Cicerone Cycling In The Cotswolds

Cicerone - Cycling in the Cotswolds

Packed with routes right across the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, this guidebook is all you need to explore the lanes and tracks of this much-loved area on two wheels–off-road on your mountain bike or on-road on your road bike or a bit of both on hybrid/sturdy bike.

Included are 21 half and full-day cycle routes, illustrated with clear custom-drawn maps and profiles, as well as a 4-day 200-kilometre tour of the Cotswolds which takes in all of the Cotswolds' best highlights. Routes are arranged by difficulty, ranging from moderate to challenging, and full information is provided for the novice cyclist on first aid, bike maintenance, gear to take or hire and much more.

There are also comprehensive lists of local gear and cycle shops passed along the routes, and information about where to stop for those vital refreshments. With a good network of quiet cycle-friendly lanes and canal paths the Cotswolds boasts a beautifull mix of dramatic rolling countryside views and pretty Cotswold villages.

Seasons Seasons:

Routes are best ridden in dry conditions (usually mid-spring to mid-autumn); winter/prolonged wet conditions can get make them very boggy/flooded

Centres Centres:

Stratford-upon-Avon, Shipston-on-Stour, Burford-on-the-Water, Winchcombe, Cirencester, Fairford, Stow-on-the-Wold, Shipton-under-Wychwood, Cheltenham, Stroud, Malmesbury, Bradford-on Avon/Bath

Difficulty Difficulty:

Routes are graded moderate to challenging, although very short off-road sections may be challenging at all grades for those new to off-road riding; mountain bikes are recommended, but alternatives are given for road bikes wherever possible; basic level of fitness required for all routes, more for longer/multiday routes

Must See:

Old-world charm, local honey-coloured limestone, thatched roofs and half-timbered buildings in impossibly pretty villages; wide variety of history from neolithic through Roman times to Middle Ages, long barrows, wool towns and ancient markets; Two Tunnels cycle route and a 4-day tour of whole area