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Northwich – Bickley

91 km road cycling loop554 m climbing3–4½ hoursGPX

Comberbach, England, United Kingdom · Road

A rolling 91 km road cycling loop from Comberbach, England through Anderton, Winnington and Tiverton, with 554 m of climbing.

Route contributed by Richard Chapman · Created from a ride on Tuesday 28th June 2022

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At a glance

Best for
Rolling day rides for fit, experienced riders
Distance
91 km
Loop
Elevation gain
554 m
6 m per km
Riding time
3–4½ hours
moving time, estimated
Difficulty
Hard
Bike
Road bike
from the mapped surface
Surface
Paved
96% paved · 2% unpaved · 2% no data
Traffic
Mostly minor roads
9.3 km on main roads without a cycle lane · 7.3 km where the limit is 80 km/h or more
Food & water
Regular
102 cafés and restaurants · 21 shops · 1 water point · 4 petrol stations · 12 public toilets · 3 bike shops
Navigation
GPX download
free, no sign-in
Start and finish
Comberbach

Map and elevation profile

Elevation profile

Total ascent
554 m
Distance
91 km
050100150200m0 km2040608091 km143 m · highest, at 30.6 kmStartFinish · back at the start

Route description

  1. Comberbach
  2. Andertonkm 2
  3. Winningtonkm 4
  4. Tivertonkm 25
  5. Bulkeleykm 34
  6. Harthillkm 52
  7. Tarporleykm 65
  8. Hartfordkm 81
  9. Castlekm 83
  10. Comberbachkm 91

The route starts in Comberbach and passes through Anderton, Barnton, Winnington and Eaton before reaching the first main climb near Peckforton at 28 km. This 1.8 km climb gains 70 m at an average 3.8%, peaking at 143 m. The road then passes near Stanner Nab and Bulkeley Hill, continuing to Bickerton and Harthill. The terrain is generally flat or rolling with 70% flat sections and only 0.9 km over 5% gradient in short bursts.

After Burwardsley the ride continues through Tarporley, where the second climb of 1.7 km gains 45 m at an average 2.7%. The route then heads towards Little Budworth, Whitegate, Hartford and back to Comberbach and Northwich. Roads are mostly minor roads (69%) and quiet streets (15%) with 7 km on main roads and 3.5 km on major roads. The surface is 96% paved with 2% gravel and some short unmapped parts.

Along the way there are pubs, cafés and shops mainly near villages such as Bickerton, Burwardsley and Tarporley. There is a water point near Northwich at 83.8 km. The longest stretch without café or shop is 9.1 km between 71.5 and 80.6 km. Bail out is possible at a station near Hartford.

Highlights

  • Climb near Peckforton reaching 143 m
  • Bulkeley Hill near 34 km
  • Beeston Castle near 60 km
  • Longest café/shop gap 9.1 km after Little Budworth

Along the route

Measured from the route line, the Copernicus elevation model and OpenStreetMap.

Places passed

  1. Anderton 2.3 km
  2. Barnton 3 km
  3. Winnington 3.7 km
  4. Eaton 20.9 km
  5. Tiverton 25 km
  6. Beeston 27.8 km
  7. Peckforton 31.9 km
  8. Bulkeley 34 km
  9. Bickerton 49.3 km
  10. Harthill 51.9 km
  11. Burwardsley 54.3 km
  12. Tarporley 65.3 km
  13. Little Budworth 71.7 km
  14. Whitegate 77.2 km
  15. Hartford 81 km
  16. Greenbank 82.2 km
  17. Castle 83.2 km
  18. Northwich 84 km
  19. Witton 84.4 km

Climbs

Climbs in ride order: where each starts, what this ride climbs, and the full named ascent
ClimbStarts atOn this rideTop on this ride
Unnamed climb28.2 km1.8 km · 70 m · 3.8 % · max 7.6 %143 m
Unnamed climb64.2 km1.7 km · 45 m · 2.7 % · max 4 %125 m

High point 143 m at 30 km; low point 14 m. Passes beneath Stanner Nab, Peckforton Hill, Bulkeley Hill.

Traffic, surface and gradient

Measured from OpenStreetMap along the track and the elevation profile.

Mostly minor roads and streets on the map; 9.3 km is on main roads without a cycle lane.

Roads
69% minor road · 15% quiet street · 7% main road · 4% major road · 5% other roads and tracks
Main roads
9.3 km on main roads without a cycle lane — likely busier
Fast roads
7.3 km on roads with a limit of 80 km/h or more
Main roads used
Clay Lane (5 km), Chester Road (5 km), Park Road (5 km), Eaton Lane (4 km)
Surface
Paved: 96% of the route is mapped as paved, 2% as unpaved and 2% has no surface data.
Gradient
15% climbing · 15% descending · 70% flat
Steep sections
0.9 km over 5% · steepest 500 m averages 6.9% at 29.7 km
Longest descent
2.8 km from 54.6 km, dropping 74 m

Food, water and services

Within a few hundred metres of the track, from OpenStreetMap. Opening hours change — treat this as where to look, not a promise.

No stretch is longer than 15 km without a café, shop or water. Along the route: 102 cafés and restaurants, 21 shops, 1 water point, 4 petrol stations, 12 public toilets and 3 bike shops.

Food, water and shops in ride order

  1. 2.3 kmStanley Arms · pub · 110 m off route
  2. 6.4 kmThe Sandwich Shop · fast food · on the route
  3. 6.4 kmHartford Pharmacy · pharmacy · on the route
  4. 12.4 kmWhitegate Station · café · 40 m off route
  5. 16.1 kmThe Village Shop · convenience store · 100 m off route
  6. 25.7 kmLockgate Coffee House · café · 40 m off route
  7. 34.6 kmBickerton Poacher · pub · 60 m off route
  8. 45.4 kmToilets · 270 m off route
  9. 49.7 kmToilets · 40 m off route
  10. 64.8 kmTarporley Service Station · petrol station · on the route
  11. 65.1 kmOld Fire Station Cafe · café · 30 m off route
  12. 65.3 kmRowlands Pharmacy · pharmacy · 80 m off route
  13. 71.5 kmRed Lion · pub · 50 m off route
  14. 75.2 kmFemale · toilets · 160 m off route
  15. 83.2 kmCyclelife · bike shop · on the route
  16. 84.1 kmToilets · 100 m off route
  17. 84.1 kmBoots · pharmacy · 160 m off route
  18. 84.6 kmSainsbury's · supermarket · 80 m off route

Need to bail out?

  • 80.6 km — Hartford (station), 90 m off route

Whether bikes are carried depends on the service — check before relying on it.

Worth a stop

  • 17.9 km — Oulton Park Race Track (attraction)
  • 29.9 km — Peckforton Castle (castle)
  • 34.2 km — Bulkeley Hill Viewpoint (viewpoint)
  • 51.8 km — Hart Hill (peak)
  • 60.3 km — Beeston Castle (castle, 154 m)

Start and access

Starts and finishes at Comberbach. Mapped within a short walk of the start, from OpenStreetMap.

At the start and finish

Food and coffee
Spinner & Bergamot (100 m)

Know before you go

  • 9.3 km on main roads without cycle lanes
  • 7.3 km on roads with 80 km/h+ speed limits
  • 2% gravel or unpaved surface
  • Longest stretch without café/shop/water 9.1 km between 71.5 and 80.6 km

Routes are for inspiration. Roads, surfaces and conditions change — check locally and ride within your limits.

9 photographs from the road

About this route

Ridden by
Richard Chapman
Date ridden
Route line
Built from a GPS recording of the ride.
Elevation
Recalculated from the Copernicus GLO-90 terrain model every 50 m, not the device’s barometer.
Roads, surface, services
Measured along the line from OpenStreetMap extracts.
GPX
Generated from the route line: track points only, no timestamps or personal data.
Page added
Page last updated

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