Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

news

Dirty Reiver 2018: UK's long-distance gravel event now taking entries for next year

Entries for long distance gravel race are now open - and they’re selling fast

Entries for one of the Dirty Reiver 2018, one of the best events on the UK’s fledging gravel and adventure scene, have now opened and they are selling fast. Don’t worry, there’s still time to secure your place in one of the must-ride events and start preparing your bike and body for the weekend of April 20-21st.

For its third year, the Dirty Reiver will once again take to Kielder Forest with a choice of 130 and 200km routes around the stunning wilderness that is England’s largest man-made woodland.

There are few places as expansive and remote as Kielder Forest, and it’s the ideal venue for a long distance gravel event. Miles of logging tracks provide challenging terrain to ride, with bike and tyre choice key to long-distance comfort and necessary durability to get to the finish.

- Dirty Reiver 200 – A lesson in hurt

We’re told this will be the last time the course will be run in its current form, so if you’ve not yet taken the plunge, now is the time to do it. And as an incentive for any returning rider, there are 10 prizes from Lezyne for the most improved rider times. That’s a good motivation to up your training over the winter in readiness.

The organisers are pulling together a whole range of cool bike brands to make more of a weekend festival vibe with an expo taking place on Friday. So if you get there early there will be plenty of cool brands to check out, including Ass Savers, Abloc Beer, Brooks Saddles, Charlie’s Bum Butter, Chimpanzee Nutrition, Endura, Orange Seal, Ortlieb and Panaracer on hand with their newest products.

- What bike for the Dirty Reiver 200km race?

Lauf will be demoing its unique suspension fork and running a giveaway during registration to give five sets away. Bombtrack are the new Highwayman and will have bikes on display to check out over the weekend.

 

- 6 tips for riding the Dirty Reiver, and other gravel races too

So, who's going then?

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

Add new comment

5 comments

Avatar
Jimthebikeguy.com | 6 years ago
1 like

Did it in 17. Don't even go without a set of tubeless wheels.

Avatar
700c replied to Jimthebikeguy.com | 6 years ago
0 likes
jterrier wrote:

Did it in 17. Don't even go without a set of tubeless wheels.

Why tubeless? Would sealant in an inner tube not be just as effective? (For those not wanting / able to upgrade weels and tyres )

Avatar
3mkru73 replied to 700c | 6 years ago
1 like

 Why tubeless? Would sealant in an inner tube not be just as effective? (For those not wanting / able to upgrade weels and tyres )[/quote]

1) Comfort and peace of mind, you can run a tubeless tyre at 20 psi and not worry about pinch flats. 2) No matter how much sealant there is in the inner tube, eventually on the Dirty Reiver it might give up the ghost. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are plenty of riders who got round the route with inner tubes and not puncturing, but it's a fine line trying to get the right amount of pressure and the right tyre choice. I passed, and this is no exaggeration, in excess of 40 riders by the side of the trail fixing punctures in the first 60km. 

3) Convenience. If, and it's a big if, you managed to tear a hole in a tubeless tyre, it's far easier to repair with a noodle as there is no need to remove the tyre and wheel to fix it.

 

 

Avatar
Yorky-M | 6 years ago
0 likes

Entered and looking forward to it

Avatar
3mkru73 | 6 years ago
1 like

Entered, doing the 130 again this year. The 2017 route was epic, mentally and physically challenging but an absolute blast. One tip - tubeless. Passed soooo many people replacing tubes. I rode tubeless and had no problems. Keeping my fingers crossed the weather is the same next year too, 2016 was awful! 

Latest Comments