Dirty Reiver 2017 – April 22nd, entries now open

For anyone wishing to do next years Dirty Reiver in Keilder Forest the entries have just gone up.

Alongside the 200k, there is now a 130k route too.

Excellent event, beautiful area, recommended.

Anyone done it before? Is it all wide tracks or do they put in anything that could be called singletrack?

Just booked to do the 130 with a mate.

Based on the number of punctures I got at the Badlands CX last w/e I hope Keilder is flint and thorn free – my hitherto unperturbed tubeless set up was very perturbed and did not cope!

Entered. Looking forward to it

old fat bloke I know is doing the 130. 8)

Oooh tempted by the 130k.
Was wanting to do the 200 this year but now there is a more sensible option that I don’t have to train for I might wimp out 😆

I am frightened to go back to Keilder after all the kit I wore out the last time 🙁 .

Of course it could be dry, 😆 😆 😆

Anyone done it before? Is it all wide tracks or do they put in anything that could be called singletrack?

Mostly wider tracks, gravel roads etc but a good mix of singletrack / doubletrack and also some normal (very quiet) road sections.

I bailed at 130km last year. Whole mix of reasons including the mental one that the 130km point was only about 500m up the road from the castle!

I’ve entered the 200. Eek. Hoping I won’t be tempted to bail at 130.

Now need to pick a bike. CX with canti brakes and road wheels? 29er hardtail? Rigid 29er SS? Or maybe new bike time? I’m thinking hardtail is probably the safest option allround.

Now need to pick a bike.

http://road.cc/content/tech-news/186623-what-bike-dirty-reiver-200km-race

Tempted, but it’s a long way to drive…

I’m in for the 200. 😀

I did it on a rigid 29er this year and planning on using an Arkose 4 in 2017.

Flat bits and CX bikes passed me, lumpy climbs and I passed them. Lumpy descents and a fella on a Tallboy passed us all. You’ll be swearing you’re on the wrong bike at some point. 😀

or have a look what people rode for the Gravel Rocks DR200 training weekend:

http://road.cc/content/tech-news/209021-what-bike-gravel-and-adventure-riding-13-bikes-gravel-rocks-weekend-kielder

Gorgeous blue Arkose 4 on there. 😀

Reviver? I think you may have been mis-sold 😀

in for the 200, hopefully my new custom Ti singlespeed will be here in time to nichemince the distance on my rigid egochariot 😀

2016 version was amazing, classically organised, great crowd of a wide range of abilities and fitness. Course was hard, make no mistakes it was challenging and grin inducing in equal measure.
At no point did I feel “out of my depth” but one section leading over the back of the lake on the fire road that lead furthest point from the Castle, I did feel like I was one my own and very remote. Mechanical failures at this point would have probably been disastrous yet like most rides of this nature nothing ever seems to go wrong. There was a fantastic support team in place should anything untoward happen, you may have to wait a while to get help, but they’re more than catered for events like this.

Conditions were unsurprisingly cold, freezing in fact, but the first 10k warmed by pace of the groups and enthusiasm. General banter was extremely high, thoughtful pisstakes and encouraging grunts the order of the day. I bailed at 130k too, not because I was knackered but because I was late to start. Honestly glad I did because there was no way I would have caught the fast lads at the front. About 65% of the course is fireroad, not the fine grade shingle most forests are covered in, but larger more smashed stones. Tyres and pressures very important choice decisions, I used Gravel Grinders 38C on my CXer at 60psi and whilst teeth rattling on the long decents, smooth and grippy and enough volume for 90% of the course, the other 10% you just have to get on with it.

I’ve not been on my bike for 5months this year, decided to take a break, yet I’m thinking of coming up again next year so that should give all those who are dubious about fitness some solace.

It’s an epic day in many ways, but three key aspects to it are : Terrain and location, Organisation and support, Competitors and banter.

130km signed up for, let’s see what this is all about.

Yeah entered 130k though, no way got 200k in my legs

Hoping to be marshalling the ford again 🙂

I completed this year’s event in 11:52 on a Kinesis Crosslight 5t. I bought some wire beaded WTB nano 40c tyres for the event and inflated them to 40 psi. I suffered no punctures and was reasonably comfortable throughout. There was one long very rattly descent where front suspension would have been welcome. The worst part for me was the endless, shallow climb by Kershope Burn. Some large machine had been up there and the track was corrugated. It is better now, as I discovered in the Kielder 101.

It is a great event, well organised and friendly. I rode most of it in solitude, occasionally catching and being caught by fellow competitors.

In the last 4 hours of riding I treated myself to 5 minutes off the bike every hour. I had a little snack and enjoyed the scenery.

Within a mile of the finish I followed some tyre tracks and went off course, a mistake which cost me about 10 minutes 🙁

I’ve entered again for next year and hope to improve my time.

The ford was cruel!

Hardest and most enjoyable bike ride I’ve done this year. Looking forward(?) to doing it all again, hopefully in the same weather (I’m not sure I could imagine it in the rain).

Anyone done it before? Is it all wide tracks or do they put in anything that could be called singletrack?

Did the first one last year, mostly fire roads but there are some technical sections both up and down, but they are in the minority.

Excellent event, one of the best marshalled I have ever done.

My blog post on it is here[/url]

I believe it is now full. Hope those going enjoy it. It’s a cracking event.

IMGP1362.jpg by Greg.May[/url], on Flickr

Blue Sky Dreams by Greg.May[/url], on Flickr

Booked my place at 0815hrs, decided on a new bike to ride it on by lunchtime.

^^^^ those blue skies look good, someone should book them.

I am frightened to go back to Keilder after all the kit I wore out the last time .

Of course it could be dry, 😆

Did half of it this weekend just gone and it killed a set of brake pads. Take spares in April.

😆

It really is quite an awesome event lads.

I believe it is now full

Not yet it ain’t.

Did half of it this weekend just gone and it killed a set of brake pads. Take spares in April.

That’s weird, I did the whole thing last April and still have loads of life in my pads

I’ve just entered the 130,seems like I’ve set myself up for lots of late winter/early spring training miles.
Now to find a suitable bike, N+1 Genesis Longitude? Pinacle Arkose? Specialized Sequoia? Just take the steel hardtail? Decisions,decisions..

Did half of it this weekend just gone

Which half John? and did you bothy?

Booked my place at 0815hrs, decided on a new bike to ride it on by lunchtime.

^^^^ those blue skies look good, someone should book them.

They booked all weather last year, sun, rain, hail and snow. Luxury!

Which half John? and did you bothy?

Johns sträva – if he doesn’t mind me posting it is here

https://www.strava.com/activities/786331129

deferred entry from last year, so I’m in,

interesting to see the bikes people used,

I did the whole thing in April and took the same pads on the Tour Divide and got to Idaho before I swapped them out.

boxelder – Member
Did half of it this weekend just gone
Which half John? and did you bothy?

The northern half plus Newcastleton’s 7 Stane, didn’t make the bothy as the pub owner at Kielder offered us the grass in front of his pub for the night and it would have been rude to refuse.

🙂 Hope you bought plenty of beer.

In for the Dirty 130.

Looks like over 700 entrants so far!

How many on either ?

Places still available ?
Keep looking to enter but its not giving me the option to enter ?, Hence I thought it was full

https://resultsbase.net/event/3797

Sign on still open I think, you need to register though