All of the routes will start and finish at National Trust sites, and the first ride takes place in Pembrokeshire in West Wales on the 1 May.
Philip Broadbent-Yale, Outdoors Programme Manager at the National Trust, comments, “These rides offer a fantastic way to see amazing countryside and have been specifically designed to cater for all ages and abilities, from first-time riders to seasoned pros, there’s something for everyone.”
The distances will range from a few miles to more testing 50-100 mile rides, and the routes wind through open countryside and will be fully way-marked and marshalled by professional event organisers. The challenge rides planned for 2011 are:
1 May – National Trust Pembrokeshire Challenge Ride at Stackpole in Wales
19 June – Fathers Day Ride at Dunstable Downs in Bedfordshire
3 July – National Trust White Peak Challenge Ride – Illam, Peak District (TBC)
3 July – Kingston Lacy in Dorset
24 July – Dunstable Downs in Bedfordshire
11 Sept – Wimpole in Cambridgeshire
2 October – Dartmoor Atlantic Challenge at the Parke Estate in Devon
9 October – Sizergh Castle in the Lake District
Also happening this summer will be the Trust’s first ever Cycling Festival which will take place between 16-24 July with fantastic bike-ride events and activities happening at twenty-five locations, including Fountain’s Abbey in Yorkshire and Scotney Castle in Kent.
Philip Broadbent-Yale added, “There are hundreds of thousands of acres of beautiful countryside, historic parks and forests owned by the National Trust just waiting to be explored on two wheels by downloading trails from the website or following way-marked routes.”
More information on the rides, how to register and more downloadable cycle trails can be found at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cycling.
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Hi and welcome. I'm a freelance travel and lifestyle copywriter and editor, with a passion for the great outdoors. This is my personal blog all about getting out in the fresh air and reconnecting with our green spaces and countryside.
