Dates
20th - 25th Jun
Difficulty
4/5
Distance
380 kms
Ride Overview
A 4.5 stage epic from the foothills of the Julian Alps to the Adriatic Coast in beautiful Slovenia.
For 2023 we have a medium & long route option each day (avg 90km per day long, 70km medium). The riding is varied through singletrack, forest trails, back roads & bridleways.
Routes are fully marked, non competitive & very social with food, beers & music waiting for you at the finish line each day. We stay at charming 3 & 4* hotels and all eat together making this a great trip to meet new people or enjoy with your ride mates.
Book now: Deposit £199 | Private Single £1,599 | Shared Twin / Double £1,399
Highlights
- From the Lakes to the Coast: Our route takes us from the foothills of the Julian Alps, passed Lake Bled to a finish on the Adriatic Coast.
- Glorious Gravel: Take in stunning forest trails, farm tracks & back roads with epic views throughout.
- Experience real Slovenia Culture: Ride through traditional villages, eat at feed stops in local restaurants & discover off the beaten track Slovenia.
Included in Ride Package
Accommodation
5 nights in charming 3 to 4* hotels. Choose private single, shared twin (2 beds) or shared double (1 bed) rooms.
Airport Transfers
Fly into Ljubljana (LJU) and our friendly team will be there to collect you on arrival day and drop you back when you leave.
4 Epic Stages
And a prologue! From the start line to finish line, the route is fully signed on stunning gravel & back roads.
Meals
Dinner per night is approx €20 & bring extra for drinks. Our package includes 4 lunches & 5 breakfasts.
Checkpoints
Real food and mechanical support are waiting for you every 35km with a mix of sports bars, fruit and local specialties.
Luggage
We move your overnight bags from hotel to hotel each day and provide a day bag to collect at lunch with spare kit etc.
Stages
We start the ride with a short 25km prologue to make sure the legs & bike are in good condition for bigger rides to come.
This stage starts from outside the hotel where you will collect your ride number for the week. Just nestled at the bottom of the Julian alps the ride takes you past the stunning lake Jezero Jasna before a gentle climb with stunning views of the surrounding mountains. A fast finish and a beer waiting for you at the finish.
Distance: 25km
Elevation: 350m
Ride Difficulty: 1.5/5
Technical Difficulty: 2/5
The hardest stage of the week is served up on Stage One. Choose between two route options on this classic stage between the two famed Slovenian lakes.
The riding takes us onto the Pokljuka Plateau through wild forest and includes a tough & steep 5km climb (avg 10%) and plenty of other climbs on a difficult but rewarding day.
You are rewarded throughout the day with magnificent views of Lake Bled, stunning forest tracks and a finish on glorious Lake Bohinj.
Distance: 92km Long | 75km Medium
Elevation: 2260m Long | 1820m Medium
Ride Difficulty: 4.5/5 Long | 4/5 Medium
Technical Difficulty: 3/5
Stage two is the same distance for both medium & long riders. Starting on the banks of Lake Bohinj, we head back towards Bled and head up the other side of the valley into the epic gravel through the forest.
The stage is all about two climbs, the first early in the ride at 7km on tarmac (5.5km at 6.5%) and the big one after lunch on gravel (12km at 5.5%).
Distance: 86km
Elevation: 1700m
Ride Difficulty: 3.5/5
Technical Difficulty: 2/5
Stage three starts with a transfer from Bohinj to the start in Plave. This transfer by train on the most famous line in Slovenia as we cut through the mountains.
From the start line, this stage is punchy throughout with one major climbs (4km at 7% on the road) but the whole day is mostly up and down as we roll through the Soca Valley, passed vineyards and into the Karst region finishing in Lipica with it’s world famous white horses.
Distance: 79km Long | 56km Medium
Elevation: 2000m Long | 1100m Medium
Ride Difficulty: 4/5 Long | 3/5 Medium
Technical Difficulty: 3.5/5
The final day takes us from the horse arena of Lipica to Portoroz Marina on the Adriatic.
The route starts on the Italian border with a lumpy first 20km before a long and fast descent. There are no climbs over 3km but most of the first 60km is up and down before a long descent to the coast. For the final 10km we follow the Adriatic through the beautiful town of Piran and onto the finish in the marina at Portoroz for a well earned beer & pasta party.
Distance: 91km Long | 71km Medium
Elevation: 1750m Long | 1250m Medium
Ride Difficulty: 3.5/5 Long | 3/5 Medium
Technical Difficulty: 2/5
Event Overview
Our Off:Roader series are non-competitive, designed to take you off the beaten track with a group of friendly, supportive riders. The whole event is social starting on arrival day with a gentle prologue and a cold beer all together at the finish line.
Each evening we eat together and have a ride briefing where our UK event manager goes through the next stage & our Slovenian hosts talk us through the region we will be riding through.
The routes are fully signed – we start in groups of 25 and you will soon settle into a small peloton of riders going at a similar speed to you.
Our team are on hand at every step of the way – at the start line, riding on the route, at regular checkpoints and always a phone call away if you need anything. We take delight in our reputation of providing multi stage rides of a lifetime and nothing is too much trouble to ensure you have a great time.
Accommodation & Meals
The hotels in Slovenia are a good standard. We stay in a mix of superior 3* and 4* hotels. Choose between a single, shared twin or double room. You can add your preferred room mate in the booking notes.
In Kranjska Gora & Bohinj the hotels overlook the mountains & lake. Our hotel in Lipica is world famous for it’s white horses and we finish overlooking the Adriatic. Luggage is transferred from hotel to hotel & bike boxes are transferred from Bled to Portoroz on the first afternoon.
Evening meals are buffets with pasta, salads, meat & vegetables. Lunches at feed stops are local restaurants as we try some of the local delicacies. Vegan, gluten free and other dietary options are available.
Equipment & Packaging
We will send a full packing list but late June in Slovenia should be great weather with warm to hot days and pleasant evenings and mornings. We go into the mountains and some remote areas so weather can change quickly and a waterproof jacket & layers (arm warmers, gilet etc) are must packs.
Evenings are casual, don’t forget to pack swimmers as some hotels have pools and wellness areas. You will need to bring one small sided item of luggage which we will take from hotel to hotel and you will get a small day bag on arrival where you can pack extra clothing etc to collect at the second checkpoint.
The ride takes in a mix of gravel roads, tarmac and some off road sections on dirt / grass. It is ideal for gravel bikes with all rounder tyres (35mm plus). We have spare inners, lube & CO2 at all the feeds. There is also a bike wash available at the end of each stage.
Event Program
20th June (all day): Arrive into Ljubljana airport, see below for transfer times.
20th June (3pm): Prologue (36km) starts.
20th June (7.30pm): Pre Ride briefing & dinner.
21st June: 8.30 to 9am stage start. 7.30pm briefing & dinner
22nd June: 8.30 to 9am stage start. 7.30pm briefing & dinner
23rd June: 9.30am roll to train for transfer to start line. 7.30pm briefing & dinner
24th June: 8.30 to 9am stage start. 7.30pm briefing & dinner
25th June: Departure day, see below for transfer times.
FAQs
Arrival: On 20th June, we will be running transfers at 11am (for anyone staying in Ljubljana on 19th or arriving by 10.30am) & 1pm (for arrivals up to 12.30pm). The transfer to Kranjska Gora is approx 1hr.
Departure: On 25th June, we have two transfers from Portoroz, the first arriving at the airport at 1pm for flights after 3pm and the second arriving at 5.30pm for flights departing after 7.30pm. This transfer takes approx 1hr30
Bike boxes get transferred on the first night from Kranjska Gora to Portoroz. We have mechanics available at the start & finish to help with bike building / packing.
Yes, we have 2022 Scott Speedster Gravel bikes available. These are available for £149.
Yes, in the checkout there is a box to put whoever you want to share a room with. If you are booking a double room (2 people, 1 bed) please select 2 people in the checkout.
You can secure your place with a deposit of £199. This is non-refundable so we strongly suggest you get travel insurance before booking (you can also purchase cancellation insurance in the checkout).
Full payment is due 3 months before departure (March 20th), we will send you a reminder when this is due.