Ironbridge Gorgeous

Yesterday I rode my #newevent, Ironbridge Gorgeous. I’m always a bit nervous when I come up with a new route as what I like/think might not be the same as other riders so I was interested to see how many turned up and what they thought of this one. It’s been on my radar to do for a long time, at least since the inception of Gravelton events, so it felt good to finally have a route planned, checked and ridden beforehand.

I’m only 35 mins from Alveley so getting up wasn’t too much of a chore. I’ve been intermittently fasting this week and staying off the beer to lose some post-holiday weight gain (just too many beers) but I broke that yesterday with a breakfast and plenty of coffee. I packed up the car and was off about 9.15am. While compiling my midweek email to my subscribers I’d found out they do Parkrun’s at Severn Valley Country Park on a Saturday so I was hoping it wasn’t going to be too busy and their would be some parking available.

I rocked up about 9.45am and needn’t have worried. Other than meeting a couple of cars down the narrow lane to the entrance, the car park was busy but not full and I could see a healthy mix of bikes and red-faced runners milling about.

I quickly got ready and rounded everyone up outside the cafe at 10am before we rolled. Another fab turn out. We had another set of first-timers too which was great to see plus a band of idiots like me that forgot to put their sunscreen on. Whoops!

Friend and local lad Mike lead our ‘peloton’ away down to the bridge. We had a couple of rider jams in the first few km due to some of those daft barriers but it was a great feeling following a line of riders up and down and over the boards to Hampton Loade.

We all regrouped on the climb away from the river and it was here I got a rush of blood and shot off down to Chelmarsh Reservoir. As there was a group together I thought it would be good to take some pics on the steep climb I’d coined ‘Chezza Rezza’, so I jumped ahead to the climb and watched everyone ride past and took pics of them all. Although the photos make the steep climb look flat, they turned out ok I think. A completely spontaneous idea in the moment.

See the full album of riders here.

Everyone past me, I had to catchup now. Getting going again meant a short push and then I jumped on over the top and hoofed it back up the next bridleway and into the narrow broken lane that took us to one of my favourite sectors across a field.

After a punchy start, it was quite exposed up here in the gusty wind but we needed it to temper the temperature under the direct sun. The fast descent afterwards was welcomed.

Riders had split up a bit now and on the run in to Bridgnorth I caught some more and rode with them across town before we dropped down past the golf club and onto the main sector of the day NCN Route 45. The spine of the ride that took us to Ironbridge and back. It’s a great bit of trail. Wide, all gravel and quite shaded in places too. Me and Mike shared duties on the front as we seemed to tank across this sector enjoying the tailwind on the slight uphill.

Just outside Coalport we diverted off the main route and picked up a gnarly little bridleway which took us to Caughley Road. After an initial really nasty steep climb away from the river, where I left Mike, it became a Paris-Roubaix-esque sector meandering across an open field. It didn’t let up either. With the wind and false flat, it was a tough section under the sun that has you thinking it’s over only to go up again or hit some more gravel after a section of tarmac. I think I burned a couple of matches here and I was now on my own so I just cracked on.

The tarmac through Broseley town was welcome before the route dropped onto a nice transitional bridleway I’d found on my recce. It has a couple of gates but it was quiet and very shaded so I took the opportunity to take a quick nature break here.

Back into the lanes to Benthall Hall and I was about to ride the only bit I hadn’t ridden before. My original route took us round the back and down the steep hill offroad to Ironbridge and was too dangerous so I decided to keep it safe and simple across a couple of bridleways skirting the fields that surround the estate. I’m glad I did

The drop down to Ironbridge was steep but quiet and on tarmac so nice and safe and then there it was. Ironbridge itself. There were plenty of tourists milling about and the sun was baking so I took a quick selfie of the bridge and carried on keen to get back into some shade.

Station road is a short but steep climb out of Ironbridge but did have the benefit of being completely shaded which made it bearable.

I was onto Rough Park Way now but couldn’t find the start of it again because some div had parked a car across the entrance to it. I love this bit of trail. It’s a series of paths which take you around the back of Coalbrookdale and Madeley. Great gravel and not too busy either. As you turn and head back Coalport you get to enjoy a nice, long shaded descent on a disused railway line.

When I popped out at Coalport bridge I met a couple of riders who were lost. They’d missed the turn off Route 45 so I told them to just go back over the bridge and follow it to Ironbridge to pick it back up. They thanked me for the event as we parted company which is always nice to hear.

Back on Route 45 south now I tried to keep the momentum going pushing a big gear across the gravel back to Bridgnorth but the heat was beginning to take it’s toll. I played in the traffic briefly to get out of Low Town but the small climb away from the main road past Aldi was a sign I was a bit cooked so I downed my last gel, took a swig of water and carried on hoping for the best.

After a bit of A442, which thankfully was a lot less busy than I expected, the steep climb up Chapel Lane really hurt my legs. I was dripping with sweat, caked in salt with the sun on my back baking me while willing myself to just get to the shade ahead. Hated that bit.

A breezy descent to Dudmaston Woods took the edge off the heat and then I was into the trees for a lovely bit of trail which was quieter than the last time I rode it. I took it easy through here soaking up the shade and enjoying it for what it was but it was over too soon.

The next sector after the woods was only a few hundred metres way. It’s a ford and last time it only had a trickle of water making it easy to ride through. I expected similar due to the lack of rain recently. It was still low but a little deeper at the end that nearly caught me out.

Two byways to go now. I headed back to the A442, it was still quite quiet, and then I was onto the penultimate sector. A broken, rocky farm track that drags up and then pitches up steeply before a lengthy false flat over the top. I really struggled here and did stop for a moment in the shade. I think I was quite dehydrated at this point and just needed to get it done.

After convincing myself moving was better than not, I just engaged a small gear and twiddled over the top and picked my line carefully on the descent. I was definitely dehydrated and fatigued.

One more byway to go. The one I’d billed as the shit bit. I left it in because it is rideable with care and a safer way to the finish than on an A road but the first part of the climb is very broken with big slabs making progress hard. I think 4×4’s have cut it up quite bad and we have to tackle what they’ve made it. Tired, I did manage to ride it again though picking a slow path between the rocks. The descent was another fatigue tester for me but I got down to the tarmac ok and was glad I was on the run in now.

I crossed the A442 and didn’t enjoy the climb back up to Alveley but I did enjoy the downhill finish back to the Country Park and I was done.

I headed straight to the cafe and had to get someone to read the label on a bottle for me in the fridge. A combination of no glasses and tiredness I think. A litre of fluid later sat in the sun outside I decided that was enough UV for one day and went back to my car and left as I needed to get back.

Overall, another great ride for me. Feedback on the route has been good but I think the heat took it up a notch again yesterday.

Adios and see you on the next one!