[Closed] The Dirty Reiver - 200k Graaaaaavel ride, April16

I've signed up - its twice as far as I've ever cycled before which is a bit of a worry.

I'm in. Anybody fancy riding out with me?

It should be a good shakedown for anybody doing Tour Divide or the Trans Am Trail race.

Something I'm certainly thinking about, not sure I want to commit yet though as I don't know my plans for next year. I've ridden further than that on road before but doing it on [s]forest tracks[/s] gravel roads will be a whole lot tougher.

Does look good.

*cough* Thread [url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/event-for-next-year ]here [/url]already *cough*

I'm going up for a reccie over Xmas Hols for a bit of a blast, check out the fire roads and type of environment it'll run through.

Looks great this..

Ooop's, didn't know.. maybe better if the thread was titled?? Can that be changed? Save doubling up as theres some interest here already..

Tempting.

Entered. Distance is fine, doing it instead of a 300km Audax, more worried about the ~3500m of ascent.

Thinking of de-commutering the Straggler.

already got an email from a pal trying to tempt me. Still prevaricating.

Entered, might as well do all my training in one day...

What bikes are people using?

Entered here too. Ill likely be using a CX bike with big tyres, either 38mm WTB Pathway (semi-slicks) or some Nano if i can find any at a good price.

Id happily take suspension, just locking out for some sections, but i dont tend to stand and sprint much so dont feel any 'loss' due to suspension movement. Id have used my short travel Spearfish 29er but have just split it up, thats a good bike for rough gravel roads.

Actually I've just seen the price... Might find something else to do that weekend 😐

I'm using my TCX Adv1 CXer, on my reccie I'm just going to use either Limus tyres or the Clem Xplors, not too sure yet.

If the fire roads are littered with large stones then the Xplors (40mm) if not then I'll stick with grippy Limus.

Just put a mail out to Club mates to garner interest, might do this as a Team effort rather than on me own (like I normally do)

Yeah its not Audax cheap but you do get a fair bit of stuff for the price, and capped at 400 riders I dont think they will have the economy of scale sportives do to pay for the medical support and manning feed / food stations etc.

"Entry includes;

Event T shirt
Event limited edition goods
Sponsor products included in goody bag.
Hot food at finish
Way marked course and GPX route
Feed stations
Full medical team back up

Due to the shared use of some of the course the Dirty Reiver is NOT a race. However, finishing times will be graded based upon the first finisher and these grades are detailed in finishing times on the event page.

Sounds suspiciously like a race to me.

Yep, in and all excited. Now just got to work out wich singlespeed to take and start growing my beard to epic proportions so I can use it for holding energy gels and stuff

I'll probably be SS as well. I have a nice growth already started.

If I do it I'll be using my cx whihc is currently in commuter mode, guards off, lights off, slicks off, racing ralphs on.

Sounds suspiciously like a race to me.

Lots of people starting at the same time, over a set course = a race 🙂

Of course the fact it's a race only really matters if you're trying to win it, for the vast majority of people it's simply a personal challenge.

I'm currently undecided. I like the idea of something early in the year to motivate me to get off my arse over the winter, not sure I like the idea of 200km of fire roads.

Will be a nice day our grovelling around, using my carbon chinese CX commuter sans guards and lights with better tyres, probably tubelessed.

I'd originally planned to do this but have decided against it now I have the full details.
I was expecting a lower key event with less support and this is basically a sportive. Whilst the entry fee is reasonable for what's on offer, it's not what i'm looking for.
370 miles of each way travel + entry + accommodation + food mounts up to £150ish and I could get a flight to the Alps for that.
I'm planning on doing the Capital Trail instead as I can get a cheap return train train to Edinburgh instead.....

I'll be doing Bespoked that weekend, and coincidentally should have the perfect bike on display! New project that I'm very excited about...

I'm not sure if I'll enter yet. Still dubious about Kielder in April. I was hoping to wait until nearer the time to see what kind of spring we are having but I doubt that will be an option.

Of course the fact it's a race only really matters if you're trying to win it, for the vast majority of people it's simply a personal challenge.

I see on Facebook that Rich Rothwell is entering so most people are going to be racing for second anyway.

highterrainevents are also doing a CX ride in Feb which looks good.
night ride round the water on Saturday night and big ride sunday morning.

I'm in and excited as it's the first time in ages I've planned somethin big this far in advance Have enjoyed the 2 gravel sportives I've done so far but both under 4 hours, this will be another level
Got 2 mates going so far and would love to get some more from S Wales involved

Think I'll need a new bike though 😀

Brilliant, Ive got one mate interested and booked so far too. Rather do this as a sort of Team thing, for some reason I like the idea of that (normally I do this on my own)

8)

Shall we arrange some sort of informal beer up after for STW forum aficionados?

Shall we arrange some sort of informal beer up after for STW forum aficionados?

the Back of the Pack Racing fools will be there with a keg or two/three of very good beer, some music and reeeeallly strong coffee, so feel free to pop over for a pint and say hi

or if you look at it another way, all the gobshite single speeders and knobends will be in one place that you can easily avoid!** 😀

** depends on your preferences

GregMay - Member
Shall we arrange some sort of informal beer up after for STW forum aficionados

Great idea, secret handshakes and the like before we're allowed in??

Sounds great though suspect at least an hour after the event to wipe the grin off would be appreciated 😆
I mean there's being a fool and looking like a fool, if you get me drift 😀

Still dubious about Kielder in April

Worried that you'll miss the midges??

Nearly sold out

in

In, and doing TD in 2016 😀

Well lads a new event in Dalby has been mooted, looks like an enduro type segment timed hack and it's just gone live with applications for entry being handled via a mail application ATM.

I've registered, if it looks like you kinda thing then I'd register interest pretty quickly.

Also, the link came from Grit.CX

[url= http://gravety.co.uk ]Gravety Gravel Event[/url]

As per my thread above, I did a reccie for that event (I'm in, Yay!) over Xmas and found that the gravel roads I went along were longer shallower gradients than the steep stuff in the Dales, but the surface ranged from pretty rough to nice and smooth, but littered with sharp boulders. Also the surface ranged from small metaled type tight pack to loose shale type, and also lots of gullies and rivulets where the rain water comes off the tops.
The foresty bits were wet and muddy and loose in the main, but covered in pine needles and branches and in the sections where forestry is taking place (a lot of it) theres large branches and off cuts on the gravel.
The views are spectacular though 😀

I posted this on another thread asking about the same thing.. thought I'd already posted about the reccie I did, seems not. 🙄

Quite looking forward to DR. Can't make the other one as I'll be on the Divide somewhere.

Greg, mad fool 😆

Will you do a blog of it?

surface ranged from pretty rough to nice and smooth, but littered with sharp boulders. Also the surface ranged from small metaled type tight pack to loose shale type, and also lots of gullies and rivulets where the rain water comes off the tops.
The foresty bits were wet and muddy and loose in the main, but covered in pine needles and branches and in the sections where forestry is taking place

DR200 is almost 'one big loop', so doesn't cover lots of trail in the same area (if that makes sense), so doubt your recce covered much of the riding. It's planned to give variety of surfaces, but is a long distance 'grinder', so stays clear of MTB route singletrack - there's the Kielder 101/Border Challenge for that, and Gravety.
FC are aware of the route/areas covered, so felling won't be an issue - unlike the winter's regular storms.

Well I only did 45k in a loop, it's all I wanted to do. Just rode around the forest and upper moors of Keilder Water, just to get a feel for the place and check out the surface etc.
Wasn't supposed to be a definitive "this is what it looks like" post.

Wasn't supposed to be a definitive "this is what it looks like" post.

I didn't read it as such and was just trying to 'flesh it out a bit'. Sorry if it came across otherwise 😳
A lot of the fire roads there are surfaced in grey igneous rock (Whinstone) which will be where you found the sharp rocks you mention, I imagine. That's the stuff that stuck to everyone's brakes and ate through bikes at the K100 a few years ago.
We've tried to avoid these where possible. Other areas use a sandstone base (brown in colour and less 'pointy'). If you came across logging, I'd imagine those tracks will have been loosened by the vehicles. Not sure what the recent weather has done - certainly wouldn't fancy the ford at the moment....... 😈 Off to ride it again soon, so there'll be updates and pics I'm sure.
High Fell events are putting together a 24hr event up there for Feb 2017 which could be interesting.

No offence made, none taken. Just observation from me.. 😀

As is it was the first time I'd ever ventured that far North, I kid you not. Thats one of the main reasons for heading up that way to scout out what I've been missing.

It truly is a fabulous place, I look forward to riding and enjoying the area. I will for sure (unless the ride kills me off 😆 ) be back for more riding there..

Greg, mad fool

Will you do a blog of it?

Yes, more or less. plus something for Grit.cx I think.

Either way, hurrah!

Bump'idge..

Seems the folks running the event have reopened entry for 48 more hours from today. They've managed to expand the entry list, to what level I don't know.

So, so if you think riding 200k on Gravels your thing in the amazing Kielder Forest, I'd hop on over to the site now..