Dirty Reiver 2023

Couldn’t see a thread….

Entries open today. I managed to get a 200km place again 🥳 New routes this year apparently inc a new start.

Having achieved my goal of completing the old route non-stop, I’ll switch to setting a fastest moving time I reckon. Means I can carry less weight, enjoy the rest stops and will probably ride my old Spark over the Diverge.. Not because it wasn’t perfectly ridable on my Diverge on either 38 or 42mm tyres, but because I have a hunch it will be faster across 10h of micro-bumps regardless.

It’s also a great motivator for training having my entry sat there! The more rides I can do between now and then, the easier/shorter that epic day out will be hopefully 🤣

An event is indeed a good motivator… but i don’t see motivation as your problem.. you’re very dedicated 🙂

Have they changed the name to reflect our new attitude to waste water treatment? 🙂

It’s just an illusion 🤣 Winter miles = summer smiles and all that but it doesn’t make getting on the bike any easier 🤣

Having come back from rock bottom fitness, I know what I need to do right now, in order to be able to do the Chaingangs, Crits, Dirty Reiver, First crack at Tour of Cambridgeshire and the British Gravel Championships that I want to do next year.

Hopefully they’ll all be more fun if I’m getting dropped less…

@Martinhutch lol Doh! Stupid autocorrect. Can the mods change it? 🤣

yep, all signed up again, always a laugh I shall make sure I work on my beard, choose suitably silly gear ratio and maybe take something other than spiced mead and jelly dinosaurs for nutrition

I’m in for the 200k. Never ridden an offroad century, so need to get one under my belt before then.

I am in for the 200km as well. Feeds nicely into other stuff I have planned for next year.

In for the 200km as well. Loking forward to it.

So – how brutal is it…?

In.

Hope was to go under 8h next year but they’ve said the route will change so not a fair comparison. In any case the Kielder weather has as much of a say in my time as my fitness.

Going to be on a bike with 42mm tyres this time not 33mm which has got to be worth some time saving.

Few of the club doing it. Our practice rides were as much fun as the event. Few off-road centuries and the 135 route a couple of weeks before the event (in the snow!)

In, year five for me, it was the new route that tempted me back.

So – how brutal is it…?

Hardest thing I’ve done outside of a 24 hour solo. I did the first ever one and was quite a bit fitter than I am now so gonna have to do a lot of training. Good tip is to do as much training as you can offroad to condition your upper body. My shoulders, neck and hands were battered after about 100km and the last 50km were pure torture even though the legs were ok(ish).

Would love to do it but it’s just too far away for me to get there on a weekend.

In for the 200km too.
Determined to do the full route after only doing the medium route last year.
Good training ride to build up for the Frontier 300.

Few of us from the gravel club going up again and staying at the Kielder campsite so should be good fun.

Definitely going to go off slower next year and have a bike with better gearing. Was a bit of a grind last year!

It’s Fred Whitton levels of climbing… off road 🤣

I’m aiming to be at least a stone lighter this time around and carrying less water. I think that will make the most difference v a watt or two on my 10 hour power 🤣

I’ve signed up for the 130km. Need to get the miles in. – lots of Z2 for training.

I’m not sure what to do for a bike.

Options at the moment are 26″ rigid Inbred and maybe put some faster tyres on it, or embrace the comfort & use my Stumpjumper FSR (again 26″).

I’ve been harping on about getting a gravel bike for ages now, so perhaps I should just bite the bullet, although I think the Inbred gearing will suit my lack of ability to get up hills & I’ll probably appreciate it towards the end of the ride.
What’s the deal with switching distance? If I feel OK on the day, can I just keep going on the 200km route, rather than the 130km? I’ve done that a couple of times on sportives without issue, but wondered if this is a bit different due to the remote location & the need to keep tabs on everyone, for safety.

I have never noticed anyone physically checking which way you choose to go at the various junctions between routes 🤔
I’m guessing there are timing strips monitoring your chip.

It’s perfect for a gravel bike. Literally gravel bike heaven.

But I’m convinced now that suspension will be worth the slight weight penalty to reduce fatigue.
Maybe 8hrs is a good cut off? Below that- go gravel. Above that, run as much tyre and XC suspension as you have in the shed.

Doing the 200 again – hope weather is nice

Is the 65km really only 100m of climbing? That sounds far to nice.

I’m tempted by the 200km. I rode the Kielder 100 a couple of times and enjoyed it.

It’s perfect for a gravel bike. Literally gravel bike heaven.

Mostly. The first year they did it there were some brutal sections. Loads of people turned up on 35mm tyres as well – very few did the year after! They were gradually removed each year. I’m curious to know how the most recent editions compare? Times certainly appear to have got a lot faster.

@stumpy01 It was my first time last year. I was on a Sonder Camino Ti with 42mm WTB resolute tyres (tubeless). Redshift stem and canyon SLR seat post. Aside from my gearing (1 x 11, 42 x 11-42), I don’t think I’d have changed the setup. There are some bumpy surfaces but it’s generally fast forestry road without anything technical. The course is different next year though so will be interested to see what’s changed.
Last year there were a few (3 ish) road miles which i’m assuming is because of the storm damage along the southern lakeside. Your Inbred is probably the better choice bike. I never really wanted suspension at any point. Some of the climbs do drag though and the fatigue I felt made me wish for a better ratio for a higher cadence.

@butcher – last year was incredibly quick – averaging around 30kph for the first hour!
Overall, I did the 126km, 2308m course in 6.5 hours moving time (19.5kph) with 7.5 hours elapsed time which was as i’d expected but hopefully I’ll get some better training in over this winter.

I’m curious to know how the most recent editions compare? Times certainly appear to have got a lot faster.

they have taken out all the fun bits of double track with the jumpy lumpy stuff from the early ones, as folks kept breaking themselves and bikes, so it has become a lot fluffier. Mind you, the number of folks who struggle with control on some slightly loose stuff and cling onto the bars in a rictus of terror is still mad.

The crosswind descents last time needed some real self-coaching to relax down I thought 🤣 Seriously sketchy! I hit 51mph somewhere during the September edition but nowhere near this year.

First year was brutal, four seasons in one day. Some of the sections very rough, especially the river climb after the 100km feed stop. Weather and gravel conditions have been generally kind since. Almost always a frosty start though

Signed up for the 200km distance, will be a warm up event for the frontier 300, I intend to spend as much time as possible between now and then riding on the South Downs to get my legs in to shape.

Any Southerners interested in a Salisbury Plain training ride meet-up in the new year sometime?

Can make loops of anything from 10-60 miles usually starting from Ludgershall.

Looks like all the places have gone. Unless I’m looking at it wrong.

Yep sold out at 3pm 😱

Wow! That’s impressive. £75 doesn’t sound cheap but is cheaper than some races (sorry it’s not a race, I forgot) I’ve seen.

Looks like I’ll need to plan my own 200km ride and use the saved £75 on premium riding fuel like Guinness and bacon rolls (obviously not together as I’m not a monster 😉).

@crosshair could be if I can scrape some time together, Ludgershall, but thats not too far from Tidworth isn’t it? rings a bell from my time down there.

That’s it 👍🏻 It’s got a nice car park, a bike shop and is at almost the most easterly point of the Plain. Which means the westerly end is a nice 26mile ride away 😀

Bugger, I forgot entries were open (despite a reminder on my calendar!).

Just reminding myself that I’m never doing it again 🙂 https://singletrackworld.com/gritcx/2017/04/27/cheating-suffering/

Great write up @stwhannah 😀

I have always said these epic rides are actually way more of an achievement for the folks who rock up “underprepared” 🤣

Training is the real cheating I think. I’m way too insecure not to though 🤣

Signed up for the 200km kind of by accident.
Was under the impression it was close to impossible to get into so tried entering just to try. The screen froze so assumed the site was swamped and then got an email saying I am in

Slight problem, no idea how I will get there (1 car family and wife needs it at the weekend) and haven’t booked any accommodation.

Any tips from the more experienced heads?

Any tips from the more experienced heads?

Nope! You got yourself into this mess, you get yourself out 😉

Slight problem, no idea how I will get there (1 car family and wife needs it at the weekend) and haven’t booked any accommodation.

It’s not the easiest place to get to without a car and there’s not much in the way of accommodation. You could get the train into Hexham and ride up through the forest and camp at the campsite. Not sure if there’s any closer train stations from the North but I wouldn’t have thought so.

@alansd1980 let us know where you’re travelling from and someone may be able to assist, I’m heading up from deepest Sussex so can put almost anywhere on route (south west probably the exception) but I do only have a knackered Ford Fiesta so space could be an issue 😂

I have a tent (although it’s not seen much use since I left scouts 25 years ago!) So that should be fine.

@Bazz I am in Surrey so quite local to you. I a planing on taking some midweek days off in the new year and trying to get some long days in so would be good to have a pacing partner.

Will mainly train on the turbo but from experience on a different event this year, I was great for 3/4 hours but felt like I faded after. Really no replacing long days out in addition to structured training.

Bike option – Light 29er hardtail or CX bike with 35mm tyres. Any recommendations?