Ride Introduction
A varied route with a bit of everything from flat easy going roads on the Somerset Levels to plenty of challenging climbs up and over the Mendip Hills rewarded by fun flowing descents. Starting from Wells you will be taking on 7 featured climbs interspersed with a jaunt out to the coast past traditional British seaside towns. The highlight of both the medium & long route is the iconic Cheddar Gorge but with plenty of other hills to get over and one of the hardest saved for last this is a tasty early season challenge. It’s not all about the ups though, climbs mean descents and there’s a long mainly downhill stretch to the finish to look forward to.
Ride Highlights
Ride Highlights
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Climbing Cheddar Gorge: One of the most legendary climbs in the UK, the stunning Cheddar Gorge comes half way through the ride.
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Quick, quiet lanes on the Levels: The first half of the route includes a lot of fast country lanes on the flat. Time to form a nice group and enjoy the free miles.
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Take on 7 big climbs of the Mendips: In the heart of Somerset, the Mendips is packed with climbs of all varieties from the nearly 4km Cheddar Gorge to Harptree Hill averaging 10%.
| Distance | Elevation | Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Route | 148km | 1800m | 3/5 |
| Medium Route | 110km | 1,237m | 2/5 |
What's Included
Private Feed Stop
Feed Stops every 40km
After Party
Food & drink at the end
Mechanic
Support at start & en route
Timing Chips
Timing chips & Strava sections
Sign-Posted Route
Fully sign posted route
Ride Marshalls
Marshalls supporting you on ride
The Somerset Dipper
A varied route with a bit of everything from flat easy going roads on the Somerset Levels to plenty of challenging climbs up and over the Mendip Hills rewarded by fun flowing descents. Starting from Wells you will be taking on 7 featured climbs interspersed with a jaunt out to the coast past traditional British seaside towns. The highlight of both the medium & long route is the iconic Cheddar Gorge but with plenty of other hills to get over and one of the hardest saved for last this is a tasty early season challenge. It’s not all about the ups though, climbs mean descents and there’s a long mainly downhill stretch to the finish to look forward to.
Ride Details
Start Time : From 8am
Finish time : By 6pm
Location : Wells
What’s Included
- GPX Files & Sign Posted Route
- Regular Feed Stops and Mechanical Support
- Ride marshalls on the route to support you
- Post ride beers & food
- Finishers medal
Route Notes
Starting from Wells, famous for it's cathedral and as the film location for Hot Fuzz, we initially skirt the edge of the Mendip Hills for a chance to warm up the legs on the Somerset Levels. We'll pass by Cheddar early in the ride but the Gorge comes later. Instead we first climb over the Mendip ridge via Shipham Hill before back onto to some more rolling roads for a trip to the traditional British seaside town of Weston-Super-Mare. Leaving the coast behind we're heading back to towards the Mendip Hills with a challenging climb via Canada Coombe to some stunning views from the top of Bleadon Hill. From here we follow the Mendips ridge back to Cheddar to ride up the iconic Cheddar Gorge. The reward for that climbing is it's shortly followed by a fun flowing descent down Burrington Coombe and a lap around Blagdon and Chew Valley Lakes. Save something in your legs as the last major climb of Harptree Hill is probably the toughest of the day to take you back over the Mendip ridge one last time before picking up a long downhill run with views across to Glastonbury Tor to bring you back to the finish.
Key Climbs
| Distance | Elevation | Avg Gradient | Segment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shipham Hill | 1.9km | 139m | 7.2% |  |
| Canada Coombe | 1.7km | 99m | 5.9% | |
| Winscombe Hill | 1.2km | 80m | 6.5% | |
| Cheddar Gorge | 3.7km | 153m | 4.1% | |
| Butcombe Lane | 0.8km | 37m | 4.7% | |
| Harptree Hill | 1.1km | 117m | 10.2% | |
| Nedge Hill | 0.8km | 27m | 3.4% | |
Feed Stops
| Location | Facilities | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wick St Lawrence | Mechanic, OTE bars & gels, fruit, cakes, waffles, water, hydration |
| 2 | Priddy | Mechanic, OTE bars & gels, fruit, cakes, waffles, water, hydration |
| 3 | Mechanic, OTE bars & gels, fruit, cakes, waffles, water, hydration |
Starting from Wells, famous for it's cathedral and as the film location for Hot Fuzz, we initially skirt the edge of the Mendip Hills for a chance to warm up the legs on the Somerset Levels. We'll pass by Cheddar early in the ride but the Gorge comes later. Instead we first climb over the Mendip ridge via Shipham Hill before back onto to some more rolling roads for a trip to the traditional British seaside town of Weston-Super-Mare. Leaving the coast behind we're heading back to towards the Mendip Hills with a challenging climb via Canada Coombe to some stunning views from the top of Bleadon Hill. From here we follow the Mendips ridge back to Cheddar to ride up the iconic Cheddar Gorge. With the gorge behind us we're rewarded with some more rolling roads before a long downhill run with views across to Glastonbury Tor to bring you back to the finish.
Key Climbs
| Distance | Elevation | Avg Gradient | Segment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shipham Hill | 1.9km | 139m | 7.2% | |
| Canada Coombe | 1.7km | 99m | 5.9% | |
| Winscombe Hill | 1.2km | 80m | 6.5% | |
| Cheddar Gorge | 3.7km | 153m | 4.1% | |
| Nedge Hill | 0.8km | 27m | 3.4% | |
Feed Stops
| Location | Facilities | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wick St Lawrence | Mechanic, OTE bars & gels, fruit, cakes, waffles, water, hydration |
| 2 | Priddy | Mechanic, OTE bars & gels, fruit, cakes, waffles, water, hydration |
Ride Rules
Riders should have water bottles, the route downloaded, suitable clothing & a bike in good condition. Helmets at all times are mandatory. We will email you Covid protocols before the ride depending on the laws and guidelines at the time.
We are lucky enough to ride in beautiful places. We have a zero tolerance litter policy – there will be bins at each feed stop so please leave the area as you found it. Please be respectful of local drivers, riders, walkers etc. This is their home, we are just there to ride our bikes. On the ride, look after other cyclists. On narrow lanes & busy sections, don’t ride two a breast. No half wheeling. Take extra caution on the descents – the nature of these rides are that they will be full of tough climbs and technical descents. We will run through the major hazards before the ride but it is your responsibility to ride to your level. By signing up for this ride, you need to be in suitable physical shape for the ride.
What's Included
GPX Files & Sign Posted Route
Regular Feed Stops and Mechanical Support
Ride marshalls on the route to support you
Post ride beers & food
Finishers medal