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Carlisle to Cardiff Challenge Tour 8th Jun - 4th July 2026
We were originally planning to ride from Newport, Wales to Glasgow. Unfortunately Metallica and My Chemical Romance were both doing big tours at the same time and their fans had caused the cost of hotels in South Wales, Liverpool and Glasgow to rocket. (Greater than £200 for a Travelodge!)
So an alternative plan was devised, ride in the opposite direction from Carlisle to Cardiff. They both have castles, they both begin with C and they also have dragons in their crests. What's not to like? Well possibly some of the hills in between, on the other hand this was supposed to be a challenge tour.
Carlisle Coat of Arms
Cardiff Coat of Arms
Tour Summary
Day 1 Carlisle to Kendal 56 miles , 4,400 ft climb. Big climb over Kirkstone Pass
Day 2 Kendal to Preston 65.54 miles, 5,131 ft climb. Tough day climbing over the Forest of Bowland
Day 3 Preston to Chester 58.14 miles, 2,818 ft climb. Almost a rest day!
Day 4 Chester to Shrewsbury 47.15 miles 1,759 ft climb. Definitely a rest day, with an excursion into Wales for coffee
Day 5 Shrewsbury to Tewksbury 81.07 miles 4,744 ft climb. Long day, very sunny, but some great roads following the River Severn
Day 6 Tewksbury to Cardiff 79.38 miles 4,350 ft climb. Another long hot day. Forest of Dean was delightful but hilly. Lovely lunch in Chepstow
As always there was the occasional off road adventure as well as the some mis-navigation by Tim, the ride leader. But we had a great time.
The tourists outside Carlisle Castle. The rain was already easing
Descending to Ullswater, our first glimpse of the Lake District
No picture can capture quite how steep our climb up Kirkstone Pass was, which was over 15% in places. Fortunately refreshment was available at the Kirkstone Pass Inn as a reward. The route down to Ambleside on 'The Struggle' was even tougher.
It wasn't all uphill. There were some fabulous descents too. This was the way down from the Cross of Greet, Forest of Bowland
We were a diverse group, but as the tour went on we gelled into a great team and apart from the very hilly bits, we road together very well.
Tim and Frank leading the Peleton through Gloucestershire.
Most of the route was on quiet roads
Arrival in Cardiff. The last 15 miles from Newport into a headwind hadn't been easy, so I think these are smiles of relief.
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