Long Route
110km | 1500m
Medium Route
70km | 900m
Short Route
50km | 600m
Ride Overview
Ride The Ridgeway National Trail, the most famous gravel road in the UK on this gravel epic! The Ridgeway has been used for centuries by travellers, herdsmen, soldiers, trailers and now gravel cyclists taking in this stunning and remote part of Southern England.
Choose from 50 to 110km of glorious gravel riding in Berkshire, Oxfordshire & Wiltshire with beautiful scenery and gentle rolling hills in all directions.
Highlights
- Ride the best sections of the famous Ridgeway, widely regarded as Britain’s Oldest Road.
- Lovely views throughout the ride on the back roads and gravel trails of Berkshire, Oxfordshire & Wiltshire.
- See ancient White Horses in Uffington and famous race horses around Lambourn.
Included in Entry
Fully Signed Route
Our team work tirelessly to create the best gravel routes in the UK. All courses are fully signed so you can just enjoy the ride.
Checkpoints with Proper Food
An epic ride deserves proper support. We have tea, coffee and cake at the first feed and sandwiches & crisps at the main feed. Checkpoints are approx every 30 - 35km
Accurate GPX Files
A few days before the ride, we will send GPX files for all of the route options so you can follow the course on your GPS as well as the signs.
Mechanics Available
At the rider village & at selected feed stops we have mechanics available to help with any bike issues. We also have spare inner tubes, CO2 & more .
Rider Support Vans
We are here to make sure you have a great day on the gravel. If you have any major mechanicals or need collecting, support vehicles are a phone call away.
Beer at Finish Line
You will be greeted at the finish line with a beer & food available from our food truck. Perfect to chat about your day with fellow riders.
Event Program
25th April: GPX files and pre ride briefing video sent by email to each rider.
27th April – 7.45am: Ride village at Newbury Showgrounds opens. Collecting your ride number takes approx 10 mins.
27th April – 8am to 9.30am: Ride start. We will give you a short ride briefing and set you off in small groups.
27th April – 5.30pm: Rider village closes
27th April – 7pm: Link to ride times & rider photos sent to each participant by email.
Long Route
A rolling route along the Ridgeway, gravel roads and back lanes in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire. Starting in Newbury, we head north for nearly 20km over a couple of climbs before following the Ridgeway for 50km. We then head into the backlanes and gravel roads of Wiltshire. The route is lumpy throughout with a quick & mostly downhill finish.
Percentage of Route Off Road: 65%
Distance:
110km
Elevation:
1500m
Difficulty:
4/5
Medium Route
The medium route follows the long route but cuts off around 20km of the Ridgeway and some of the lumpier terrain in Wiltshire. Lots of variety and great views await on this lovely 70km route.
Percentage of Route Off Road: 60%
Distance:
70km
Elevation:
900m
Difficulty:
3/5
Short Route
A short but varied ride which can be broken into three parts. First we head north on mostly gravel trails on rolling terrain. Then, the middle section is on The Ridgeway before a quick last third on a mix of backroad and gravel trails back to Newbury Showgrounds for a beer.
Percentage of Route Off Road: 65%
Distance:
50km
Elevation:
600m
Difficulty:
1.5/5
Bike Selection & Packing List
Bike Choice: The route is largely off road on hard packed gravel. Either a mountain bike or gravel bike will be fine depending on whether you want to trade off speed or comfort. E-bikes are allowed on all of our rides.
Tyre Choice: We will send an update on conditions closer to the ride. We suggest a wider tyre for this ride due to some rougher sections on the Ridgeway – 4o to 50mm.
Packing List: Bring equipment to be self sufficient on the route (inner tubes, sealant, multi-tool, pump or CO2 etc). We recommend a bell to warn walkers / runners of your presence.
Clothing: Likely to be fresh this early in the year so layer up accordingly (arm & leg / knee warmers, gilet, waterproof jacket etc). Helmets are mandatory, you will not be able to ride without one.
FAQs
The ride starts and finishes at Newbury Showgrounds. There is free parking onsite as well as toilets & refreshments. We will send the ride village address by email.
Yes, e-bikes are allowed on all Glorious Gravel ride. These must comply with UK law.
We have first aiders & mechanics at the feed stops. There will be a phone number on the back of your ride number – call this if you need collecting.
Yes, we start between 8am and 9.30am and set people off in small groups so the off road sections are not too busy. Please come to the start line with anyone you want to ride with, we will give a short ride briefing and set you off.