Two beautiful supported and sociable one-day rides starting and finishing in the historic mediaeval city of Wells, totalling 125 miles in honour of the chosen charity we're supporting, the wonderful Bristol-based One25. Rides are on quiet roads and take in the wonderful countryside of Somerset and Dorset.
Both days are limited to 30 people per day and are on sale for the special price of £57 per day (standard price £75) until December 7th. £1 of every day you enter goes to support the charity and we'll share how you can fundraise for them too if you wish, although there's absolutely no obligation.
Saturday: The Mendip Meander
Enjoy a flat first half of the ride passing through the neighbouring city of Glastonbury, home of Glastonbury Tor, once famed in Arthurian and Grail legend and now for its music festival. It was even said to be the home of the king of the fairies, so watch out, they’re troublesome little creatures and if you get a flat tyre, you know who to blame.
From here, head into the wetlands of the Somerset levels, flooded at the end of the last ice-age but hugely important in the history of mankind. Pass by ancient ‘lake villages’ now home to peaceful nature reserves.
The second half of the day commences after lunch as we climb through the steep-sided Cheddar Gorge, famed for its prehistoric caves (and cheese), a place where you still wouldn’t be surprised to see dinosaurs roamingHead up onto the Mendip Hills, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and enjoy a more undulating afternoon descending to the shores of Chew Valley Lake, before heading back over the hills and rolling gently down to the finish in Wells for a few well-earned refreshments (cider is optional of course).
Overnight stay
We’ll be staying in Wells overnight on the Saturday between the two rides. We do not provide accommodation for anyone joining us for both events, so you have the flexibility to choose a location and budget best suited to your requirements. We will however book a table for an evening meal in a local pub or restaurant on the Saturday night, so you can join us to socialise with fellow riders if you wish. This is not included in the event price but we’ll let you know the venue, meal options and price nearer the time and you can join us if you wish. We do not charge a fee for organising this, only the price of the meal.
Sunday: The Dorset Dally
The morning sees us head south-east through quaint old towns and villages and peaceful rolling countryside, before stopping for lunch in the town of Shaftesbury. It was actually here that the famous Hovis advert was filmed on the steep, cobbled, Gold Hill, and not in Yorkshire as many believe. Don’t worry though, you don’t have to cycle up!
Head home in the afternoon over Cranborne Chase, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty known for its chalk hills, river valleys and ancient woodlands, including a descent of the famous Alfred’s Tower, much easier than climbing it.
The vast majority of the ride takes place on peaceful country roads, so you can simply turn the pedals and admire the views
- 18 May 2019 8:00am
- Tickets On Sale
- One25 Cider Rider: The Mendip MeanderOne25 Cider Rider: The Mendip MeanderWells, Somerset, UK
- Up to 105 km (65 miles)
- From 57.00 GBP
- 30 Riders
Extra Information
All of our rides are designed to be highly sociable and accessible to the widest possible range of abilities and fitness levels; a cross between a sportif and touring holiday feel. We schedule a number of rides over a weekend to allow you to join us for any one or all of them and provide lots of support throughout with group lead riders, a support van for safety, mechanical assistance and tasty feed stations with real food and drink instead of gloopy gels. Accommodation is not included to allow you flexibility to suit your tastes and budget.
Group lunches at tea rooms and coffee shops are included and we oragnise evening meals (not included in the event entry price) if you want to socialise with new friends and share the highlights of the day.
Ride numbers are limited to 30 per day to give the rides a real family feel and we choose routes through the most beautiful countryside to ensure a focus on both physical and mental wellbeing. There are medals for all and we also present spot prizes during evening meals for special highlight moments of the day. Our hope is that you finish having made new friends, feeling proud of your achievements, refreshed and balanced.
What’s included?
Both rides include:
- Guide/pace riders - three or four lovely cycling sherpas who’ll lead you round. you simply choose which pace seems right for you
- Vehicle support - the van will be on hand for mid-morning and mid-afternoon feed stations, as well as mechanical, motivational and first-aid support
- A range of natural and homemade foods and drinks to fuel you, plus an organised lunch stop in a tea room or cafe at approximately halfway
- An online group area where you can get to know fellow riders, ask questions and get hints and tips before the day
- Access to a shared file after the event where you can download and upload photos from the days for sharing
- A lovely shiny balance medal for taking on and overcoming the challenge
- Secret spot prizes are also awarded over the weekend
