- Location
- Shrewsbury, Shropshire
I got out to the Long Mynd today. I aim to ride up there once a month but I haven't got for about 2 months now and haven't done this particular route since about March.
The weather was pretty good for cycling - quite warm but misty so the sun wasn't beating down too hard.
To start with I went via Lyth Hill to spend as little time as possible on the A49, then headed out to Church Stretton via Condover, Ryton, Longnor and All Stretton. Then the route continued past Little Stretton and Minton before starting the big climb of the day at Hamperley.
While climbing Nutbatch I came across a group of people on mountain bikes who didn't look like they were enjoying the climb much and had stopped to study the map. They flagged me down and asked how far it was to the downhill. I was a bit cheeky and pointed back the way I'd come.
Apparently they were staying in the camping pods at Blazing Bikes of Marshbrook and had planned their route off the map without realising how big the Long Mynd is. (They thought they were near the top. We were actually about 150 to 200ft into a 600ft climb
).
They caught up with me again at the top of this climb while I was having lunch and asked what I thought of their planned route - After struggling up Nutbatch I didn't think that dropping down to Asterton then having to climb about 700 or 800ft back up again
was a great idea and pointed them in the direction of the Little Stretton descent where there is a nice pub to recover in
. I hope they took my advice.
After that it was a routine ride past the gliding club, Pole Bank, and High Park before descending off the hill. I tried a different route back (had to do it from memory as I've only done it once before and didn't bring a map this time.) and took the wrong turn twice.
Finally I went back through Dorrington, Condover again and Lyth Hill before heading home. 38.4 miles, lots of climbing (all I know is maximum height was 1693ft) and an average of 10.9mph.
I took a few photos along the way which are here, with captions so you don't have to guess what you're looking at.
The weather was pretty good for cycling - quite warm but misty so the sun wasn't beating down too hard.
To start with I went via Lyth Hill to spend as little time as possible on the A49, then headed out to Church Stretton via Condover, Ryton, Longnor and All Stretton. Then the route continued past Little Stretton and Minton before starting the big climb of the day at Hamperley.
While climbing Nutbatch I came across a group of people on mountain bikes who didn't look like they were enjoying the climb much and had stopped to study the map. They flagged me down and asked how far it was to the downhill. I was a bit cheeky and pointed back the way I'd come.
Apparently they were staying in the camping pods at Blazing Bikes of Marshbrook and had planned their route off the map without realising how big the Long Mynd is. (They thought they were near the top. We were actually about 150 to 200ft into a 600ft climb ).They caught up with me again at the top of this climb while I was having lunch and asked what I thought of their planned route - After struggling up Nutbatch I didn't think that dropping down to Asterton then having to climb about 700 or 800ft back up again
was a great idea and pointed them in the direction of the Little Stretton descent where there is a nice pub to recover in . I hope they took my advice.After that it was a routine ride past the gliding club, Pole Bank, and High Park before descending off the hill. I tried a different route back (had to do it from memory as I've only done it once before and didn't bring a map this time.) and took the wrong turn twice.
Finally I went back through Dorrington, Condover again and Lyth Hill before heading home. 38.4 miles, lots of climbing (all I know is maximum height was 1693ft) and an average of 10.9mph.
I took a few photos along the way which are here, with captions so you don't have to guess what you're looking at.
, cake and ice cream 
