FINAL ARRANGEMENTS
Please read below for details of arrangements on the day of the Ride
Mechanical, medical, and recovery services will all be available during the Ride, should riders need them. All services will be provided as quickly as possible if/when needed, but riders are asked to understand that there may be a wait involved while vehicles are despatched to their location.
There will also be an official refreshment stop and clearly-visible directional signage along the route.
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START
Arrival
The start location is Warren Farm, Charterhouse, Blagdon BS40 7XR (see our HOME page to view on a map). Alternatively, the what3words location can be found HERE.
Riders will be able to set off any time between 8.45am and 9.15am so you're welcome to arrive at Warren Farm from 7.45am onwards to get ready for the Ride.
Please note that there is a 10K running event taking place around Bishop Sutton on the same day and this includes a road closure at one point on our route until 10am - so, as a result, we're delaying our start time slightly to 8.45am (instead of 8.30am). This minor adjustment will ensure that the road will be open again before any of our riders reach that particular point, and everyone will then be able to pass through the village as normal.
The Lakes & Lumps is a small event so there's no need to arrive particularly early (probably 30 minutes or so before your preferred departure time would be ample), and there's a huge amount of FREE parking available for anyone arriving by car.
A one-way system will be in place for vehicles accessing the site, so to park you'll enter the designated parking & camping field via a gate off the road (Ubley Warren Drive) outside the entrance to Warren Farm and you'll then exit via a different gate at the opposite end of the field when you come to leave.
Once you're parked you'll need to head across to the main event field when you're ready (it's a new start location for us this year, if you've previously taken part) - so if you choose to walk across to registration please bear in mind that the grass may be wet and therefore wear suitable footwear (not your cycling shoes!) Otherwise, if you're all ready to go, just roll across slowly on your bike and keep your feet dry!
Toilet facilities and drinking water will be available at the start area in the main event field along with mobile units selling teas & coffees and bacon rolls etc, and mechanical support will also be on hand for any last-minute checks or adjustments prior to departure (although riders are required to ensure that their bike is roadworthy in advance of the Ride).
Registration
On arrival at the start area you simply need to turn up at the Registration desk to check in; collect your rider number & some cable ties; attach your number to your bike; and then, when you're ready, just make your way to the start line in the top corner of the field. And please remember that you don't need to bring any paperwork.
We'll be starting people off in small groups at short intervals, and there will be a very short start-line briefing to cover the most significant &/or last-minute notifications - otherwise, route-related information & advice is contained within the 'MIDDLE' section of this briefing below, and we'd ask you to pay particular attention when reading this.
The last time for departure is 9.15am, so you should aim to arrive at Warren Farm no later than 8.45am.
MIDDLE
Firstly, please remember that riders must abide by the Highway Code at all times, and it is incumbent on everyone to ride in a careful and considerate manner throughout. These are key parts of our CONDITIONS OF ENTRY.
And please remember not to drop any litter, wrappers, tissues or face coverings etc during the event - please keep such items with you and dispose of them responsibly in a bin at the earliest opportunity.
The Route
The route consists almost entirely of quiet roads and narrow country lanes and riders are advised to proceed carefully - there's likely to be very little traffic, however it's advisable to ride in single file for the most part through the narrower lanes. You should also bear in mind that these are country lanes and therefore you're likely to encounter some wildlife - and quite possibly a lot of it. Proceed with care when you do see any animals in or near the road.
Signage
The main route direction will be clearly marked with large yellow signs with black arrows bearing the 'Great Weston Ride' logo, and the golden rule is to stay on the road you're on until/unless you see one of our signs indicating otherwise. There are several long, straight stretches so you may feel like you haven't seen a sign for a while, however don't be alarmed - there will be a sign every two miles at least (even if it's just a 'Straight On' confirmation arrow).
And you'll see a few 'CAUTION' signs along the way - these typically appear where there is a fast descent coming up and they're there to help you to prepare yourself. Please make sure that you take note of these.
Also, once again we've included an additional section which is entirely OPTIONAL (and intended primarily for the more experienced riders) - this section will be marked with blue signs with black arrows AND YOU SHOULD ONLY FOLLOW THE BLUE SIGNS IF YOU WISH TO TAKE ON THE EXTRA SECTION. Otherwise, please just continue to follow the yellow signage.
You'll find more detailed information on all of this, along with examples of the signage that will be used, in the most recent post on our Latest News page.
Support Services
There will be experienced and fully-equipped mobile medical and mechanical support services available along the route, so if you do encounter any sort of problem then please contact Event Control via the phone number provided (see below).
There will also be a broom wagon service available and, if it's required, you just need to contact Event Control and assistance will be provided as quickly as we can. However, wherever possible, and particularly if non-urgent recovery is required (eg you simply choose to abandon the Ride), you should contact any family or supporters in the first instance to enable the broom wagon to remain on the route and available for unavoidable situations as much as possible.
Refreshment Stop
We've arranged for a refreshment stop to be available on the route for the use of our riders on the day - it's at the Stoke Inn pub in Chew Stoke after about 26 miles (or 31 miles if you've done the optional section).
There will be toilet facilities and the opportunity to top up water bottles, and there will also be free tea & coffee available. Riders will also be able to purchase hot bacon & veggie rolls, cake, etc if they wish. Veggie, vegan, and gluten-free options will all be available.
Given that warm weather is forecast, and also bearing in mind that there's a fair degree of climbing to come shortly after this point in the route, riders are strongly advised to call in to the refreshment stop to top up on water at the very least.
Finally, please remember it's most definitely not a race - so feel free to just go at your own pace and enjoy the route and the sights it has to offer.
END
The finish area has lots of open space and event staff will be on hand to greet & congratulate riders as they finish, and upon finishing you'll be presented with your medal and also a token for your FREE food. And as you leave you'll also be able to collect a FREE bottle of beer to take away, courtesy of our partners at Butcombe Brewery.
Food & Drink
There will be food & drink facilities available all afternoon at the finish for the use of our participants AND their supporters - so family/friends/supporters etc who are meeting riders are also more than welcome to access the facilities to purchase food and drink if they wish.
Any supporters wishing to purchase food and/or drink on the day at the start/finish area should just be aware that these will be 'cashless' services so they will need to use a bank card or electronic payment method.
There will be bins available around the start/finish area so please use these to dispose of any packaging, tissues, cups etc responsibly and safely, and toilet facilities and drinking water will also be available.
OTHER STUFF
Event Control Number - 07956 858851.
If you need to contact us FOR ANY REASON please use the phone number above. This number will be printed on the front of the individual rider numbers collected at sign-in, but riders are also advised to enter this number into their phones in advance.
And all riders please note - vehicles left at the start MUST be removed by 6pm latest, after which time the gates may be locked and exiting will be difficult.
Finally - enjoy the Ride, stay safe, be considerate of others, and have a great day out!
