Swindon - Helter Skelter Belter to Three Trees and Back - 11 miler

If you're fairly confident on your bike and ready to broaden your cycling horizons, our Steady rides are ideal. At a comfortable pace, and possibly with some modest hills along the way, rides take place on mainly quiet roads with plenty of sights along the way. Rides are between 6 and 20 miles long, at a moderate pace of between 7 and 10 miles an hour. This 11 mile ride winds through Swindon's Coate Water Country Park, up over the "Helter Skelter" M4 bridge, and onto the trackbed of the Swindon to Marlborough Railway (now the National Cycle Network path 45)…after about 2 miles, and just as many hills, we enter the residential area of Chisledon. Then we continue on, joining the NCN 482 for a couple miles through the North Wessex Downs on the old Marlborough to Chisledon Railway LIne, cutting through to Draycot Rd and circling back to Chisledon but not before stopping for a quick refreshment at the Three Tress Cafe. This route involves riding over a motorway, following the track bed of two former railway lines which opened in the 1880s, passing by sites of both a WWI and WWII camp, riding parallel to an ancient Roman Road (Swindon- Marlborough A419).....all the while, in the shadow of the Ridgeway, part of an ancient complex network of tracks that have existed since Neolithic times. This ride comes in at just over 11 miles so it is a good challenge for those wanting to stretch their legs that bit further, see and experience some of Swindon's rich railway heritage, as well as lovely oak forests bursting with birdsong. Yes, there are a couple of hills on the way out to Chiseldon, but the pace is relaxed; no one gets left behind. If all goes to plan, by the end of this ride, you will already be planning your next ride out this way to show family and friends this delightful trail! You may even be plotting to explore further on the NCN482...the possibilities are endless. PLEASE NOTE: Parking charges apply at Coate Water Park, £2 for around 2-24 hours so please bring some change.