Figured I’d start a post for Dirty Reiver ’22 discussion. Who’s decided to sign their life away then?

Dirty Reiver virgin right here. Keen road cyclist and mountain biker. Decided to enter the 200km. Longest ride to date is a 200km road audax down under. Reckon the Reiver will feel like 300km to be honest, given the gravel and th undulating elevation.

What bikes are people going to be on, set-ups, tyres, training plans?

Deciding to ride it on my custom Chisel with a set of Sid Sls and 45-50mm tyres on (thinking panaracer SK ATM). Gearing 32t x 50-10t.

Training will consist of 19 weeks of base(4x) through the week, longer rides at the weekend. Lot of core, stability and leg work in gym too. The challenge and prep gives me a valid excuse to get in top shape as an additional bonus and cut from 83kg to 75kg. My thinking is, do the work now, so that I don’t get ruined on the day.

Looking forward to hearing from others!

On the waiting list for next year! First timer last time. Used Panaracer Semi slick Gravelkings and they were ace (the course was bone dry). I did the 200 which was the longest ride I’d ever done. Always new I’d make it to the end, just didn’t know when 😳. Aimed for 10 hrs and came in just under 11. Gutted I’ve missed next years as I’ve signed up to the Frontier 300 and hoped to get this under my belt first!

Joined the waiting list. Suspect it’s a long shot of getting a place. Interested in the frontier 300, so thanks for flagging that up.

I have done it two and a half times, last time I really couldn’t be arsed and sacked it.

I have trained for it precisely zero times. One year I hadn’t ridden a bike for two months previous and finished building the wheel on a new bike for it whilst camping in Bellingham fire station.

You’ll be fine, it might even be fun if you train for it. But it’s certainly not special in regards to training needs. Unless you want to be not slow I guess…

I rate it as an event though, good fun and an interesting challenge.

I think @boxelder might be one of the organisers.

Is a chisel a mountain bike? Heehaw chance I’d it do it on anything that wasn’t a road bike shape there are sections that are way to long and exposed to be sitting upright. And suspension is completely unnecessary.

i’m doing it for the 4th time on something singlespeedy and daft again, its always a laugh. training will involve growing my beard a bit more a finding something fun for the hipflask

Did it last year in good weather and easier than expected tbh. Did the Lakes JennRide before as part of my training, which is actually a much harder, still pleasurable event. Good weather for the Reiver undoubtedly helped. There are lots of hills so it suits riders that go up well (I dont really). Downs are fast and add some fun.

I saw all sorts of bikes and everyone was doing Ok. I put together an On One Freeranger, 42 x 10-42 gearing was plenty. I put on Pirelli Cinturato Gravel, tubeless of course which were great.

Its an exercise in staying fed and hydrated. I have cycled a lot this year for me, about 500mile per month. Training was mainly on the road, longer 4-5 hour rides throughout the year at weekends with local clubs.

I’ve got a place.

Not 100% on making it to the event as I’ve managed to injure myself yet again and I really need the saddle time as my fitness is shite at the moment.

Oh yeah and I don’t have a suitable bike either 🙄

Ive an entry to this too but only have an email from advntr.cc. Nothing “formal” from the dirty reiver lot. This normal?!

No idea on finish times or anything like that. Haven’t ridden this far in many a year! Really looking forward to a good day out though.

Here’s the chisel. I’ll be doing it on this. Sid SL locks out. Full bike 9.5kg. Going to stick some 50mm (2.0) panaracers on it.

I know that bike!

I’m in. My intention is to do it on my CX bike. Hopefully on a file tread but I have some fast rolling intermediates too. If it needs muds I’m not going!

No stranger to long rides although I only managed 2 over 200km on the road last year, I’m still living off past glory. Done about 7 or 8 longer rides on my CX bike. Loads on the road. Spent lots of time at Kielder and I think I’ve ridden the majority of the routes I’ve seen.

Plan is to keep riding and get some long rides in. More worried about the weather than anything. Most curious about the best way to carry stuff. Have options so will experiment and dig up the threads on here.

Oh yeah and I don’t have a suitable bike either 🙄

A mountain bike is suitable I’m just not convinced it’s the right choice if you have the option. They are very much roads, they may be a little rough and there may be the odd section of muddy puddles but there is nothing on it that screams big tyres, big treads or bounce.

The biggest issue you will face is puncture and losing your water bottles. Definitely tubeless if you can, definitely spares tubes (plural) AND puncture repair kit if you can’t. Definitely take 2 bottles and think of some way to secure them that isn’t just friction.

I sold my gravel bike a few months back. Wanted to build that chisel as I wanted to reduce the number of bikes I had. It turns out it’s lighter, similar reach and riding position.I almost always rode on my hoods on the gravel bike too. Kielder is actually local to me (1.25 hrs drive) , spend many weekends up there. Got s-work fasttracks on the bike at the moment – they are light (500g and fast), but going to stick on a fast rolling skinny gravelstyle tyre for the 200km. Thinking 45-50mm.

Got a small triangular frame bag I will use, back pockets, two water bottles . Don’t fancy a camelback for 10 hrs.

I think the bike will be perfect for the reiver cos the chainring matches the water bottle. It is a long ride though so you might need to source another bottle.

Loving the wit 🙂 changing down to a smaller ring. Was trialling a 38t but need another easier gear for climbing.

Was going to use the cross bike, but made the fairly rash purchase of sonder Camino al this morning 🙂

Not done 200km before, so need to get pedalling

Did it last year. Didn’t train for it, but had been doing 50-70mile gravel rides every weekend with 70-100miler gravel rides every few weeks.

Done enough 10+ hour offroad rides to know the do’s and dont’s, but didn’t take my own advice 🙈. I got caught up with faster riders at the start and proceeded to dig a deep hole, then spent 7 of 11hours teetering on completely blowing up, it’s the longest pre-bonk wave I’ve ridden in my life 🤣 (but I did finish).

Anyway, some notes that might help…
—Most mechanicals seemed to be punctures on skinny tyres, under 40mm. I ran Teravail Sparwood 650×2.1 with Orange Seal Tubeless on a gravel bike with no issues, good comfort and grip.
—The terrain was surprising, you’re either climbing or descending with next to no flat. I would’ve preferred longer climbs to settle into, and get more recovery on a longer descent. Along with getting too excited pace wise at the start this really caught me out.
—Slower rolling draggier gravel, go by effort not speed. Trying to chase a time goal probably cost me an hour by then having to manage my energy and stopping longer for fuel\recovery.
—Contradictory info on fuel stops meant I carried too much food, just in case.

Basically you’ll be fine, just ride 👍. If you’ve done a 200k Audax it will be similar effort, but harder\longer. Sensible pace and fuelling. Otherwise just enjoy yourself, and there’s always someone to share the suffering with if you’re in a bad patch at any point.

If I was using your bike..
Fit the faster rolling tyres you have.
Maybe use a small Camelbak bag just for water.
Quick\easy access frame or bar or stem bag for fuel, repair kit, clothing stashing.
Ergon grips with stubby integrated bar ends or maybe road bar tape on the centre area of the bar just so you have more hand position options.

Suspension definitely not needed but I bought one of those Redshift stems and it was tremendous. Took a lot of strain out the wrists.

I’ve done it three times on gravel bikes with Nanos – admittedly the old course with the rocky descent which I think has gone now? Either way, I’d happily do it on my XC bike which is v similar to yours, in fact I’d rather do it on my XC bike as there can be sketchy loose corners which I’d feel better on with wide flat bars. Rode my XC bike all last winter on shitty lanes with an On One Mickey bar on for the windier bits – happily average 17mph on decent roads with the right (low rolling resistance) tyres on.

You can get a second bottle on that?

Skinny tyres will be fine. You might want to work out if you can use different hand positions. Inside mounted bar ends or those stubby thumb grips. Togs? Might be important if we hit a headwind. Dropping the front end to a more road like position. I’ve got some old handlebars you can probably have if you want to try going narrower.

I’ve never had a problem riding tubes around Kielder. On the MTB back in the day or on my CX bike. I’ve done Bloody Bush/lonesome pine and Newcastleton on 35mm tyres. You just need to get the pressures right. People have been doing the 3pks forever at that is a whole lot worse. You just put 70psi in and take ibuprofen for the wrist pain afterwards 😉

Pete, let’s get out over new year. 5 of us from Reifen have entered so we should get some regular long rides going. I’ll send you a couple of Kielder routes that use some of the trails.

Yeh Jon, 3 screws for front bottle cage. Can shift it up one if I need to. Then one on the seat tube. Quite a bit of space. Although I may stick a triangular frame bag in that space for th Reiver and run a camelback hip style bag. Don’t fancy running my full on camelback!

Ordered some panaracer Gravelking SK+ TLC in 43mm which should be here tomorrow. Definitely keen to go a few rides soon with you guys. I’ll be doing the festive 500 this year (weather permitting, as I see snow storm is set to arrive). Planning to do it on the Chisel mostly.

As for bars, I’m going to buy some bull bars and stick them inboard. Tape the centres of my bars up along with the bulls. May drop the front end by the final two spacers, so it’s slammed. Will play around over the next few months.

Oh and the Sid raceday SL is 1300g with lockout. Very light. Will ride most of it locked out, perhaps letting it off on some of the descents.

anyone get any other email confirmation of your entry other than an auto generated one from advntr.cc?

I’m in but only for the 130km.
Intend to use my Singular Swift, rigid, bar ends with 29×2.0 Conti Race Kings – in the absence of a drop bar gravel bike. It’s what I used on the Badger Divide and it was great.
First time for me and looking forward to it.

Dickydutch, I’ve had two emails. The auto-generated payslip, then another saying I was in. Today they sent a circular about the event and the build up to it.

Fatmax, sounds like a good set-up. New tyres showing up tomorrow. 43mms on a MTB, still unsure but we will see lol. Will post a pic.

With the 43mm Panaracer Gravelking SK plus..

It will be my first Dirty Reiver having missed out before so grateful for this thread.

Always curious and apprehensive what to carry. I’m comfortable with marathon distances and completed this sort of distance on the road, but 200km off road is into the unknown for me. I will be doing it on a xc hard tail so not sure about tyre choice, will definitely be tubeless though.

Any advice on tyre choice will be really appreciated

Them Panaracers are the nuts. Rode 110km today on the Chisel and they are very fast rolling. Not too bad in the wet and some mud. In the deep mud they do slide a bit, but Kielder is like 98% gravel/hardpack anyway.

Plan is to now build 20km onto my long rides each week. Hands were a bit sore today. Going to get some Ergon grips and also wrap the centre of my handlebars with bar tape. Find I’ve been riding with hands in on straights etc. Maybe a cheap bar cut down too.

More spaces freed up so if you were on the waiting list there should be an email. In for the 200!

Welcome to the pleasuredome Paino! Are you camping? We’re in the teepees this year which should be more comfortable than wigging it down at 4am!

In the back of the van hopefully. Not checked out the camping/van situation yet. Which reminds me, I need a new leisure battery!

I’ve just got in from being on the waiting list. Now I need to figure out what I’ve signed up for other than a big ride!

I am in for the 200k. Did my first one last year.
It is a great event!
I had to work Friday morning, drive up 7hrs, sleep in the car, do the event and drive back again for a quick snooze and work again Sunday morning 🤣

I aimed to get round in about 10 hrs and made it bob on at 9h55.

Knowing I wouldn’t be troubling the leaders, is set myself the goal of doing it non stop without unclipping. I failed that one as I needed a wee and then a bottle fell out of my jersey pocket. But that was the only two times and I was stopped for only around 3 minutes.

The course is brutal. Never flat, always rolling and the gravel and headwinds stop you getting momentum.

I did it on my Diverge comp carbon and the bike was perfect. I ran the 38mm pathfinder pros at 35/32 psi tubeless and had no punctures.

For nutrition I had a red bull, 1.5l of sugar water (60g per bottle of table sugar), 1.5l of plain water, 5 rice crispie squares, haribo, jelly babies and most importantly of all- pork scratchings 😋

I obviously started with all this on board so it’s pointless even worrying about bike weight 🤣

I was short by about one bottle of water I think but luckily a guy I was chatting to had a spare so let me down it.

Power was 173w / 206w normalised but I’m hoping to have added 20-30 watts to that for this attempt.

So my goal this year is 9hrs non stop. Depending on conditions of course.

@crosshair, I take it there was feed stations, you just decided to keep going?

Yes mate, 3 good feed stations. I just wanted the challenge.

I plan to stop as little as possible, perhaps 5 mins max at feed stops. Don’t want to let my legs cool down and stiffen up 😂

Doing rides at the moment. 100km gravel ride last week. Planning a 130-140km ride this week. Building up to 170km a few weeks before the event. I’d love to complete it in less than 10 hours.

Let’s hope for a dry, calm day. If it pisses down and blows a gale, I’ll ride 130 I reckon.

80 mile / 5000ft / 15mph / 3800kcal training ride today. Did a slight whiff of Salisbury plain gravel but mostly windy road riding.

Targeted 200w and normalised was 230. I was fairly wrung out afterwards, mostly as my feet were cold. But was pleased with the effort especially as decoupling was only 6%.

I ate enough but probably didn’t quite drink enough (1.5l). Mainly as I didn’t want to stop to get the bottom bottle out 🤣

That was 9hrs this week but I’m hoping to steadily ramp up into double figures before April.

How’s everyone doing? Five weeks out now. Rode kielder at the weekend. Looking good. Very dry and has been cleared from trees.

Absolutely gutted. 2 weeks off work to put in some decent mileage. First week my daughter had Covid, this week it’s the lad. Wife at work meant zero pedalling time. More annoying is that the weather has been awesome. Now constantly working between now and the event.

Making the most of the sunshine this week! I’ve done 408 miles / 26h35 on the Diverge since last Saturday.
110 miles today. Ran less food than I’ve been using and whilst I don’t feel too bad- the ride was only 170w. It took me up Streatley hill at 101 miles- which felt a bit like that last big climb after the dam 😮‍💨🤣

I’ve never done a big slab of base miles like this before so hopefully I can absorb it.