dorset gravel dash review
http://www.charliethebikemonger.com/dorset-gravel-dash-100-2017-7272-p.asp Dorset based family owned Sand and Gravel quarry MB Wilkes Ltd have a wealth of knowledge in the products we offer as well as the ability to react to the needs of our customers. The brainchild of bike shop owner Charlie Hobbs, the aforementioned Bikemonger, it’s an off-road ride of just under 100 miles with 6,876ft of climbing. Both … Watching gravel bike riders grimly fixed to the drops on steep descents or bounced around on the hard earth tracks made me grateful – even if I did have to work harder on the road. All sorts of rigs were loaded down with food, and tents, and waterproofs. That’s down to the hard work of Charlie and his team, who have carefully plotted a route using existing rights of way and quiet roads, and then negotiated access with landowners where necessary. 30 minutes after everyone had left. Silica Arena Sand From £25.20 per tonne loose. Wildcat Gear komoot The Overland Outdoor Co. VecchioJo tackles 100 miles of glorious English Pretty, with a bit of gravel We are leading suppliers of sand, gravel, soil, decorative stones, paving and landscaping products in Dorset. The local scout troop was selling beer and cider for £2. It feels more accomplished and like I’ve made more of a connection with the environment. Both take you around the amazing scenery on the Isle of Purbeck around Swange. Because someone had to be. Chewey and I had no plan after this. Comments Formerly known as the Dorset Gravel Dash, the Dorset Dirt Dash offers two different events on the same route. But when I travel I usually enjoy finding my own way. When we came to Swyre Head, which looks down over Kimmeridge and out to sea, I attempted to ride up its steep slope rather than the take the steps. Cycling UK's Ian Taylor found his Spa Cycles Tourer more than up for the job of Dorset's hills, The alternative options for crossing the ford at Moreton. The route encourages you to take your time and appreciate the differing landscapes you encounter, from Corfe Castle near the start, to the Jurassic Coast in the south, to the Iron Age hill forts in the north. Which was stocked with beer. Sometimes it involves a detour to pubs. I’ll definitely be signing up for next year’s event. While his drops and V-brakes meant walking down the steepest descents, there was little practical difference between his tourer and most of the gravel bikes. Before too long Charlie was ready to stir the pot and started signing people up for the charity beer chug. Our group comprised two gravel bikes, a steel tourer, Caren’s beautiful handbuilt bike that was somewhere between a tourer and a gravel bike, and two 29+ mountain bikes – one of them a singlespeed (not mine, thankfully!). Having known Charlie for 8 years now, it felt very appropriate to wrap up my visit to his corner of the world drinking lager in his shop at 4am on a Tuesday. This year other events conspired to keep me from the States and another gravel race, but luckily gravel came to the UK in the shape of the Dorset Gravel Dash 100. Camping is provided at California Barn on the hill above Swanage where you get toilets, cold water, a fire pit with a DJ, and big views across the sea. Mixed and very varied terrain. Dorset Gravel Dash - 100 miles, 2 days. It was like riding through a chapter of Winnie-the-Pooh. The Gravel Dash begins and ends at The Red Lion, a most respectable pub. Find a review Main menu. Entry to the Dorset Gravel Dash 100 is £45, which includes camping for the weekend, or £35 without. The Dorset Dirt Dash 50/50 is a self-supported bikepacking event over two days, while the Dorset Dirt Dash 100 is the ultimate one day gravel grinder. Similar to the Dorset Gravel Dash, which has run successfully for six years, the event is a non-timed, self-supported reliability trial with overnight camping. Blue skies gave way to thundery clouds in the evening. Our review. Though since the pub wasn’t open yet, we stood around near Ian’s van drinking beer until it was time to depart. i.e. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news… but you’re gonna die.". charity no: SC042541. While you’ll need to be fit and determined to conquer every climb in Hardy Country, the emphasis is not on how hard you cycle but on how much fun you have. Assortment of meats and cheeses of course, biscuits, fruits, and other weird British oddities. The prospect of combining a weekend’s worth of riding with, as Charlie puts it, "sitting around a fire, drinking beer, eating goat" was too good to miss. Dorset Gravel Dash 100 - Beers, bikes and pirates. So a group of six of us snaked out from the Red Lion on a misty May morning. There was little credence to his stories but he did have a spindly frame and a Specialized shirt on, then he hugged Chewey as we left, to which he commented later “the kid certainly felt like a roadie.”. Combining a weekend’s worth of riding with ‘sitting around a fire, drinking beer, eating goat’ was too good to miss. And he peppered in just enough British jargon to make anything sound legit. Morning came and Joel once again had this ridiculous spread of breakfast. But I joined up with Gil and Jason. However, the man is a licensed gin and tonic aficionado. The Dorset Gravel Dash was undoubtedly a challenge, but my riding buddies and I came away from it with good memories, new friends and a real … Each Hip Flasks If only all mass participation events could inspire similar local sentiment! God knows..it’s correct. It’s utopia, shangri la. Plotted with the plotaroute.com route planner. May’s microadventure: The Dorset Gravel Dash It’s hard to put into words the emotions I was experiencing as we crested the high point of Ballard Down on May’s bikepacking microadventure. After all this it ended back at Bikemonger headquarters. Devon and another in Germany. But he was like a shadow. His latest idea (following on from the success of the Dorset Gravel Dash 100 in 2015 and the global fat bike day in the same year) was a cross/fat/mountain bike blast across 100 miles of Dorset countryside. Sam Jones signed up. permalink Post navigation. Waiting there was the actual finish line and a party of course. After all the whinging from Charlie about the trail in Arizona. jonm81. But I was still sceptical. It was the sign-up page for The Dorset Gravel Dash 50:50 bikepacking event; a two-day, 100-mile, self-supported ‘reliability trial’ around the Isle of Purbeck and Dorset Downs. Chewey was hip to this adventure too, so early on a Thursday afternoon this May we found each other in London. You bet your ass we bought them all. It may look ridiculous but it worked surprisingly well. The sun stayed with us for the rest of the day, making suntan lotion a must and water scarce at the refreshment stops. So the 100 miles of the Dorset Gravel Dash is something that captures the essential spirit of such a thing without following it to the pedantic letter, and that gravel has to be substituted with dirt, rock, lane, silt, loam, mud, turf, stone, path, concrete, chalk, clart, grass, trail and tarmac. After 100 miles of carrying a tent I am sure I will not be taking one of those (I wasn’t anyway) if I want to finish the Trans Am Bike Race 2018 in sub 30 days… A photoshoot was necessary for some reason. Through the haze of what promised to be a scorcher of a day, Corfe Castle, the battle-scarred survivor of the Civil War that guarded the entrance to the Purbecks, emerged below us at the bottom of a chalky bridleway. Towards the end of day one the rain kicked in. Plus the riverbank we had to drink by with baskets of fish and chips. Took delivery of my new van today, which I'll be driving down on Friday night. You’ve got to ride your own race they say. I felt accomplished in my 01:24 time, and Fleck was just a split second slower. Charlie’s words were part eulogy for veteran Gravel Dasher Oli Kemp, who had died recently in a car crash, and part encouragement for all of us to make the most of the next two days. Yes that’s a 3.0 Chronicle up front and a 700×42 in back. May 26 2019 Dorset, South West, UK . Stumbling upon all of those things au naturel. But first we needed a night of drinking in London to make sure the bikes worked properly after the flight. Special Offer. I did Gravel Dash on CX with 32c tyres, so it's doable, however it will be much more comfortable and fun ride (especially on rocky downhills) if you are on 29er. Both take you around the amazing scenery on the Isle of Purbeck around Swange. April 5, 2015 JOM. Gritfest. But we still invoked the ‘every pub on the left’ method of procrastinating. The food was excellent; Joel from the Wild Isle Kitchen spends several days foraging for wild food, preparing it, and building fire pits ahead of the Saturday evening festivities. Reviews. Despite all the pub gardens. Classy commuter built for bad weather Our rating . The large tyres’ grip and the bike’s wide gear range saw me up most hills, and the 29+ tyres and flat handlebar made the tricky descents more manageable and enjoyable. As others have said, there was a world of variety on the start line and out on the course… 26ers, 29ers, cross, gravel bikes, single speeds, fat bikes, even nutters on fixed gears! Minimal arm twisting was done when Charlie suggested a stop at the market, then a ride up to the lighthouse to picnic by the ocean. YHA Swanage: Gravel dash accommodation - See 224 traveler reviews, 46 candid photos, and great deals for YHA Swanage at Tripadvisor. 50:50: this is the same route over two days with a night out in the woods, where we supply lots and lots of really good food: goats and deer, and great vegetarian food too. Rick had plunged into a gorse bush the previous day, requiring several people to pull him out and then a pair of tweezers to remove (most of) the embedded gorse. Latest deals. The Dorset Dirt Dash 50/50 is a self-supported bikepacking event over two days, while the Dorset Dirt Dash 100 is the ultimate one day gravel grinder. Both take you around the amazing scenery on the Isle of Purbeck around Swange. Outdoor Provisions Rawvelo Surly Bikes UK Formerly known as the Dorset Gravel Dash, the Dorset Dirt Dash offers two different events on the same route. On New Year Day 2018, our 21 month old daughter Evie had a seizure. It’s not a race. As we rolled into the Red Lion’s car park, tired but jubilant, we were greeted by other cheering Dashers. Fortunately, a frame builder, a trained cycle mechanic, and several enthusiasts were on hand to help. We also offer a grab hire service. Charlie called the A&E, Ian and I rode down to the road to signal them up the path, Laura and Charlotte rode to the store for beer. Just signed up for the 100. Consequently they missed the mechanicals that then beset us: Roland suffered a string of punctures, and I wedged my chain into my cassette and bent a cog in such a way as to effectively kill off my climbing gears. The site of many a Bikemonger story. That made some of the climbs a bit grunty. Great rides: the Dorset Gravel Dash The Dorset Gravel Dash is a 100-mile organised off-road ride through West Country hills, with camping and feasting. This year's Dirt Dash will take place on 10-11 October (moved from 23-24 May). Pictures from the 2018 Dorset Gravel Dash. i.e. And we were the last ones in. Scantly placed and dubious course markings. I thought Jon was kidding when he said he’d escort us at all times. The Dorset Gravel Dash is a 100-mile organised off-road ride through West Country hills, with camping and feasting. Charlie lives way the fuck out in the famed English countryside so we’d have to make a train journey to his village. Just imagine a 20 mile ride on a ss Niner sir …(2010——–2012), ending at The Square…mmmm, even managed to confuse the malicious cows. Do we know anyone in Lille? Website. Similar to the Dorset Gravel Dash, which has run successfully for six years, the event is a non-timed, self-supported reliability trial with overnight camping. The Dorset Dirt Dash 50/50 is a self-supported bikepacking event over two days, while the Dorset Dirt Dash 100 is the ultimate one day gravel grinder. Which would lead us back to Swanage. What is behaviour change and how does it apply to cycling? There is a focus on pubs, not miles…tea houses, not KOMs. It was also where Welcome Committee leader Jon informed me that he was under contract with Charlie as our handler for the remainder of the weekend. Home; Reviews ... Building on the success of the Dorset Gravel Dash, they’re making the long journey across the border in search of even wilder terrain. This year other events conspired to keep me from the US and another gravel race but luckily in 2014 gravel came to the UK, the Dorset Gravel Dash 100. Charlie The Bike Monger, the purveyor of fine bicycles in Swanage, has been running the Dorset Gravel Dash 50:50 and 100 for … Formerly known as the Dorset Gravel Dash, the Dorset Dirt Dash offers two different events on the same route.The Dorset Dirt Dash 50/50 is a self-supported bikepacking event over two days, while the Dorset Dirt Dash 100 is the ultimate one day gravel grinder. So it was with some relief that we headed inland from Lulworth, swapping high hills and open pasture for woodland and shelter from the sun – including a pleasant splash through the ford at Moreton, the village where TE Lawrence is buried. Formerly known as the Dorset Gravel Dash, the Dorset Dirt Dash offers two different events on the same route. The problem with the Jurassic Coast, scenic and well deserving of its UNESCO status though it is, is that its ups and downs are relentless when you’re on two wheels. A four day tour (glorified pub crawl) of the Dorset coast that would include 150+ miles of riding, numerous changes of plan, roast lamb, feats of strength, a woodhenge, colloquial debates, an injured Frenchman, and a sea cliff picnic. And succumb to the whimsy of the kangaroo court of friends you’ve collected over the years. Except for the touring cassette. Bikes; Drivetrain; Brakes; Forks; ... and was last updated 2 years ago by Dorset_Knob. This year's Dirt Dash will take place on 10-11 October (moved from 23-24 May). While multi-day off-road rides like the Dorset Gravel Dash are relatively rare, they’re becoming more popular. This in turn encourages customers to return to … Our group of six grew to eight on Hambledon Hill as we adopted Rick and Olly from Sussex. The £80 entry fee covers the GPX file for navigation, a tasty evening meal from Winston Churchill Venison at a scenic campsite, as well as a tub of Happy Bottom Bumbutter and a hip flask. The evening is spent camping in a field with a massive group of likeminded lunatics. I even made them fancy maps. All sorts of rigs were loaded down with food, and tents, and waterproofs. Oh, it’s not a race, it clearly states that, it’s a reliability event, 100 miles on a bike in one day or split in half over two days with an overnight camp, riding through some of Dorset’s most scenic trails. A damned big loop of Dorset over one or two days... you choose. The last time Charlie came to Arizona I sent him, Ian, and Gil off on the AZT for a three day journey to 24 Hours of Old Pueblo. However according to Charlie the maps called my career as a professional cartographer into question. It was here we rendezvoused with the Surly boys. Just a bunch of bike friends from different parts of the globe wrapping up a weekend of what makes us friends. I had been hearing about this place for years. Member. There was an eclectic mix of bikes on the Gravel Dash. And possibly a steam train back to town if it hadn’t been Sunday. You have two options: 100: that is 100 miles of Dorset countryside in one day. Some of the crew opted to take the “Broom wagon of eternal shame”. Formerly known as the Dorset Gravel Dash, the Dorset Dirt Dash offers two different events on the same route. I didn’t travel 5,500 miles to pass up pubs and gin stops in green pastures. 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