Long Route
100km | 838m
Medium Route
74km | 725m
Ride Overview
One of the great counties in England for cycling, come explore the best back roads, gravel & beaches of glorious Somerset. Featuring longer climbs in the Mendips, fast & flat sections on the Levels and one of the longest beaches to ride on in the country, this route packs in an amazing amount of variety across this charming county.
Choose between a 75km or 100km route starting near Cheddar. Both routes include the 9km section on Brean Beach – a very unique cycling experience, just make sure you pick the right line! After some quick miles on the Levels, the ride finishes in the Mendips. A brilliant & varied ride 👊.
Highlights
- Ride one of the longest beach sections in the UK on the beautiful hard packed sands of Brean Beach.
- Fast sections on the flat Somerset Levels.
- Some glorious climbs in the beautiful Mendips including the iconic Cheddar Gorge – one of the UK’s most picturesque climbs.
Included in Entry
Fully Signed Route
Our team work tirelessly to create the best gravel routes in the UK. All courses are fully signed so you can just enjoy the ride.
Checkpoints with Proper Food
An epic ride deserves proper support. We have tea, coffee and cake at the first feed and sandwiches & crisps at the main feed. Checkpoints are approx every 30 - 35km
Accurate GPX Files
A few days before the ride, we will send GPX files for all of the route options so you can follow the course on your GPS as well as the signs.
Mechanics Available
At the rider village & at selected feed stops we have mechanics available to help with any bike issues. We also have spare inner tubes, CO2 & more .
Rider Support Vans
We are here to make sure you have a great day on the gravel. If you have any major mechanicals or need collecting, support vehicles are a phone call away.
Beer at Finish Line
You will be greeted at the finish line with a beer & food available from our food truck. Perfect to chat about your day with fellow riders.
Event Program
10th Oct – GPX files and pre ride briefing video sent by email to each rider.
12th Oct – 7.45am: Ride village at Mendips Raceway opens. Collecting your ride number takes approx 10 mins.
12th Oct – 8am to 9.30am: Ride start. We will give you a short ride briefing and set you off in small groups.
12th Oct – 6pm: Rider village closes
12th Oct – 7pm: Link to ride times & rider photos sent to each participant by email.
Long Route
Starting out near Cheddar and high up on the top of the Mendip Hills we first follow some of the local roads to descend down to lower ground before picking up some sections of the West Mendip Way taking us out towards the coast and our first feed stop.
It’s then time to hit the beach as we take on the iconic 9km of Brean Sands that forms a unique part of the National Cycle Network. The challenge here is to find the right line where the sand is hard packed – not as easy as it seems as the line keeps changing and you don’t want to get stuck in the soft stuff!
After the beach we head back in land and a chance to recover on the relatively flat terrain Somerset Levels taking in some of the droves that typify the riding in this area before turning north back towards Cheddar.
The final section takes us up the beautiful Cheddar Gorge (3.5km, 4.7% gradient on road) before a lovely rolling section across the top of the Mendip Hills back to the ride village for a well-earned beer.
Percentage of Route Off Road: 40%
Distance:
100km
Elevation:
838m
Difficulty:
3.5/5
Medium Route
The medium route follows the same path as the long route riders descending down off the Mendip Hills and linking sections of the West Mendip Way out towards the coast.
It continues to follow the same route out across Brean Sands and back inland towards the Somerset Levels.
Here medium route riders take a short cut missing some of the droves on the Levels and instead heading straight back towards the climb up Cheddar Gorge to collect their finishers medal and beer back at the event centre.
Percentage of Route Off Road: 40%
Distance:
74km
Elevation:
725m
Difficulty:
3/5
Short Route
The short route follows the medium for the majority of the day but cuts off a section in the middle and near the end to make this nearly 20km shorter. With some nice variety on the off road sections & very little climbing, this is ideal for riders of all abilities.
Percentage of Route Off Road: 55%
Distance:
47km
Elevation:
350m
Difficulty:
1/5
Bike Selection & Packing List
Bike Choice: The route is 50% gravel & 50% back road with a real mix of terrain including hard packed sand on the beach, smooth flat gravel in the levels and rougher old farm tracks. Road bikes are not suitable. E-bikes are allowed on all of our rides.
Tyre Choice: We will send an update on conditions closer to the ride. A wider 40mm allrounder gravel tyre should be ideal for this route.
Packing List: Bring equipment to be self sufficient on the route (inner tubes, sealant, multi-tool, pump or CO2 etc). We recommend a bell to warn walkers / runners of your presence.
Clothing: Likely to be mixed weather in mid Oct, bring layers, arm / knee warmers and a lightweight waterproof jacket etc. Helmets are mandatory, you will not be able to ride without one.
FAQs
The ride starts and finishes just outside Cheddar at Mendips Raceway with stunning views down over Somerset. There is free parking onsite as well as toilets & refreshments. We will send the ride village address by email.
Yes, e-bikes are allowed on all Glorious Gravel ride. These must comply with UK law.
We have first aiders & mechanics at the feed stops. There will be a phone number on the back of your ride number – call this if you need collecting.
Yes, we start between 8am and 9.30am and set people off in small groups so the off road sections are not too busy. Please come to the start line with anyone you want to ride with, we will give a short ride briefing and set you off.