WHEN: +iCal
Sat 20th June 2026 09:00 - 14:42WHERE:
Whapping Wharf Whapping Wharf, Museum St Bristol, BS1 6UD| Type: BP |  |
| Award Distance: 50 | Total Distance: 57km |
| Duration: 5h42 | Speeds: 10-20kph |
| Climb: 368m | AAA: 0.00 Rainbow Flat |
BRIEF:
The North Somerset Stroll starts from the lovely Bristol harbourside and follows traffic-free paths and quiet lanes towards Clevedon and back via a “lost lane” and the Pill riverside path. This route is about half car-free and so very suitable for families, with a generous time limit.
The North Somerset Stroll takes you on a family-friendly jaunt down towards the coast and back through the Avon gorge.
Description:
Heading off from the colourful Bristol harbourside you follow the largely traffic-free Festival way towards Nailsea. Then quiet lanes through the North Somerset levels take you to the Owl in the Oak cafe at Kingston Seymour. Turning round, a delightfully quiet lane leads to Pill and back into Bristol on the riverside path through the Avon gorge, for a new perspective on the Suspension Bridge! Ending up back at the harbourside, a short distance from where you started.
About half of this ride is on segregated/traffic free routes which makes it very suitable for younger/newer riders.
Caution: Some paths are unpaved but are maintained and suitable for all bikes.
Finish:
The finish is a short distance away at the western end of the harbour.
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What others think.
My favourite 300
I completed this event as my first over night Audax. The route is very well planned to keep you on good but not busy roads through the night. Controls are well situated to allow you to feed up at nice intervals.
The breakfast stop is great and for me was at just the right timing to have a break to see me into the morning daylight.
The return uses smaller quieter roads and the old railway path that keep you away from the traffic for an enjoyable return.
I thoroughly enjoyed this fabulous ride.
Point to note: ALL the GWR rides I’ve taken part in have been brilliant.
Lovely stuff
Beautiful route, with huge variety in scenery and type of road …..and an entertaining amount of sharp climbs.
Delightful by name...
Was lucky enough to ride this as a route check/change with the organiser. The route heads anti-clockwise from Bristol into Wiltshire and the stunning Lacock Abbey before climbing Northwards over the Cotswolds, with a new diversion at Stroud giving a lovely view behind you as you crest the not insubstantial climb.
After crossing the Severn at Gloucester, you pass over the Northern tip of the Forest of Dean before hitting the Wye Valley, with a stunning view of Goodrich Castle to your right.
Hitting the infamous George’s Delight climb at dusk around 170km into a relatively hilly ride is definitely interesting. It’s narrow, so you can’t weave, and the steepest parts are tree-covered, meaning it stays damp and debris-strewn at that time of year. Add in a nicely rutted surface and you have a pretty serious test. In the end the fact it was dark might help slightly as you don’t know when it’s going to end!
The next section back to Chepstow is an old favourite and with the tunnel vision of night riding and barely another car on the road it felt fast and amazing – almost like flying.
Crossing the Severn Bridge in the dark is always fun, less so the final punchy climb back up to Bristol. A great and varied/interesting winter loop!
Summit special
Great weather conditions contributed to making this another classic GWR route, spinning out mostly solo over the Cotswolds before jumping on the ACB train up through the first control at Brockworth. I stopped for a decent lunch in Tenbury Wells, knowing that the ascent of Clee Hill was coming up. In fact it looked a lot worse from a distance than in reality, with nothing crazy steep, and the view from the top more than makes it worthwhile. At Leominster I caught back up with the ACB group from the morning, and shared some great miles through some lovely lanes to the final checkpoint, before the brutal Symonds Yat climb. Tough at the best of times, but especially so after a punchy 250km. All in all a great ride, and really good for a first 300 IMO.
Perfect for trying out a night ride
This was my first 300km Audax and my first overnight ride. I planned to go easy but got carried away through Devizes with a fast group and ended up doing my fastest 200 as a result! Really great stretch of fast road that can be a bit too busy for my liking in daylight hours, so it was amazing to blast through there with only the occasional owl for company. The beach hut at Poole was a great chance to avoid a squally shower, feed up, change layers and push on to sunrise, which happened in a lovely section of country lanes. Daal at the arrivée was the icing on a rather lovely cake. Missed the second edition but I will be back!
- This event is run in accordance with the event type's terms & conditions and insurance cover provided by the respective body.
- Entries are taken off this site and your personal details handled there.
You are attending this event.
The following ride details are currently:
Pending - all specifics are usually updated the 5th day before the event.
- Please flick through the following tabs fully and make any preparations before the event.
- Route files & links will be found under the 'Route' tab.
- The event/route specific information will be finalised usually the Monday before the event and you will get an email reminder 3 days prior from bookings-noreply@pedalution.co.uk - add it to your address book to save any disappointment.
- Should you be unable to attend the event I have enabled cancellation from 'My Bookings'. This will aid me in keeping controls informed as to how many to expect and also reduce wastage when printing the brevet cards. Remember there is no option to refund or transfer if you are unable to attend.
- You will receive your brevet card at the start. Should you start the ride and be unable to finish my phone number is within; please drop me a text with your full name to let me know you won't be finishing so volunteers and myself aren't waiting around longer than necessary at controls and the finish.
- Please use 'Enquires' link above for any queries.
New to audax? Have a look at Audax UK's About for an overview & FAQs for commonly asked questions.
- Until the route is finalised the interactive map above will give you an idea of where you are going.
- It is advisable to study the route notes prior to the event for further details; especially if you are just using a GPX breadcrumb trail to navigate. These are also the 'cuesheet' within the RWGPS route; zoom the map to your desired level, click on a cue and it will focus the map at that cue.
- Every effort is made to identify road closures before the event and provide alternatives where necessary; however I can not account for any emergency closures that are required.
- A variety of surfaces may be encountered, some may be as smooth as a baby's bum, others potholed nightmares, or somewhere in between; if any unmetalled sections are used this will be noted in the Event Info above and now visible as 'unpaved' within RWGPS.
- I do my utmost to select low traffic routes but there may be times busier sections are required.
- Mudguards aren't mandatory but if you can fit them why wouldn't you?
- I would always recommend a set of lights as you never know what could happen.
- Similarly consider carrying 2 space blankets; they cost nothing, are tiny, and can keep you and an other warm should the unfortunate happen.
EXTRA DETAILS:
Usually updated the 5th day before the event - the event, route and file (other than 'Key') links will be dead links until this time.Route Files:
CSV route notes - these can be edited in any spreadsheet software.
PDF route notes - a version with maps is available in linked RWGPS route (no account necessary to use the official PDF - use 'More v') or the event.
GPX with control waypoints - if re-uploading to an online planner please make private so as not to confuse others in the future - use this tool to split at waypoints and/or simplify.
RWGPS Links:
RWGPS Event - at least a free account needed but you will get full premium features, including offline maps & voice nav for the app, regardless of your subscription level. To sync to your device (Wahoo, Garmin Edge) you need to join this first.
RWGPS Route - no account needed but you will lack a few advanced features such as early turn warnings.
See the RWGPS App for my tips to use your phone for navigation and maximising battery life.
Troubleshooting:
- Can't copy the RWGPS route to your account? I have disabled this so should any changes be necessary there is the one correct version.
- I do not provide technical services for your device having never used anything other than the RWGPS app.
- Can't add it to Garmin Connect? It isn't an activity. Transfer it to your Garmin via USB.
- Can't send to your device? Join the RWGPS event.
EXTRA DETAILS:
Usually updated the 5th day before the event.Start:
Please arrive at least 10 minutes before the depart time to collect your brevet card.
Whapping Wharf - opens new tab for map. Whapping Wharf, Museum St, Bristol, BS1 6UD
Access:
- Bike - Centrally located and easy to get to.
- Car - Follow signs for the 'M Shed' from most major routes in to the city.
- Train - A short distance from Bristol Temple Meads.
Parking: Car Park - Various local car parks and on street parking - PAID. Be aware these are within Bristol's CAZ - more details here.
Food & Drink: Food & Drinks available. The start is adjacent to New Cut Coffee. Unless specified otherwise above.
Accommodation:
- Bristol YHA is a short distance away.
- Local Hotels.
Finish:
As above. - opens new tab for map & a few details.
Route Controls:
Usually updated the 5th day before the event.
This is what 'audax' is all about. Travelling between controls to collect proof of passage (PoP) to prove you have cycled the distance. The above controls are found in your brevet card, the route notes, as POIs with the route, and waypoints with the GPX. Your brevet card it to be filled out as you progress around the route. PoP is obtained in several ways. It is highly recommended you carry a pen or pencil to fill your brevet card as you go; if it is a long event numbering any receipts to correspond with the control number will save you time later, then keeping them in order is next level!
Types of control:
- CONTROL - a place or venue where you obtain PoP which can be done in several ways. You will be able to get food and/or drink, also WC will be available.
- Manned - a volunteer or venue member of staff will stamp your card providing PoP. All controls are thus unless specified as...
- Free - you must obtain PoP from that place that has a time and date, usually a receipt from a cafe, shop or ATM.
- INFO - a question found in your brevet card that is relevent to the location needs to be answered and recorded.
- CHECKPOINT - similar to a control but there may not be any facilities present.
- SECRET - now that would be telling wouldn't it!
USING YOUR PHONE & RWGPS APP:
I use the RWGPS app on my phone to navigate audax events by using spoken cues, I also use it to route check and proof my route notes. This IMHO is the best of all worlds. I don't need to look at a screen (but I can check if I want), I get clear directions when needed (you may need to get used to my shorthand which gets spoken as such), I get a warning if I'm off route, the battery lasts a lot longer than constantly using the screen; especially nowadays as phone batteries are getting bigger plus many are able to rapid charge in a short amount of time. All you need is a good case and mount for inclement weather.
- Install the app.
- Join the event.
- Go to the route.
- Send to device.
- Open app and confirm download.
- In settings (exact location varies depending on iOS or Android) to optomise for best battery use:
- Logging - adjust interval: every 10s is best for the battery, logs your ride but won't get you any KOMs; every 1s uses 10x more battery power to write data but may get you a KOM if you pedal quick.
- Navigation - Spoken alerts ON | Off-course alerts ON | others at your discretion.
- Handlebar mode ENABLED - this will keep RWGPS above any screen lock so you can recall it if needed by pressing power button or similar.
- Handlebar mode - Screen OFF for cues | Proximity Wake OFF (otherwise changes in light will turn the screen on) | Keep screen on NEVER.
- Offline mode ENABLED - when you start riding.
- Better still use flight/aeroplane mode whilst riding.
- You can adjust the text-speech settings via your phone settings; the type of voice, playback speed etc.
Most of the battery drain on a phone is from the screen. By using voice commands you eliminate this but can still view the map if needs be. The second biggest drain whilst cycling is the phone itself searching for a signal as you move between cell towers; putting the phone into flight/aeroplane mode whilst moving solves this problem; you can easily turn data back on to #tag that #CAKE at the next stop!
ANDROID:
Make sure battery optimisation is turned off otherwise Android will recognise RWGPS as an excessive battery drain and can limit its functionality. This will be particularily evident if you stop for a bit without GPS signal then continue; the app will appear to be functioning correctly but Android will limit it and data can be lost from the stop point until the app is restarted. There may be a similar feature in iOS.
- Settings >Apps.
- Find RWGPS and expand Advanced >Battery.
- If it says optomised then select and wait for all apps to load.
- Make sure the apps displayed are 'All apps', find RWGPS and select.
- Select 'Don't optimise'. Exit settings.
