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Sunrise Express & Snowdrop Express
Audaxes
The Routes
The routes start and finish near Hartlebury which is close
to Stourport-on-Severn. Both events begin by following the
lanes southeast to Elmbridge and similarly they both end by
retracing these lanes back from Elmbridge [map].
From Elmbridge the Sunrise Express crosses the M5
and heads southeast to Hanbury before turning south towards
Evesham. The first control is at Raphaels Cafe on the banks
of River Avon in Evesham. From there the route explores some
of the pretty villages to the north of Bredon Hill. A slight
'kink' in the route is necessary to cross over the River Avon
before passing over the M5 once again and finding the next
control in Upton upon Severn. The route home is fairly direct
and skirts around to the east of Worcester, criss-crossing
the M5 another couple of times and passing through Droitwich
on the way back to Elmbridge. The profile shown below follows
(left to right) the direction of the clockwise Sunrise Express
route:
From Elmbridge the Snowdrop Express heads south through
the lanes to Droitwich, skirts around to the east of Worcester
and heads for Upton upon Severn for the first control. From
there the ride goes eastwards and explores some of the pretty
villages north of Bredon Hill before visiting Raphaels Cafe
on the banks of the River Avon in Evesham. The final leg of
the ride goes northwards through gently undulating countryside
to Hanbury and then turns northwest and crosses the M5 to
return to Elmbridge.
Please note:
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Traffic: Every effort has been made to avoid
main roads, so you shouldn't meet too much traffic. But
please remember that, even on country lanes, there can
always be something round the next bend.
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Road Surfaces: The road surfaces are those of
typical country lanes but inevitably these will be mucky
in places in the middle of winter. Riding a bike with
mudguards fitted is strongly advised though not obligatory.
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Controls: The controls are both at cafes where
you can rest and purchase refreshments. More details are
available on the next page.
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An Unexpected Hurdle: One slight difference between
the routes is that the Sunrise Express crosses a gated
level-crossing. Riders on solo bikes will have to dismount
and walk their bikes through a kissing-gate. This may
be an awkward hurdle for tandems, so tandem riders may
prefer to ride the Snowdrop Express or otherwise hope
that the signalman is willing to open the main level-crossing
gate.
- Gradients: The roads are undulating with only
long easy hills or very short steeper rises. The route profile
shown above hopefully proves there is nothing to worry about!
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