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Wadebridge Coasters CC
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      • Wadebridge Carnival 2019
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Local Challenges

One of the things many of us love about cycling is challenging ourselves. What started with simply trying to get up a hill without having to get off, can easily progress to feats of epic suffering (if you're so inclined)! The idea of the challenges on this page is that you just go off and have a go, record the ride or segment on Strava, and earn your bragging rights! The leader boards are based on our members-only Strava club. Please let Phil know if any need updating!
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Club ride routes

Many of WCCC's regular club ride routes are pretty challenging in their own right and cover segments listed below.
Club ride routes

The 'SUCK it up Princess' loop

This is a nice, straightforward, can't-get-lost, whatever-the-weather loop from Wadebridge to Camelford and back. It's undulating, but nothing too steep and it's all on main roads. (If you want to know why it's so called, come to the pub after a club ride and ask!)
Anticlockwise Princess
​47km/29 miles
Head out of Wadebridge towards Bodmin on the A389 and pass through Washaway. Just before the road drops down to Dunmere take the sharp left to Camelford on the B3266. Follow this road all the way to Valley Truckle where you turn right onto the A39 for a few hundred yards and then left following the B3266 towards Tintagel. At the crossroads with the B3314 turn left towards Delabole and stay on that road all the way back to Wadebridge.
Strava segment (anticlockwise)
Club members:
  1. Jon Waters (1:25:31)
  2. Dave Howsely (1:33:05)
  3. Sam Lindo (1:36:19)
Clockwise Princess
​47km/29 miles
Head out of Wadebridge towards Polzeath on the B3314 and stay on that road all the way up until you've passed through Delabole. At the crossroads with the B3266 near Slaughterbridge turn right towards Camelford. When you come to the A39 turn right and then left after the garage back onto the B3266. Follow this road all the way to where it meets the A389 near Washaway, where you turn sharp right and head back to Wadebridge.
Strava segment (clockwise)
Club members:
  1. Matt Lee (1:24:30)
  2. Dave Howsely (1:27:17)
  3. Joe Howsley (1:30:37)

The Camel Bridges Challenge

If you want a gentle ride up and down the beautiful Camel Valley, you can of course cycle along the Camel Trail cycle path. However, the river Camel gets its name from an old Cornish word meaning 'crooked', so here's a slightly twisted alternative for you - the Camel Bridges Challenge. The idea of the route is to cross all 17 of the river Camel's proper road bridges (not counting farm tracks, dead ends etc.). There are plenty of steep hills and very minor roads (some occasionally gated), so please be careful - many of the descents are as challenging as the climbs. All routes start and end on Wadebridge old bridge.

Upstream Bridges
100km/63 miles, 1900m/6200ft climbing
​​Heading towards Bodmin on the main road you soon veer off to start your slalom up and down the sides of the Camel valley. You won't go through Bodmin, but there's a quick detour to the Borough Arms and back to make sure the Dunmere bridge isn't missed out. From Washaway you take the Camelford road with regular detours down into the valley on your right, over the Camel, up to the edge of Bodmin Moor, back down to cross the river and up again etc - until you reach Camelford. Then you loop up to the source of the Camel before a swift blast back via Delabole to your final bridge, the Wadebridge bypass flyover for a great view of the old bridge where you started.
Strava Route (Upstream)
Downstream Bridges
​100km/63 miles, 1900m/6200ft climbing
​This is the same route as the upstream challenge but simply ridden the other way round. We think it's tougher this way just because the hills seem to work out harder in this direction - particularly one very near the end of the ride...
Strava Route (Downstream)
Up- and downstream Bridges
​140km/87 miles, 2900m/9500ft climbing
You go upstream via the route above and then come back the same way (minus the Borough Arms detour on the way back; and only once over the flyover). Simple? Just keep telling your legs that.
Strava Route (Up & Downstream)

The Coasters Challenge

The coastal scenery either side of the Camel Estuary is absolutely stunning, and provides some pretty challenging riding too. This route hugs the coast as close as the roads allow. Please be particularly careful when riding these routes during the holiday season, as some of the coastal towns and villages do get busy.
Southern Coast (Padstow-Newquay-Padstow)
50km/31 miles, 1000m/3300ft climbing
Starting in the centre of Padstow by the harbour, you head out of town and down the coast on minor roads. Turn back just before Newquay to avoid the busiest traffic.
Strava Route (south)
Northern Coast (Rock-Widemouth-Rock)
100km/62 miles, 2500m/8200 climbing
Starting by the beach at Rock (where the ferry usually lands) you head up the coast, mostly along the coast road. Be warned: this ride includes some tough climbs, including Millook (see below) and Port Isaac's Church Hill. And of course you do them in both directions, so there are some hairy descents too.
Strava route (north)
Of course, if you're slightly deranged, you could try doing both routes in one go, utilising the Padstow/Rock ferry service (£8 return for adult plus bike).

Wadebridge exit Ramps

You can't ride a road out of Wadebridge without going up a hill. But do you prefer short and steep, or long(ish) and gentle(r)? Here are five options, in clockwise order:
Gonvena Hill (0.2km, 9%, 22m up)
The shortest of these five climbs, Gonvena Hill has a handy cycle lane. (This segment finishes before the school for safety reasons.)
Gonvena Hill Strava segment
Club members:
  1. Phil Keymer (28s)
  2. =Mike Boucher, Dave Howsley, Freddie Little, Joe Howsley (29s)
A389 to Washaway (1.9km, 4.6%, 88m up)
This one doesn't really get started until you're a bit up the valley, beyond Sladesbridge. 
A389 climb Strava segment
Club members:
  1. Rob Butler (5:03)
  2. Jon Waters (5:19)
  3. Dave Howsley (5:28)
Trevanion Road (4.5km, 3%, 157m up)
This road winds right up to St Breock Downs, the longest climb up to the highest point in the Wadebridge area for some absolutely stunning views.
"Council Hill" Strava segment
Club members:
  1. Joe Howsley (11:35)
  2. = Phil Keymer,  Tommy McCall (11:42)
Polmora Valley (4.5km. 2%, 99m up)
A lovely quiet road that's almost flat for most of the way, but there's a 'kick' at the end up to the showground.
Wadebridge-Whitecross segment
Club members:
  1. Tommy McCall (10:00)
  2. Phil Keymer (10:59)
  3. Rob Butler (11:04)
Whiterock Road (0.6km, 9%, 55m up)
The steepest way out, heading towards St Breock. This residential road gets pretty narrow as it leaves town so ride carefully.​
Whiterock Road climb
Club members:
  1. Matt Lee (1:49)
  2. Jon Waters, Joe Howsley (2:41)
​West Hill (1.5km, 5%, 81m up)
This one just seems to go on and on.
A39 Climb strava segment
Club members:
  1. Dave Howsley (4:33)
  2. Joe Howsley (4:34)
  3. Mark Hammond (4:45)

Here are a few more of our club members' favourite challenges:

Bishop's Wood Hill (aka 'Hustyns Hill')

Situated near Burlawn just outside Wadebridge, Simon Warren awards this climb 9/10 in 'Another 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs':
Start as you cross the stream, round the bend, pass the first 28% warning sign and then keep left at the fork.  If you can climb this next stretch of road you'll pretty much be able to climb anything. Viciously steep, strewn with gravel and debris, punctuated by momentum-sapping ridges it's a perfect storm of obstacles. A large lump in the tarmac marks the end of the steepest stretch. It's still very hard after this, 20% easing back, then 20% again. But it does eventually abate and after numerous kinks right and left, you'll eventually reach the summit of Cornwall's hidden beast.
Bishops Hill Strava segment
Fastest club members:
  1. Phil Keymer (2:10)
  2. Dave Howsley (2:22)
  3. Rob Butler (2:26)

SHell Woods

Climbing up from the River Camel onto Bodmin Moor, there's a steep start and some patches of challenging road surface followed by a leg-sapping drag to the top. Delightful.
Shell Woods Strava Segment
Fastest club members:
  1. Joe Howsley (5:14)
  2. Rob Butler, Phil Keymer (6:15)

Millook ClimbS

A bit further afield but still within Coasters' range is Millook, a beautiful seaside hamlet nestled between two horrific 30%  inclines. The climb heading south gets 9/10 in 'Another 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs'. To quote Simon Warren again:
Bending left away from the bridge at the base you're almost instantly faced with a 30% corner - but what follows is worse. You are delivered into a remorseless stretch of 20% climbing, you'll beat your maximum and need to recover but it's just not possible.On and on, steeper still in the corners. It is now just about survival. Although easing slightly in places,the final rise will take everything you've got. Keep your focus on the brow, reach this and although it's not quite the top, you're safe and can relax.
Millook South Strava segment
Fastest club members:
  1. Cliff Willis (6:33)
  2. Phil Keymer (7:06)
  3. Nick Burrill (8:20)
Millook Hill (north) Strava segment
Fastest club members:
  1. Paul Rea (5:27)
  2. Nick Burrill (7:17)
  3. Johnathan Hogan (8:21)

CHurch Hill

Port Isaac is not just the location of the Coasters' TV debut, but also one of our 'favourite' challenges. Church hill is everything a Cornish climb should be: a narrow, winding, relentlessly steep climb starting in a tourist hotspot. Actually it's such a hot tourist spot, you might want to avoid Port Isaac 'in season'.
Port Isaac Church Hill segment
Fastest club members:
  1. Joe Howsley (2:31)
  2. Dave Howsley (2:35)
  3. Jon Waters (2:39)

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