Shrewsbury 50/60 mile routes?

JWSurrey

Hi,

Anyone got any good 50-60 mile training routes on quiet lanes starting in Shrewsbury?
I'm up there for a few days soon.
Preferably something with at least 3,500ft of climbs.

If not, I'm going to head slightly further West and do one of Cycling Weekly's published rides.

simon_e

JWSurrey wrote:

Hi,

Anyone got any good 50-60 mile training routes on quiet lanes starting in Shrewsbury?
I'm up there for a few days soon.
Preferably something with at least 3,500ft of climbs.

I don't have any fixed routes but there are a few possibilities.

Long Mynd - several approaches, with Burway (from Church Stretton) and Asterton (from, er, Asterton) being steepest and IMHO least interesting. Though I haven't ridden them on the bike (yet), I would prefer getting up onto the Mynd via Bridges & Ratlinghope or Thresholds & Picklescott, both to the NW.

A route from Shrewsbury I'd try would be the Longden road to Bridges, then turn right up over Stiperstones, left at The Bog (but try the homemade cakes in the visitor centre first), and then a choice:

Option 1 Nind and West over White Grit (superb views), Priest Weston, Chirbury then North to Forden, NE up over Long Mountain and down to Westbury.

Or option 2 - Bishops Castle, Kerry Ridgeway, Sarn, Cefn y Coed, Montgomery etc. A bit longer.

You could try something that includes Church-Stretton-Hope Bowdler-Wenlock-Edge-Broseley-Ironbridge. Further south there's the Clee Hills (see rides in Cleobury Country PDF).

The County Council have some nice leaflets that include rides in various parts of the county. Go to http://www.shropshire.gov.uk/cycling.nsf , all are available as PDFs as well as hard copy. The new Six Castles ride looks quite taxing. I'm not sure if Shrewsbury TIC (Tel: 01743 281200) would stock them. You sre welcome to any of mine (I have most of the SCC leaflets), I can always pick up more.

In the opposite direction there's always the Berwyns above Oswestry such as the B4580 from Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant to Llansilin and down to Oswestry. The B4579 from Glyn Ceiriog back to Oswestry would be a hard, hilly ride too.

I won't claim to be an expert but If you want to chat more about the area drop me a pm.

JWSurrey

That's magic - Thanks Simon.
Will get memory-map out, and start plotting!

J.