The Round Wiltshire Challenge Ride is a very long and demanding route, mostly following the boundary of Wiltshire and mostly following the Wiltshire Cycleway. There is no ride-leader, no back-markers and no route sheet provided. All participants should be competent and completely self-sufficient with tools, food, maps/GPS, money – and a sense of adventure!
Start: 06:00 prompt – get there early enough to start on time.
Duration: 10-15 hours approx.
Finish time: 16.00 – 21.00 approx.
Start: Yatton Keynell village hall car park (the Wiltshire Cycleway’s nearest point to Chippenham). Parking free all day. Please keep the noise down to avoid disturbing nearby residents.
Route: Wiltshire Cycleway anti-clockwise (key towns on route: Corsham, Bradford-on-Avon, Mere, Salisbury, Upavon, Marlborough, Malmesbury).
Signs & maps: The route is mainly signposted with blue ‘Wiltshire Cycleway’ arrows. Maps here:
www.wiltshire.gov.uk/leisure-wiltshire-cycle-ways
www.wiltshire.gov.uk/wiltshire-cycleway-complete-route.pdf
Pace: Everyone is encouraged to do the ride at their own comfortable pace. There is no expectation that all riders will stay together. It’s likely that different groups of different pace will form.
Finish: The Bell Inn, Yatton Keynell – an ideal spot for celebratory beer, coffee, steak baguettes, fish & chips and other well-deserved recovery food. www.yattonkeynell.com/about-the-village/the-bell-inn/ (From the pub it’s 300m back to the village hall car park.)
Escape routes:
While all participants should be confident in their ability to complete the full distance of 250km, various ‘escape routes’ offer shorter distances back to Chippenham if required:
- Leave main route at Semley, then to Tisbury, along Wylye Valley to Warminster, then direct to Chippenham (making the ride 110 miles approx)
- Leave main route at Netheravon, then to Upavon and direct to Chippenham (120 miles approx)
- Leave main route at Marlborough then direct to Chippenham (140 miles approx)
Cafés etc on the route. Stops are optional, according to group and pace. Suggestions:
- Stourhead – 40 miles – National Trust cafe [about 200m off route] – opens at 9am
- East Knoyle – 50 miles – village shop with hot pastries and coffee machine
- Salisbury – 74 miles – snack bar at train station, many cafe options in city centre
- Amesbury – 84 miles – choice of cafes
- Solstice Park Services – 85 miles – Costa, McDonalds, Pizza Hut etc, plus fuel station shop
- Bulford – 86 miles – fuel station shop
- Marlborough – 118 miles – shops, cafes etc on main street
- Malmesbury – 144 miles – several cafes to provide a much-needed final boost…
Notes
1: At certain points, there may be discrepancies between Wiltshire Cycleway map, Wiltshire Cycleway signs and gpx route. Be prepared for slight confusion, and don’t panic! Routes will quickly re-join.
2: In Salisbury, the official Wiltshire Cycleway route follows cyclepaths through parks etc. It’s scenic but slow-going. For a more direct route through the city (which includes busy main roads and a major roundabout) see the gpx.
3: The route includes Salisbury Plain and the Wiltshire/Wessex Downs, where the local geology produces tiny flints on the roads which can cause punctures, so reasonably strong tyres and several spare tubes are recommended.
And finally…
To reiterate – this is a very long ride. All participants should be competent and completely self-contained, carrying tools, tubes, spares etc, and enough food/drink/money to see them through the day. There is no ride-leader, no back-marker, and no route sheet. Everyone is advised to familiarise themselves with the route in advance and to carry relevant maps and directions (paper or GPS, or both!). Lights are recommended, as it may be dark by the time you finish.
If you think you’ll be taking part and likely to eat at the Bell Inn at the end of the ride, please advise David Else, so the pub can be advised of numbers. Any questions about this ride, please also ask David. mail@davidelse.com