How many hills did we climb on our recce of the forthcoming Marshbrook CycleOps Power Road Sportive, which takes place on 2nd July? I can’t remember with any exactitude and, frankly, I’m feeling a bit blue about it. Not as blue as I was at the summit of the first of them, the dreaded Burway out of Church Stretton, where rain that had been threatening from the start of the ride outside Marshbrook’s Blazing Bikes shop finally decided to come down hard.

At least I had mudguards, unlike Eurosport commentator David Harmon, who chose for the ride a super-light Focus Izalco in the hope of having an easier time on the many climbs to come. Anyway, the downpour eased in time for our descent from the Long Mynd to a place called Bridges.

Now, the first thing to be said about the route is that it is demanding not just in terms of climbing ability but in descending skills and, indeed, general bike handling. The Bridges descent is not merely steep, although at some 20percent it is certainly that. No; the real test comes just after a cattle grid as the road plunges into tree cover and at the same time turns from moderately-surfaced asphalt to a gravelly nightmare of potholes and moss. Go in too fast and there’ll be trouble.

We didn’t and there wasn’t. Joined at this point by Clee Cycles’ Andy Jones, we set off on one of the most delightful organised rides routes I’ve encountered, meandering as it did along lanes seemingly forgotten by the modern world and past villages and hamlets where animals and poultry wandered undisturbed.

After a super-fast descent to Pulverbatch, on which my rear wheel despatched a squirrel that ran out of the hedge, we arrived at Minsterley in time for my front tyre to hit a stone and, despite being a 25c Continental Grand Prix, slowly deflate. Still, no tyre damage meant a rapid return to the road following refreshments of banana cake and tea.

Now we were on roads Andy Jones uses regularly for training and, as we left Minsterley, he gave a description of the steady but relentless valley climb to Hope that proved entirely accurate. Once past the lump of Corndon Hill and surrounding flat lands aptly named The Marsh and The Bog, we descended a long way to Church Stoke and decision time.

The Classic Sportive route covers around 85 miles and heads out to Montgomery. Feeling the climbing and the previous night’s beers, David and I opted for the 50 mile Standard Sportive route towards Bishop’s Castle. The hills weren’t done with us yet, however, the short but sharp job before Bishop’s Castle forcing an early resort to 34×27 despite looking like it could be taken in the big ring.

Another long beast appeared from nowhere as we rolled along quiet lanes through idyllic pastures and it was only as we began the final descent back to Marshbrook that I could be certain there were no more nasty surprises to come. There will, no doubt, be plenty of them for those who decide to head for Montgomery.

For full details of the rides and how to enter, visit www.roadsportives.co.uk