Introductory Road Cycling Weekend in the Cotswolds

A gentler version of one of our most popular Classic Road Weekends in the quintessentially English, Cotswolds. This weekend takes you through the beautiful Cotswolds countryside, along rolling country lanes with sweeping views, quiet hamlets and picturesque villages steeped in history.

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

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

A great B&B in the village of Moreton-in-Marsh provides our accommodation and is a superb place to relax after an enjoyable day’s riding. Moreton-in-Marsh is easily accessible and served well by an excellent rail service to and from London.

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

Each trip is kept specifically small; between six and 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 either the accommodation or a 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 selection of quality B&B's and small hotels which provide 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!). Vegetarian 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 a bike, personal equipment and clothing. If you are taking your own bike it should preferably be a road bike or, alternatively, a mountain bike fitted with slick tyres.

Although we will be taking things at a relatively leisurely pace, on occasions the route is hilly, we recommend that you have either a triple or compact chainset or a 27 bottom sprocket to ease the climbing. Please contact us if you are unsure whether your bike will be suitable.

It is imperative that your bike is in good mechanical order. If you are not mechanically minded, we advise you to take your bike to a local bicycle dealer for a service. Our guide(s) will of course be taking a full tool kit and a selection of spares, which we will provide should the need arise but please be sure to carry your own basic tool kit, pump, spare tubes, and any specific spare parts you may require for your bike - especially unusual spokes.

You will need to bring your own accessories including, helmet, gloves and hydration pack / bottles for drinking water. It is also a good idea to bring shoes suitable for walking along with your cycling shoes as well as a light, but waterproof rain jacket and a fleece / sweater for mornings and evenings.

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.