Need something to motivate me for the first half of the year and contemplating the Gralloch. Who’s done it and was it worth the time, effort and money?
Never done a ride that length, so that’s one concern but would also probably end up doing it solo, so I’m not really interested in the beer tent/ event village side of it.
If not this, anything else I should look at?
Grand Old Dukes in Aberfoyle? They do a 100km and a 180km course, lots of climbing in the 180km course which broke me last year!
I'm less drawn to the Gralloch as it sounds quite intense although I guess if you let tge fast boys go it just becomes another sportive. I think Glorious Gravel do the same course as part of their Wild Goat event later in the year?
I'm doing The Gralloch. Doing the big race on the Saturday but there's also a sportive on the same route on the Sunday if you don't fancy the racing element. I haven't done it, or any gravel race before but I've raced 50 or more enduros over the years and really miss racing. My mate has entered with me and he did it a few years ago. Said it's the best event he's ever done
There's also the GrAlba series which has a few rounds and includes other technically standalone events in the series like the Muc n Mac fest at Innerleithen
I've done the Gralloch a few times. It's a great course. Quite rough, chunky gravel in places so wide tyres are recommended. I've seen lots of people puncture. Loosing bottles on the rougher sections is also common so make sure your bottle cage is secure or use a hydration pack.
I've done it the last couple of years, it's a great event and course. The weather has been superb too which helped! It's a proper race and very competitive, especially the start. I think they do a sportive on the Sunday on the same course so I'd probably look at that if you're not into racing it.
I was the definitely the sportive on the Sunday I was looking at.
The weather has been superb too which helped!
I usually have a habit of jinxing any event I enter, so it might not be this year, if I do it.
@OP - are you looking at Scottish/Northern events specifically?
@OP - are you looking at Scottish/Northern events specifically?
Yes, live in NE Scotland near Carnoustie, so even the Gralloch is 3-3.5 hour drive south for me.
I’m doing the Gralloch this year first sportive in many years looking forward to it. I also have a s****y new Stigmata. All the gear no idea 🤣
Yes, live in NE Scotland near Carnoustie, so even the Gralloch is 3-3.5 hour drive south for me.
Do you know the guys from Trilogy.cc in Dundee? They did a gravel audax last year in April called 'The Law'. I was ill in the week leading up to it but rode the route a couple of weeks later, it was excellent but very hilly!
I've done it a few times. The race is definitely a race but away from the front it seems a lot more relaxed. Its set off as age groups so you do get the older racers (Nick Craig 😉 ) coming past you. Can be good to get a wheel to sit on if it happens at the right time.
It's a lovely route. I went up to ride it before the event and it is very pretty.
Don't know if the Alba series will be running this year, a series of gravel events in Scotland. Could be worth a look. I hear good things about Dukes weekender/Gravelfoyle or whatever it is now called. There were some shorter events in the Tween Valley that I remember. Also the Muc and Mack gets a good review from people I know who did it. Most are likely less serious than the Gralloch.
A few club mates have travelled up from Derby more than once, they really rate it. A couple of them are up at the pointy end in their age categories, a couple are happy to have fun at the back.
I've entered the Glorious Gravel version of it in June. This one:
https://gloriousgravel.com/product/gravel-sportives/galloway-forest-gravel-epic/
It's "only" 129km.
Galloway Forest seems to be becoming a bit of a home for gravel race and ride events.
Galloway Forest seems to be becoming a bit of a home for gravel race and ride events.
It’s been my back door riding area since the age of 18 back in 91, first time I did the entire forest road route was wi mates back in 93, I would’ve been on my Marin pine mountain, fully rigid of course.
kirkcudbright-glengap-laurieston-raiders road-clatteringshaws-loch Dee-glentrool-newton stewart-clatteringshaws-gatehouse viaduct-Carrick-kirkcudbright - we used to set off in the morning with a seat pack/tube/cool tool/patches and a pump.
According to our avocet bike computers it usually worked out to be around a 100mile day depending on the routes/paths we took
Simple days on simple bikes but still full of good memories, these days I can only get my kicks driving the car up to clatteringshaws.
Enjoy the route if you enter, it’s worth the drive and effort to get here
"Cool Tool", now there's a name I haven't heard in a long time!