After last week’s visit to the Welsh mountain, the hilly theme continued this week with May’s Captain’s Challenge – The Hilly Randonee – 1600m of climbing over 100km taking in some of the regular Mendip climbs. The ride headed out of Clevedon with one of the few flat sections, picked up additional riders at Congresbury en route to Sandford to start the days climbing – a deceptive hill to Shipham, quickly followed by the short, sharp incline of Longbottom.
What goes up must come down – Cheddar Gorge – and onwards to Draycott and upwards again Westbury Quarry Climb (luckily not Draycott Steep) before back down Ebbor and coffee at Wookey Hub (some of the best flapjacks around according to one of the group)
Despite the temptation to stay relaxing in the sun, the ride continued back to Wookey and up Old Bristol road, before dropping down the other side to Harptree, followed quickly by The Wrangle (you should experience it, if you’ve never tried it) – a brief respite on the legs across the top and down Two Trees before the undulation back roads to Redhill and onwards to Wrington, for the final climb (Wrington Hill) and back home
