YOUR NEXT GREAT RIDE

THE COTSWOLDS

DON’T LOOK OUT the window. It’s probably still a bit dark and wintry out there. But don’t despair – spring really is just around the corner. So stay inside and plan your first trip of the year. It doesn’t have to be a big-budget, high-mile marathon. Just a good day out in the glorious British countryside should do the trick.

You’ll have your favourite local roads, of course. And they’re great for a quick shakedown, an hour or two to blow the dust away on any mostly dry weekend. But as the cow parsley appears in the verges and the skies start to clear, it’s time to treat yourself to a proper day-long ride.

The trick is to pick somewhere just beyond your normal riding range – the next nice town after the one where you’d usually turn back to base. You’ll probably have an idea of what the roads around there are like anyway, but take a bit of time to plan a route that loops out into untested territory to somewhere that looks like a decent lunch spot.

Where you end up will depend on where you start. From our Peterborough HQ, the Cotswolds are an ideal two-hour ride away. We know many of the great roads there – but there are plenty we’re still to explore. This spring should be the perfect time to try them.

HOW TO GET THERE: The Cotswolds are loosely hemmed in by the M40, the M5 and M4, so access is easy. We’d take the A429, A40, A361 or A44 to get to the heart of the area. WHEN TO GO: March or April. WHERE TO EAT: For coffee and cake, stop in Moreton-in-marsh (www.cacaobean.co.uk). For a pub lunch, we like The Plough Inn at Ford (www.theploughinnford.co.uk). WHERE TO RIDE: For one suggested ride, see the routes page on www.ride.co.uk