediate right onto Holly Lane. There's another short climb and this winds round to a fun descent into the pier area. Ice cream time. On the way back you re-join the B3124 and then take a right early on, joining Nortons Wood Lane. This is a very quiet and narrow road - take care when riding in a group because cars occupy most of the lane, with it being so narrow, and there are lots of blind corners. Also take note, this road can become a little mucky when wet - if you love your bike spotlessly clean then maybe stick on the B3214. If you aren't so precious, enjoy the lovely vista from Norton Woods Ln -> Clevedon Ln across the valley to your left! Approaching Clapton-in-Gordano you will meet Nash Hill. Take a right and slog your way up this steep and relentless climb. At the top you keep going along Whitehouse Lane and re-join Clevedon Road (B3128). Take a right down Waxall Hill if you prefer an interesting route back (otherwise just blast back on the B3128) and take a left onto the B3130 to and through Long Ashton, finishing up into Ashton Court. Portishead-Clevedon-Brockley
Distance: 47.9km Elevation: 469m This route is great to relieve some stress after a hard day at Uni. Get those legs pumping on some smooth main roads, quiet back roads, and a bit of a kick up of a climb in the middle. Take a friend or two and it can turn into one of the fastest 50km routes in Bristol area. You'll find that you'll ride on main roads as you leave Bristol and return (but nice and roomy for passing cars). These bits can be taken very fast especially if you drag a couple of mates along. However the nice relaxing part of the ride crops up in the middle 20-30km. The roads are blissfully quiet and can be taken at pace or toned down. 20km into your ride there's a 1km climb (Valley Road) that changes things up a little bit, bringing you onto the coast of the Bristol Channel (close to Portishead). From there you'll head into Clevedon and back home along flat country lanes until the last 10km (which will look very familiar if you've been on any club rides to the West of Bristol.) Dundry- Chew Valley Lakes
Distance: 50km Elevation: 724m Venture to Chew Valley lakes and tackle Dundry on this manageable ride. To start the ride it's best to go down through Ashton Court to Long Ashton and take the 2nd left in the village to the A38. This will bring you to the bottom of Dundry (left turn off A38). Dundry is one of the well known hills in the Bristol area. It is easily identifiable by the tall church tower at the summit of the climb. Once over the hill you'll descend to a mini roundabout a veer left to Chew Magna. From here continue along rolling roads around Chew Valley lake back up to the mini roundabout you arrived at earlier. You'll utilise the only exit you haven't used already (first, left) and head to Winford. You'll pop up in a familiar area that will bring you back into Long Ashton and through Ashton Court Estate to finish. Clevedon - Brockley - Dundry
Distance: 50km A nice little route ideal for Wednesday evenings if you fancy a bit of added elevation. This route takes you first down Portbury and to Clevedon before heading back towards Chelvey and up Brockley Coombe Road. This is a long gentle climb which brings you parallel to Bristol Airport. After this, you head through Winford with an incline before descending Dundry and heading back through Long Ashton and up Ashton Court. |
Author: Lottie Marshall Author: Lottie Marshall Author: Jack Rae Author: Tom Mowbray Author: Tom Mowbray |
