Distance
207km
Climbing
2330 m
AAA points
TBC
Controls
Tenbury
Bishop’s Castle
Ironbridge
Plus three information controls.
No expensive fees, no headline sponsors, no goodie bags, no numbers, no gold standard times, no broom wagons and no pretending at the finish to have looked into the jaws of hell and survived.
The Autumn Audax is cycling at its best. It’s about a good distance in a day, riding at a sensible pace with good company, travelling through quiet and pleasant countryside in the orange glow of an autumn day before winter arrives.
The South Salopian is a brand new audax route and was voted upon by riders at our 2018 audax. We will be sending an army of cyclists over the Dyke into the badlands of The Marches borderlands. Riders will experience the charming countryside of the Teme Valley before swinging northwards through Marches via Hopton Castle to reach the quaint market town and of Bishops Castle. Overall, the route is not too hilly but there is a stiff climb over northern extremity of The Long Mynd, after which life returns comfortable again. After the ruling descent from the Stretton Hills along the Roman Road, you will soon arrive at historic Coalbrookdale and its famous Ironbridge. After a sharp pull out of Coalport, it is a gentle return stage to Belbroughton via Kinver.
Riders simply stop at the controls and collect evidence of proof of passages (an ATM, till or café receipt) and answer information questions shown in their brevet card – just to make sure that everyone’s ride can be validated as a true audax at the end of the day. Control points are located in towns where plenty of cafes and shops can be found.