It turns out that I’ve got one day in the Mendips, starting near Bradford on Avon. I have a road bike, no mtb. Any suggestions for what I could do with my self? I need to leave in the next few minutes:-)

Head over to Cheddar Gorge, then if you like hills head up to Shipham (or take the Strawberry Line to Sandford), head to Churchill and pop into the Crown for lunch then head over to Blagdon and Chew before heading back home. No idea how long that would be though.

Good suggestion. I ran out of time to get to Shipham, but went back via some cycle route number 24, which was quite entertaining, especially the huge long tunnel under the ground with the strange avant-garde string quartet music. Possibly I hallucinated that last bit….

The “alpine passes of Mendip ” sic

Essentially a nod to The Black Rat. Basically a loop that climbs and descends around the perimeter. Try to include: harp tree hill, Burrington Combe, Shipham hill, cheddar gorge, west bury hill, deer leap, rookham/Milton, Chewton Mendip hill. Here’s loads of longer more brutal variants. A proper roady will pop up with something more definitive.

Ouch

Take a look at stage 2 on the following link

http://www.bristol-cycling.com/section.php?xSec=927&xPage=1

Tough ride but lap based so you can dip out if you want!