Cheltenham Five Hills Challenge :-)

trickeyja

Today for the first time I was introduced to a training route called the "Five Hills Challenge" from Cheltenham. This combines some of the steepest roads in the area, with four signposted as 25%, resulting in 690m of vertical gain over 17 miles.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Fi ... -Challenge

I have uploaded a route to Bikely.com showing the elevation profile.
Basic route is as follows:
-From Cheltenham, head to Prestbury.
-Up Mill Lane
-Down Mill Lane
-Over to Woodmancote, up Bushcombe Lane (the steepest of the lot and renowned for it)
-Down Bushcombe
-Up Stockwell Lane (25%)
-Down Stockwell until the left hand turn to Post Office lane.
-Up Post Office Lane (25% but quite short)
-Down Stockwell
-Up Gambles Lane (another 25%)
Down Cleeve Hill to Cheltenham.

If you are feeling even more sadistic there is the "Ten Hills Challenge" which I will hopefully complete in the near future. Over 50 miles there is 1750m of vertical gain.
This consists of Leckhampton Hill, Birdlip Hill (a long slog), (Hartley Hill), Kilkenny Hill, Aggs Hill, Ham Hill and then on to the Five Hills Challenge

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Te ... -Challenge

It is certainly good for hill training!