After a year long hiatus we are bringing Bike Bath back for 2024 and after being based in the centre of Bath for ten years, we are moving to a new home in the heart of the Cotswolds AONB. The event will start and finish at Westonbirt School near Tetbury, a venue which is steeped in history and set within 210 acres of picturesque gardens.
Our new home at Westonbirt School allows us to explore new routes around the stunning countryside of the Cotswolds and it's quintessentially English villages of honey-coloured stone.
There will be a choice of routes provisionally 28, 55 and 78 miles long, catering for everyone from the experienced club rider to the first-time sportive rider. So why not get a group of friends together, or enter on your own, to experience the excitement and camaraderie of cycling an event with hundreds of other like minded people.
As an entrant to Bike Bath, you will benefit from:
🚴 A choice of 3 fully marked routes with a back up route map and GPS files
🚴 Feed stations on the long and medium routes
🚴 On-course first aid and mechanical support
🚴 A medal and post-ride food
🚴 Free event parking
🚴 Exclusive 25% off discount code at bullfrogbottles.com
The team behind Bike Bath have been have been hard at work, planning, plotting and tweaking to come up with some great routes for this year's event. We're now confident we've got some really good routes for you, however these are provisional and subject to change after further reconnaissance and risk assessments.
All routes head north skirting Tetbury, past Chavenage House - the Poldark family pile - and Cherington. The medium and long routes continue north up Sapperton Hill as the short route continues east and then turns south at Tarlton, through quintessential Cotswold villages Culkerton and Ashley and then Long Newton and Shipton Moyne.
Having ascended Sapperton Hill, the medium and long route riders soon get their first opportunity to refuel at Fire & Flow Coffee Roastery. From here the routes meet up with the River Coln and follow it south to Ablington, where the long route splits and heads north for an additional loop through more chocolate box villages Northleach, Windrush - on the river from which it derives its name - and Hatherop before rejoining the medium route at Bibury - which William Morris called 'The most beautiful village in England’.
Both routes head south from here via a second feed station at Poulton to Down Ampney, before heading west through the Cotswold Waterpark - the United Kingdom's largest marl lake system, straddling the Wiltshire–Gloucestershire border. Onwards through Crudwell before turning south and rejoining the short route just north of Long Newnton, before returning to Westonbirt School.
For rider safety we do have a cut-off time of 4pm, but this provides ample time and should allow many types of rider to enjoy Bike Bath (Cotswolds).
At the start, riders set off in pods of about 20 after a briefing. There will be a female only pod for each of the ride distances for anyone who would prefer this.
There are toilet facilities at the start/finish and at the feed stations. Period products will be available in all female toilets and from female members of Iconic Cycling Events Staff/volunteers.
There are changing facilities at the start and finish and a bag drop at the start.
There will be post ride massages available from Bryan from The Bike The Body in return for a donation to Dorothy House.
Please get in touch if there are any other facilities or assistance that you would find useful and would aid your participation and enjoyment of Bike Bath (Cotsowlds)
By Car: Parking is available for free at Westonbirt School. Westonbirt is 3.5 miles south-west of Tetbury in Gloucestershire, off the A433 road to Bath.
There is mechanical support on the rides, but we recommend that everyone is self- sufficient and carries:
The feed stop will be stocked with a range of sweet and savoury high energy food products, as well as water, but we also recommend carrying:
You can cycle in anything you feel comfortable in, but we recommend:
If you become pregnant after entering Bike Bath (Cotswolds) and no longer wish to participate in this year’s event, please get in touch. We can either defer your place or offer you a refund.
New for 2024, following the success of our Walk Oxford event, we are launching Walk Westonbirt as an exciting addition to Bike Bath. Starting from Westonbirt School, you now have a choice of three routes, either 7.5, 10 or 12 miles exploring the beautiful Cotswold countryside.
Whilst the team have been out route checking and marking, they have encountered a few problems with overgrown paths and a dangerous style so we have made a few changes in the route. This has resulted in us extending the shortest route by nearly a mile, however it has also presented the opportunity to add a third route (a middle distance) of 10 miles.
Please take a good look at the routes, it doesn't matter which one you are registered to, you can take your pick, but you just need to turn up at the appropriate time on the day.
12.3 miles - 08:30 start
10 miles - 09:30 start
7.5 miles - 10:30 start
View the routes on Ride With GPS, komoot or download the GPX file.
SHORT ROUTE: click for RWGPS | click for komoot | GPX file | Cue sheet
MEDIUM ROUTE: click for RWGPS | click for komoot | GPX file | Cue sheet
LONG ROUTE: click for RWGPS | click for komoot | GPX file | Cue sheet
The routes will be marked, with a biodegradable twine, which will be explained in your re-event briefing, and you will also receive a sketch map of the route with cues
Our charity partner for the 2024 Bike Bath - Cotswolds event is Dorothy House Hospice. You can help support this charity by adding a donation to your booking at the basket, or by using our events to fundraise for them directly.
To join the Dorothy House Team and receive a FREE cycling top, please email events@dorothyhouse-hospice.org.uk.
Dorothy House provides expert hospice care and support for local patients facing a life-limiting illness as well their families in Bath & North East Somerset and parts of Wiltshire and Somerset. The services and broader care are delivered by the charity completely free of charge, providing comfort and dignity to people in the community and helping them to live each day to the full.
To get the latest information about the 2024 Bike Bath - Cotswolds or 2024 Walk Westonbirt events sign up to our newsletter.
If you are interested in sponsoring or collaborating with us on any of our events, or bringing a corporate team to utilise one of our events as a cost effective way of running a company day or entertaining clients then please email Richard at re@iconiccyclingevents.co.uk.
Likewise, if you would like to hear more about setting up a bespoke event, please get in touch
