Head off into the twilight and ride together under dark skies on the gravel roads, paths and tracks in the North York Moors.
*Entrants are welcome on any bike from gravel to electric to mountain bike.
Dark Skies Gravel
Date: Saturday 28th February 2026. 4:00pm start.
Entries: britishcycling.org.uk
Part of the National Park’s Dark Skies festival, the gravel event will be one-of-a-kind loop winds through an area famed for its lack of light pollution, it’s one of only 24 designated International Dark Sky Reserves in the world.
Riders will set out on the epic, 67km, route in daylight and ride into the dark on a mix of public bridleways and drover’s paths in woods and across open moorland.
Dark Skies: “Riding at night brings a whole new dimension to cycling and whether you’ve excited your senses riding with lights before or not, at Dark Skies, anyone can give it a go and take on a fantastic route incorporating some superb gravel paths and quiet country lanes with fast rolling surfaces. Make no mistake though, the North York Moors is peppered with big views and bigger climbs, and the sheer distance will be a real challenge to complete in the dark.
“If the thought of attempting such a big night ride was previously daunting, Dark Skies entry fee includes a fully signed route to guide the way when you’re flagging and passes through some civilization (and a pub or two!) and a hot-soup feed station to help riders feel less spooked out in the night. Other folk riding the loop with you and event marshals sweeping the course and encouraging mean Dark Skies also aims to ensure this amazing novel experience is safer and more fun than riding solo.”
Entries are open at the British Cycling website now and the event organisers will be releasing more information about the required minimum equipment, exact route and timings shortly.
There’s a bit of irony in blasting around an area known for its lack of light pollution at night with a load of others , all using 2000 lumen mega lights!
Looks great that, i’m gonna consult the calendar. Havent done any night riding for years which is appalling
I wonder if they’ll use a similar route to the Top-of-the-rock, 67km sounds familiar.
If so, be very wary of the fact that right at the end of the ride you may find yourself very close to Sutton Bank centre…. but very much a lower altitude. Its a slog back up the top when your 64 our of 67km down!
Indeed – its glorious up there as dark falls…