Contents
Forty inspirational cycling routes from Dartmoor to the Highlands
Simon Warren
With photography by Phil Hall and Andy Jones
ROBINSON
First published in Great Britain in 2020 by Robinson
Text, illustrations and design Simon Warren, 2020
Photography Huw Fairclough, Phil Hall, Andy Jones and Simon Warren
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means,
without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is
published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
e-ISBN: 978-1-47214-453-9
Printed and bound in Great Britain by Clays Ltd, Elcograf S.p.A.
Robinson
An imprint of Little, Brown Book Group, Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London, EC4Y 0DZ
An Hachette UK Company
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Simon Warren
Id like to thank my amazing wife Charlotte and children Lux and Ryder for their support during
this mammoth project and my parents, family and friends for advice and guidance. Id like to say a
huge thank you to my wonderful photographers Phil and Andy for coping with my ruthless dawn til
dusk schedules almost without complaint. This book could not and would not have happened without
you. Thanks to Duncan Proudfoot at Little, Brown for having faith in the project and for encouraging
me to spread my wings to tackle something of this magnitude, and to Dom Millar who hooked me
up with Ross Matheson and Assos to dress me so fine. Also and in no particular order thanks to
Peter Walker at www.tourofpembrokeshire.com, Dan Evans, Nick Burton, James Ward, Ben Lowe at
veloviewer.com, Matt and Jess at ridethestruggle.com, everyone at Humanrace.co.uk and all cyclists
out there for following me on this crazy adventure. Ill see you in the hills.
Phil Hall
To my wife Lisa and my girls Ada and Emmie, thank you for your love and support.
INTRODUCTION
ight, here we go, I have shaken myself free
format this project needed proper photography
but we were blessed with a few decent days and
from the shackles of my pocket guides and
and proper photographers. The images
were especially lucky to capture some snow.
for the first time linked the dots between
within needed to inspire and lure you into the
The format of the book is pretty
R
the hills to present you with 40 awesome
hills, to show off the landscape in glorious
straightforward. Each route is essentially a
routes. They are of course all PACKED with
CinemaScope so I enlisted the services of two
chapter with a description of the ride followed
hills: would you expect anything else? All set
good friends, Andy Jones and Phil Hall. Anyone
by a map, a simple profile and the low-down
in the most beautiful scenery mainland Britain
who has been reading Cycling Weekly for the past
on three key climbs. Youll get an idea from the
has to offer. After years of travelling up and
20 years will be aware of Andys work shooting
distance and the amount of elevation gain as
down the island on adventures to tackle hideous
riders from Mont Ventoux to Monsal Head,
to how hard each ride is but to help I have also
gradients Ive seen a myriad of roads which
and I worked with Phil for close to ten years
rated them all out of 10. As the book is too
Ive been desperate to share and now I
on photography magazines so
large to take on rides by following the
ROUTES
MAPS
can. Although I have ridden just about
knew he would be perfect
map you can then plot the course on
The elevation and
Most of the maps are
every road covered in the book,
for the job. With both
an online route builder to download
distance measurements for each
pretty straightforward but some
some many times, I cant claim
being cyclists they
to your computer, or if you prefer
route were taken from the website
will need a closer look especially
to have ridden every route in its
instantly saw what I
you can go old school and take
Strava. You may return slightly
where the same road is used
entirety. The inspiration for them
different figures from another
was after, although
more than once. Just follow the
paper maps out with you.
came from parts of famous sportive
mapping program or on
Phil I suspect will
direction arrows and distance
I have indicated places where
courses, from research trips, family
the road with your
be having nightmares
numbers though and you
supplies can be obtained but I have
bike computer.
will work them out.
holidays, races I have competed
about riding up Great
not listed individual cafs or shops so
in, each ride an amalgamation of a
Dun Fell and Bealach-na-Ba
Ill leave you to do that bit of research
collective set of memories. There are a
for many years to come!
if needed. When, where and for how long
couple of real monsters within the pages with the
As you will see in the photography they not
you choose to rest is up to you but where there
longest standing at 274 kilometres but the vast
only captured the best of the British scenery but
is a water symbol you know there will be at least
majority are more modest. Although they all offer
also the best of the British weather. Of course it
a garage where you can grab the essentials.
a hearty challenge they should be well within the
would have been nice to see wall-to-wall blue sky
So whether its a long summers evening or
capabilities of most riders.
it would have certainly made the rides easier
