Post-war redevelopment wasn’t kind to Worcester. Cars race between the traffic lights and junctions on the city centre ‘relief roads’ of City Walls Road and Deansway, making the cyclist feel distinctly out of place. The ring road has taken some traffic away from the centre, but not enough.

It’s a similar story on the main arterial roads: on the narrow Newtown Road, for example, impatient drivers squeeze past the weary cyclist battling up the hill. This means there’s no easy way from the east of town into the city centre.

But once you’re away from the centre, the story is much more pleasant. You can often carve out a route through residential estates without encountering much traffic.

Worcester’s terrain is very sympathetic… as long as you stay by the river. Going east, however, requires a fairly taxing climb out of the valley. The west bank is more forgiving.