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Parents in law live in Bishops Cleeve, I went for a walk up on the hill today and saw a few people on bikes so thought next time we are visiting I may take the bike. I've found quite a few GPS routes online but without much info on them. Anybody recommend some routes or parts that can't be missed?
Cheers
local knowledge goes far further than any GPS. nature of the place GPS isn't really helpful. Stick to the paths, keep off the golf greens and explore. nice stuff along the cliffs near the golf course above queens wood*, paths over towards the dry valley and the washpool valley, but cattle are making a mess of the washpool.
*Do not, DO NOT!!!!! think that riding up queens wood is a short quick way onto cleeve hill from bishops Cleeve, if it is dry/frozen (dry means months of no rain) then it is rideable.
It's definitely a good area to bring your bike and disappear from the in-laws for a couple of hours, though with all this rain, Cleeve is far from being at it's best, you'd be better off heading into Cheltenham and going up Leckhampton Hill and around.
If it does dry up (or you wait for the winter freeze), some good descents are: West Down into the wooded bridleway, valley into Postlip hall and Queens wood (look at an OS map).
you'd be better off heading into Cheltenham and going up Leckhampton Hill and around.
your saying lecky in wet weather? are you mad? Cleeve holds up far better, agreed not at its best, but at least it drains unlike most of the trails on Leckhampton. never seen so much standing water on Sandy Lane as i have this last week, and that is after riding up there for 20years. I really dread to think what it will be like when the trees stop pulling the water from the ground.
Cleeve is my regular ride - I've ridden there both today and yesterday, I have to say I was amazed with how hard the ground is and at the lack of puddles.
Some of the routes off the hill are a tad more challenging at the moment as the storm water has washed away some of the stones and exposed the rock beneath them but it's all good.
As for GPS routes its more of a case of follow you nose and remembering to turn at a certain bush etc.
There is plenty to explore up there, put a post on here next time you are visiting and I'm sure you'll have plenty of volunteers to show you around.
mrmo, the whole area is in a bad way because of the rain, but me and my riding group have found we can get a better, faster flowing 15 mile post-work loop around Lecky (Sandy Lane, Salterly, South Hill, Coberley, 7 Springs, Daisy Bank) than we can on Cleeve. Back in the dry February/March we were riding Cleeve each week.
fair enough, not really riding Leckhampton, which does make sense. My tendency is to loop Leckhampton to Cleeve, and stay out of the woods. Sandy lane is usually ridable, but gets slippy on the rocks at the bottom and very wet on the flat just as you approach Hartley lane, although the surfacing of the Cotswold way should mean the climb up Goatsteps,( the climb to the very top at the top of the first sandy lane climb, ) then followed by the descent towards Hartley lane should now be ok in bad weather. Needlehole is OK once you get past the turn for the "field of doom" ad reach the forge that is Needlehole.
I have always found that Leckhampton hill proper really doesn't do wet weather very well whereas however bad it gets you can usually find somewhere on Cleeve that isn't too bad.
Cheers guys. I don't have a GPS device so really was just after some routes to look at before I attempted a ride so I have some idea of direction. I'll give this a bump when I know when I am over there, see if any guides are hanging about the hill!