route

Route: Velo 29: Cheshire Cat Sportive 2026

Andrew Ross

02 Apr 2026 — 4 min read

Last weekend I rode the Cheshire Cat organised by Velo 29. I’ve ridden this similar Cheshire Sportives a few times over the last few years, but this was a new route for me that had some fun and challenging hills in. This is definitely a type 2 fun ride.

Start / Finish

This was an organised ride starting from Crewe Alexander. There are multiple locations around the route which would be suitable for parking up including Crewe, Middlewich and Goostrey to name a few.

Route

The first 20 miles (32.19 kilometres) or so of the route are along reasonably quiet roads as you head towards Alsager via Wychewood and Audley. Passing through the outskirts of Alsager brings you round to the start of the 5 major climbs on the route.

Mow Cop is the first of these climbs. Although the hill is only short (approximately 1mile), the average gradient of 11.3% and maximum gradient of 23% makes it a real tough climb. It is currently #36 in the top 100 climbs book. Even after it levels(!?) off a little in the middle the final section is punishing and even when you reach the ‘top’, there’s still another little uphill section round the corner!

After a glorious downhill, you shortly hit the second hill of the route taking you up through Biddulph Moor onto Lask Edge. This slightly longer hill of 1.78 miles has a lower average gradient of 5.6% and, with your head down, doesn’t take too much puff to get to the top.

Enjoying the views along the top you follow the edge before dropping steeply down into Horton (for a well-earned food stop) and then dropping further into Rudyard.

From Rudyard, it’s up High Up Lane, an ‘easy’ climb according to Garmin. This is a short 0.6 mile climb at an avaerage gradient of 5.3%. Again, put your head down and this is over before you know it.

You follow the road downhill alongside the reservoir — a great café here if you need one. There are some stunning views of the Roaches from here, but unfortunately for me, the last of any views as the clouds, wind and rain moved in.

From the bottom of the reservoir you head up the penultimate hill. At 1.17miles and an avaerage gradient of 8% this is a tough hill, but it’s rideable for most people.

Following this hill, you drop straight down again into the valley and can clearly see your way out — up the final major challenge — the hill up, and through, Wincle. This is a punishing 2.35miles long, albeit with a short downhill in the middle. This was too much for my now soaking body and three quarters of the way up the last stretch my legs gave out, and I stopped and walked a short section (along with numerous other cyclists I might add).

Reaching the top you should be treated to a beautiful view of the sourrounding area — I was greeted with rain and low cloud. Having completed the hardest (in my view) uphill you’re treated to the best downhill of the route — over 2.5miles of twisty (and reasonably smooth) roads heading towards Gawsworth.

Whist I won’t say the rest of the route is downhill there’s certainly no more real challenges apart from the distance on the route. You loop through Siddington, Goostrey (visit the Trading Post for great flapjack) before reading King Street just outside Rudheath. Here the rain made my choice easy — rather than opting for the longer ride (as planned) I dropped the extra 20 odd miles and followed the medium route into Middlewich, Church Minshull and then Nantwich. This final section takes in some disappointing choices of road in my view. There are numerous quieter roads that the route could take — riding down King Street with lorries constantly overtaking you is not enjoyable.