Wyre We Riding

Intro

Wyre We Riding is back for 2025 with a reduced distance and a summit finish to keep things spicy. It wouldn’t be right to ignore the Wyre Forest on a gravel bike and, in my opinion, getting there includes some of the best towpath in the area, so I had to make it happen. This is one of my local favourites and uses a lot of trails I train on.

Read my 2024 ride here

The Event

Gravelton Events are not official or sanctioned. They are self-supported group rides. Same route, same day. It’s just you, your bike and your mates having fun.

All we ask is you share your ride with everyone else in the community.

How to Enter

Entry is FREE. Just turn up but I do recommend you subscribe to my newsletter to receive the latest route and event info.

The Routes

Original

The route leaves The Deli at Belbroughton and warms riders up with a few miles of tarmac then comes a chain of bridleways in quick succession before the route drops down onto the Staffordshire & Worcestershire canal.

On some of the best towpath in the county, riders head south through the heart of Kidderminster to Stourport and then transfer to Burlish Top for the quick traffic-free descent to Bewdley. From here riders take a steady climb out of the town and drop into the Wyre Forest to pick up the disused railway line and then break for a loop up to the Visitors Centre and back on some of the best gravel around these parts.

Exiting the forest is a punchy climb up from Dowles Brook to Button Oak then riders enjoy some tarmac and a steep descent to Arley to cross the River Severn and climb back out of the valley to Trimpley. From here, via Wolverley, riders pick the canal up again north towards Kinver.  At Whittington riders turn for home and skirt Stourbridge on the Roman Road and tackle more bridleways before a summit finish at The Four Stones atop Clent Hills. It’s punchy, but the views are awesome.

You can download a GPS file from my Gravelton GPS Folder in any format you want or use the Komoot link below

Short Course

The short course starts and finishes at Wolverley and tracks the same route as the main route without the km before and after Wolverley

You can download this route from the Gravelton GPS Folder

Highlights

• FREE to enter
• Shorter route available
• Cafe at the start
• NO Number
• NO Feed stations
• NO Photographer
• NO Medal
• NO T-Shirt
• Great views
• Mixed terrain + trails
• Summit finish (main route only)

The Rules

1. Take your litter home
2. Be self-sufficient. There is no backup on the day
3. Shut any gates
4. It’s not a race, it’s a day out on the bike.
5. Be courteous to other trail users. The route is open to the public and it gets narrow in places so be prepared to share your space nicely if you have to. A bell is highly recommended.

Parking

This is important. You can pay to park on a pub car park in Belbroughton village opposite the start at The Deli but I don’t recommend it and on-street parking is extremely limited. Instead park for FREE at the top of the Clent Hills so when you finish you are just a few mins away from your car. It’s a 3 mile cycle from the top down to the start. It’s a 5 min ride back to your car after the summit finish.

Park for FREE at the Clent Hills Trail Car Park, Walton Hill Car Park (recommended) or you can pay around the corner at the NT Nimmings Wood Car Park but it does have a Cafe on site.

• Link to map of the three Clent Hills car parks here.
• Cycle route map to the start here.
• Cycle route back to the car parks after the summit finish here.