Tour d'Arts Alive - The Long One

The 110km Long route on the Tour is pretty much unchanged from 2015.  It was popular last year with participants commenting on the mix of challenging climbs, high mountain roads and quick, safe descents.

Route Description

The Long route riders will have plenty of warm up from the start in Clun all the way around to Bishop's Castle where a brief ramp in the town (Col du Bishop's Castle on Strava) takes them out on another long, fast road over to Chuchstoke.  Just after Churchstoke they'll encounter the first and actually the most difficult obstacle   - Weston Bank. 

Weston Bank

This toughie comes immediately after the food stop in Priestweston and goes upwards at a good 15% for a long stretch.  Climbers will need to save something for the top as it's the steepest bit.  Luckily there's no "tail" to this climb - it hits 20% briefly and then flattens almost immediately - full description on separate page.

A remote, high road up on Stiperstones is their reward before a safe descent down towards Bridges and a ride north before the 2nd climb - known as Ker's Climb on Strava - a shorter hill up and over the northern end on the Long Mynd (great views) towards Picklescott and another fast descent.

Ker's Climb

They then ride though the Strettons and out going south to encounter the short but nasty Minton Road climb.  This is usually gravelly and can catch out the unaware.   A drop through more gravelly roads gets them around to the long but gentle climb up to Edgton.  Here they join up with the Inbetweener and Short route riders and all drop together towards Aston-on-Clun.

Hopton Castle

New for 2016 is a right turn in Aston and out via very quiet roads to pass by Hopton Castle thus avoiding about half of the local B-roads used in 2015.  A new food stop in Bucknell leads to the usual scenic road around to New Invention and the last climb around the back with an average grade of 10%, and a final screaming descent down into Clun - lots of people commented on the fast return into Clun in 2015.



Stats, map and profile

Imperial Units - 68 miles and 5,000ft total climb

Metric - 110km and 1,525m of climbing

Ride with GPS map - link

68 mile/110km

5,000ft/1,525m