Any good training climbs on cleehill or the malverns?

mikeh202

Hi All

Does anyone know any decent routes that take in Cleehill (preferably ones I can download a GPS file for).

Also looking for some good training climes on the Malverns - struggling to find the best routes on mapmyride and bikely.

Any help and advice much appreciated.

Mike

BigDarbs

Hi, there are plenty of good climbs, I guess it is up to you how you link them together.

I haven't got a route that you can put onto GPS, but the following roads are good, long climbs, have a look on Google maps and all of these roads are easily identified:

The A4117 from Ludlow to Clee Village up Angel Bank is long and hard because you can see the road a long way ahead.

The A4117 from Hopton Wafers up Hopton bank is a very good climb, again you are staring a long way ahead up a stright road. This road can be fairly busy though with HGV's to the quarries..

The B4214 from Tenbury to Clee village is a steady climb with a couple of hairpins at about 2/3rds distance then a long straight up to the top.

There are loads of other minor country lanes up Clee Hill, but I have learned from experience that the condition of the surfaces can be very variable.

A good Malvern route that I still do occasionally is to ride from Kidderminster (where I live) through Leigh Sinton into Malvern town centre on the A449, right onto the B4218 (Wyche road) (Good climb #1) through Wyche cutting, then just after the cutting take the left follow the B4232 Jubilee Drive. At the end turn left, (there is a cafe on this junction) back down the A449, as the descent levels out turn very sharp right back on yourself onto the A4104 to Welland. In Welland turn right on the B4208 towards Gloucester.

When you reach the A438 turn right towards Ledbury (Good climb #2) , past Eastnor castle (this climbs back over the southern end of Malvern) At the A449 turn right towards Malvern, then before the straight climb starts take the left on the B4218 towards Colwall Stone. Stay on this road and you will climb (Good climb #3) back up towards Wyche Cutting. Just before the cutting take the left B4232 and it drops steadily back towards the north end of malvern, back to Leigh Sinton.

There is some serious climbing in that route, and it takes into account most of the good climbs and descents (especially when there is a 30 mile ride home at the end!!) There is some great countryside to be in as well, especially on the southern part of the circuit.

Hope that helps.

mikeh202

Thank you mate I really appreciate the trouble you have gone to here - I now feel obligated to ride em all and will do so just as soon as the snow melts!!