Beginner's cycling weekend in Shropshire

For those of you who’ve always fancied the idea of sampling the delights of rushing through the wind Lance Armstrong style, this is your chance!

The numerous back roads and lanes of historic South Shropshire offer some of the finest and most varied riding in the country. Endless traffic free roads, castles, mountains and charming country villages all feature on our Little Stretton based weekend.

Our Introductory Weekends are designed to give you a great introduction to road riding. You’ll have the opportunity to ride in a small bunch, learn the tricks of the trade, and get to ride in some of England’s finest scenery. If you have recently taken up road cycling, are looking to get off your mountain bike for a change, or are interested in turning your morning cycle commute into something a bit more fun then this is the weekend for you.

With a minimum of two Skedaddle guides, themselves enthusiastic cyclists, leading the way you can forget about route finding and concentrate on the fantastic riding offered by our hand picked routes.

You can drive to the weekend location, or why not take advantage of our free tain station pick up from Church Stretton and avoid the Friday night jams? We will return you to the station at the end of the trip in time for your train home.

Our support vehicle is never too far away and meets us at several points throughout the day with plenty of delicious munchies to help keep the pedals turning, as well as lots of hot and cold drinks. As you take in the great riding and comparable views the vehicle moves off ahead to prepare our delicious buffet style lunch full of tasty, healthy choices. The support vehicles also carries bike spares and space for tired bikers if the going gets too tough or you need a lift up the odd 'cheeky' climb.

Each trip is kept specifically small; between six to fifteen riders and is fully guided by at least two guides, enabling us to cater for different fitness and experience levels in the group and has the luxury of a support driver too. By all means bring your own bike along or if you haven’t got one, you can hire a top quality Giant road bike from us.

Detailed Itinerary:
Day 1
Upon your arrival you will be shown your room and then join us at the local pub, where over a drink and something to eat an informal talk will be given about the events of the weekend. We use a luxury family run hotel in the heart of Little Stretton which provides us with a great base for our weekend and a warm welcome to return to after a day in the saddle. Tonight is a good opportunity to get to know our guides who represent Saddle Skedaddle's friendly and enthusiastic attitude to cycling.

Day 2
After a good cooked breakfast at your accommodation the guides will discuss the route possibilities available and requirements / capabilities of the group. Following this and having assessed the weather conditions we can then tailor today's route accordingly; this is made easier by the fact that our routes are often in our guide's backyard where they regularly ride themselves.  

The day’s cycling will commence at around 10:00 led by a minimum of two Saddle Skedaddle guides in order to be able to fully support a mix of abilities. The group will be met at various points around the route by our support vehicle for snacks and hot or cold drinks depending on the conditions, with lunch served mid way through the route. Our lunches are commonly buffet style with a selection of local produce put together by our guides (often their pride and joy!). Vegetarians and other dietary requirements can easily be catered for.

Following lunch the route will continue, returning to the accommodation mid afternoon. The evening meal will be taken either at the accommodation or a local pub. As many of our guides help out on several trips this is a good opportunity for those who fancy heading further afield on their bike to get an accurate picture of the trips from someone who has been there and ridden the routes.

Day 3
After another hearty breakfast to set you up for a day on your bike, we will discuss the possible routes for the day based on our experiences yesterday. The guides will go through the highlights you can expect during day pointing out areas with particularly good scenery as well as sections of outstanding riding. This is supplemented throughout the day as we discuss the route ahead of us.

As yesterday we aim to be on the road by around 10:00 again led by members of the Skedaddle team. The group is met at various points around the route by our support vehicle with a selection of tasty treats, with lunch served mid way through the route. Following lunch it is back on the bikes, returning to the accommodation late afternoon for a quick shower before heading home.

Equipment
We provide everything except personal equipment, clothing and a bike (although you can hire a bike if required - see below). Apart from your emergency tool kit & spare inner tube you will not be required to take any extra equipment. Your bike should be well maintained / serviced.

What the price doesn't include
(A) Bike & helmet hire (if required, £55)
(B) Personal clothing and equipment.
(C) Insurance (if required, £13).
(D) Two evening meals and bar bills.
(E) Single room option.