THE CROSS CARTEL 2026
Mixed terrain ride in the Welsh Borders and the Marches
Cross Cartel rides are not traditional “events” or mass start rides – they are open to everyone, free of charge and all rides are on tracks, trails and country lanes that are open to general public, and which we have test ridden many times.
They simply offer a carefully mapped route and a named date on which to ride and meet up with like minded riders.
There are five Cross Cartel rides, four of which start at Epic Cycles in Ludlow, while the fifth one starts bang on the Welsh border in Kington. The idea is to provide a self-sufficient riding challenge, but not one that requires extreme fitness or unusual specialist equipment – just the kit that you would normally take with you on a mixed terrain day ride.
Full details of each ride can be found below, but the basic running order is:
- Spring Challenge: Sunday 26th April – postponed one week from previously published date due to possible road closure
- Mortimer Round: Sunday 24th May
- Rough Ride: Sunday 19th July
- Mytton 100: Sunday 23rd August
- Twin Peaks: Sunday 20th September
The rides follow fixed routes on gravel, dirt and back lanes, and are fully self-supported with no event team or infrastructure, and no course direction arrows or check points – simply download and follow the route on your GPS or smartphone app.
The Cross Cartel is a small club set up by the staff of Epic Cycles, who have been exploring this area by bike for well over a century between them – the rides are not organised by the shop itself, but by volunteers in their spare time.
SPRING CHALLENGE
SUNDAY 26th APRIL 2026 (revised date!)
The Spring Challenge is one of our most regularly ridden routes. It’s ideal for this time of year as it’s not too severe and many of us are still to regain summer fitness levels. it is still challenging enough to mark the start of the warmer riding season, over tracks and trails that should have dried out a bit after the winter.
Starting and finishing at Epic Cycles in Ludlow from 9:30am, the Spring Challenge takes in a proper mix of forest tracks, bridleways and gritty back roads.
The route is just over 40% off-road in distance, but close to two thirds in time. Coming fairly soon after the winter some bits of the route are likely to be mucky in places, but the ride is not too technical in nature. You may need to put a foot down occasionally on one or two slippery sections if there’s been recent rain, and you should expect to get quite dirty, but you will not need advanced off-road riding skills.
MORTIMER ROUND
SUNDAY 24th MAY 2026
Exploring the highly varied terrain of the ancient estates of the Earl of Mortimer, starting and finishing from 9:30am at Epic Cycles in Ludlow, the route links together some lovely stretches of off-road riding using quiet byways and true back lanes.
The Mortimer Round is a challenging ride, as it is hilly with some some fairly steep off road sectors, but it’s not highly technical and it’s pretty weatherproof. The reward for all the climbing is some spectacular views and premium stretches of double track.
We have extended this year’s route to a full 100km, but if you’d prefer to keep it a little shorter it’s very easy to skip the western loop that takes you up over Stow Hill and along the ridgeline back to Bucknell. If you go straight on at Bucknell the total distance is around 80km,
The route passes near to Aardvark Books in Brampton Bryan at around 40km, which has an excellent café with outdoor seating and plenty of room for bikes. There’s also a handy refuelling opportunity in Leintwardine at 80km.
This route is suitable for mountain bikes or gravel bikes with 40mm+ tyres that have some decent grip – there’s one steep grassy descent we wouldn’t advise tackling on semi-slicks.
ROUGH RIDE
SUNDAY 19th JULY 2026
From one half of the team behind the original Rough Ride cross-country MTB event comes our most popular ride, the Rough Ride ‘Reborn’. It has now evolved into a big country gravel ride on a stunning route suited to both gravel bikes and cross country MTBs.
Don’t be fooled by the distance with this one. It’s one of the best and most varied we have ridden in the UK, but it is a properly challenging day ride and will need a pretty capable bike.
The Rough Ride starts and finishes from 10:00am in Kington, Herefordshire, and is as gravelly as it gets with a few steep climbs and descents.
Right on the Welsh Border the route is 90% in Wales. It’s over 70% off-road, with a full mix of grassy downland, gravel/forest roads, some brief rocky sections (including one very steep descent of around 50m, which is ride-able for experienced riders, but if unsure please just walk down), singletrack and farm tracks (which can get quite muddy and rutted following wet weather).
We have only test ridden the Rough Ride on both gravel bikes and cross country MTBs – depending on the weather there are pros and cons for both – but please ensure you have some decent sized tyres fitted if opting for a gravel bike.
The route does not go near any shops or other source of food/water, so make sure you have plenty of supplies with you.
There are a fair few gates on the route, so please take care to close them after you, as there are a lot of sheep!
Previous Route (2026 route will be published 10 days prior to the ride)
MYTTON 100
SUNDAY 23rd AUGUST 2026
Using some lengthy sections of the Jack Mytton Way, but in a looped route rather than point to point, the Mytton 100 is a challenging ride that offers variety, lung busting climbs, some outstanding singletrack and a mix of forest, open hillsides and sleepy back lanes.
The ride starts and finishes from 9:30am at Epic Cycles in Ludlow, and is our longest Cross Cartel ride. The best re-supply location will be Church Stretton with plenty of shops and cafes on hand if you need them.
While the paved stretches comprise 60% of the route, they are over quiet roads and you will spend well over 60% of your time off road, and some of the back roads are barely surfaced.
The Mytton 100 includes some of the finest and most varied ridge riding you’ll find anywhere, with both Wenlock Edge and Long Mynd among the highlights. Be prepared for a couple of short hike-a-bike climbs too, unless the going is especially dry. It is equally suited to a capable gravel bike or a cross country MTB.
Previous Route (2026 route will be published 10 days prior to the ride)
TWIN PEAKS
SUNDAY 20th SEPTEMBER 2026
The Twin Peaks route is based on one of our regular loops, and picks up the two hills that dominate the horizon when looking out over Ludlow Castle – Titterstone Clee and Brown Clee, the highest point in Shropshire.
The ride starts and finishes from 9:30am at Epic Cycles in Ludlow, and is our shortest Cross Cartel ride.
The Twin Peaks is a short ride in distance and isn’t too gnarly at all, but it’s also not an easy spin as some of the trails are poorly surfaced. There’s also a fair bit of climbing, but the views are well worth it! We reckon it’s an ideal ride to round off the season.
Previous Route (2026 route will be published 10 days prior to the ride)
About Cross Cartel Rides
Cross Cartel rides neither races nor traditional organised leisure rides. They are are similar to what were traditionally called “reliability trials”, where the objective or challenge is to complete a pre-determined route on a particular date within a time limit – but in our case the limit is all day and we have no set start time.
The challenge is simply to ride a mapped route on a given day, at a time of your choosing. Go as fast or as slow as you feel comfortable with!
What kind of bike do I need?
We have tested all of the tracks, trails and lanes ourselves on gravel bikes using both 40mm+ tyres and cross country MTBs, which would offer more comfort on the rougher terrain but be a little slower over the faster stuff.
Our rides are not suitable for road bikes, and bigger travel full suspension bikes might prove to be a bit of drag over some of the terrain.
What other equipment will I need?
Apart from a suitably equipped bike, the only mandatory equipment would be a helmet and a GPS device of some sort, as there are no route signs. Most of us use a Garmin or Coros type GPS unit, but we have also used a phone with Komoot or similar mapping app loaded up. In fact, our advice would be take both if you have them, as the phone maps are much more detailed than dedicated GPS units, so are handy if you need to navigate back on course etc. It’s also wise to have a backup.
Otherwise, please be sensible and take exactly what you would pack or wear for any lengthy ride on your own in remote areas, as there won’t be any support out on the route – such as warm enough clothing, waterproofs, sunscreen, spare inner tubes, multi-tool, pump, food, plenty of water, phone etc.
How fit or skilled do I need to be?
We have planned all of our rides to be achievable for any rider with a reasonable level of fitness and who is comfortable riding off road – a challenge yes, but extreme no.
You don’t need to be an expert cyclocrosser or MTB cross country racer, but you will need to be comfortable riding off road on mixed surfaces for several hours. In places you may even need to “hike a bike” if the weather is very wet on the day – but these sections will be short. Each ride description will include an approximate break down of surface type (paved vs off road).
When do rides start and what is the time limit?
On the day of the ride you can start at any time you like but we do list a suggested start time, and for the rides that set out from Epic Cycles we won’t have coffee ready until 9:30! The cut-off for finishing being midnight.
As we don’t require riders to sign on or be scanned through a start line, we don’t need to be rigid about start times – feel free to choose a time that’s convenient for you. Most of our rides benefit from riders being spread out in the early stages, as there are narrow tracks near to the ride start, so we would suggest setting out as soon as you are ready. You would soon be well spaced out anyway, due to the nature of the rides!
Important
You will need to be fully self sufficient – Cross Cartel rides are all self-supported on routes that are open to the general public, with no emergency back up or mechanical support of any kind. You need to take spares and supplies with you.
There will be no rescue vehicle to collect you if you have a mechanical, so please make sure you take a mobile phone for any emergencies. You will need to call a friend to collect you or the emergency services in the event of a medical incident. And it is sensible to be insured – you don’t need race insurance, as our rides aren’t races or timed in any way, but public liability insurance is highly recommended.
The Cross Cartel has no responsibility for any incidents that occur during or as a result of your ride – you are solely responsible for your own actions and safety while riding our routes, whatever day you choose to ride them. The Cross Cartel do not provide ride support or event venues. Our routes are on public trails, tracks and paved roads.
Please follow the Highway Code at all times when on the roads, and the Countryside Code when off road – and PLEASE close all gates and take litter home with you. We are huge supporters of #leavenotrace.