Stage One
42km to 123km
Stage Two
130km
Stage Three
54km to 95km
Ride Overview
The most epic gravel weekend of the year in beautiful and wild West Scotland.
Connecting two classic gravel regions – Dunoon & Aberfoyle, this three stage weekend offers some incredible riding through remote forests, around stunning lochs and over mountains.
Stage one starts and finishes in Dunoon. Stage two is a point to point through Loch Lomond and The Trossocks National Park before a final stage starting and finishing in Aberfoyle.
Choose one, two or all three stages with luggage transfers on the point to point day and the option of a coach back to Dunoon at the finish. Add this to your gravel bucketlist 👊
Highlights
- Discover the amazing forest tracks, off road climbs & coastal roads around Dunoon.
- Ride between two Scottish gravel buckett-list destinations and experience the best of the Loch Lomond and The Trossocks National Park
- Explore the legendary gravel tracks in all directions of Aberfoyle.
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 40 - 45km
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 May: GPX files and pre ride briefing video sent by email to each rider.
27th May – 7am: Ride village in Dunoon opens. Collecting your ride number takes approx 10 mins.
27th May – 7.30am to 7pm: Dunoon gravel epic. We will give you a short ride briefing and set you off in small groups. A cold beer and hot food is waiting for you at the finish line.
28th May – 7am to 8pm: Loch Lomond Divide. An early start and plenty of time to complete the 162km epic. Drop your bags off at the ride village at the start and we will transfer it to Aberfoyle.
29th May – 7.30am to 6pm: Aberfoyle Gravel Epic. After a short ride briefing, choose one of three routes and finish with a celebratory beer. Optional 6pm transfer back to Dunoon available in the checkout for £69.
Stage One: Dunoon Epic
Discover the amazing gravel riding around Dunoon before everyone else! Just 90 mins and a short ferry ride from central Glasgow, the riding here takes us through stunning forest trails, coastal back roads, punchy off road climbs and beautiful sections around the lochs.
Choose between three route options, each showcasing this glorious region and a perfect first stage for an epic gravel weekend.
More info on the Dunoon Gravel Epic.
Percentage of Route Off Road: 70 to 80%
Distance:
42km, 82km or 120km
Elevation:
1080m, 1640m or 2590m
Difficulty:
4.5/5
Stage 2: Loch Lomond Divide
One of the most epic point to point gravel rides in the world!
Connecting two of the best gravel regions in the UK (Dunoon & Aberfoyle), the route takes us from Dunoon to Loch Tarsan & Loch Eck via some beautiful forest roads before heading up to the north side of Loch Lomond.
After a private ferry from Inveruglas to Inversnaid (going every 30 mins), we hit the gravel of Queen Elizabeth Forest Park to the South of Aberfoyle before finishing at the stunning Cardross Estate.
More info on the Loch Lomond Divide.
Percentage of Route Off Road: 70%
Distance:
130km
Elevation:
2500m
Difficulty:
5/5
Stage 3: Aberfoyle Epic
One of the most legendary gravel cycling regions in the UK. Ride the long off road sections in all directions of Aberfoyle.
Choose from three distances (after two massive days the medium or short might look appealing!) with some great variety as we take you through forests, around Lochs and onto mountain tops with epic views. A suitable finish to an epic 3 stage gravel weekend.
More info on the Aberfoyle Gravel Epic.
Percentage of Route Off Road: 80 to 90%
Distance:
54km, 79km or 95km
Elevation:
870m, 1350m or 1800m
Difficulty:
4/5
Bike Selection & Packing List
Bike Choice: The routes are largely off road on good quality gravel so we recommend a gravel bike though a mountain bike will be fine. E-bikes are allowed on all of our rides.
Tyre Choice: We will send an update on conditions closer to the ride. The gravel on the route is mostly smooth so a 35-40mm all rounder gravel tyre will be ideal.
Packing List: Bring equipment to be self sufficient on the route as we go into remote areas without phone signal (inner tubes, sealant, multi-tool, pump or CO2 etc). We recommend a bell to warn walkers / runners of your presence. For the luggage transfer, bring one soft sided bag which we will take from the rider village in Dunoon to Aberfoyle on Sunday.
Clothing: The end of May in Scotland cant guarentee anything weather wise, we reccomend both suncream and a raincape! Even though out of season we reccomend midge spray if
FAQs
The ride starts in Dunoon and finishes in the centre of Aberfoyle. There is free parking at the start (for the weekend) as well as toilets & refreshments. We will send the ride village address by email. There is an option to add a transfer back from Aberfoyle to Dunoon on Monday night.
Riders need to book their own accommodation. There are plenty of hotels, campsites & holiday rentals in both Aberfoyle & Dunoon. You will need to stay in Dunoon on Saturday night & Aberfoyle on Sunday night.
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.