SALISBURY PLAIN SUMMER EPIC- 3RD JULY, 2022

RIDE OVERVIEW

A glorious summer day on the amazing Salisbury Plain - the home of gravel riding in the South of England. With miles of fast, empty gravel tracks on MOD land and views of the rolling countryside, this is gravel riding at it's best. NEW for summer 21, choose between a 110km or 70km route for a true summer gravel epic. Choose your distance on the day depending how your legs feel.

LONG ROUTE: 110KM, 1500M

MEDIUM ROUTE: 70KM, 1000M

LONG RIDE DIFFICULTY 4/5

MEDIUM ROUTE DIFFICULTY 2.5/5

PERCENTAGE OF ROUTE OFF ROAD 60%

Bike & Tyre Choice: The route is a mix of backroads, singletrack and fast gravel without any technical sections. Absolutely not suitable for road bikes, mountain bikes will be fine but a bit slow so we strongly recommend a gravel bike with around 40mm tyres.

RIDE HIGHLIGHTS

 – Some of the best gravel riding in England

 – Miles and miles of fast, compact gravel tracks

 – Great views across the plain from high grounds

 – Social drink at the finish village

THE ROUTE

Thruxton: 110km or 70km

Choose on the day between the medium route 70km and the full 110km long route. Both courses roll out from Thruxton and onto the plain for some fast but rolling wide gravel roads. The long route adds a 40km loop with a couple of climbs on lovely Wiltshire gravel tracks before coming back onto MOD land for a stunning 15km descent – one of the best sections of gravel in England. From here, it’s just over 10km to a cold beer at the finish line.

LONG ROUTE

Thruxton: 110km, 1500m

The long route option is perfect for strong riders or experienced gravel cyclists. Even though the gravel is quick on the Plain, over 100km on gravel is a big day out. The route heads up from Thruxton and onto the wide gravel lanes quickly. After a quick bottle top up at the first feed stop, the long route splits and heads north into Wiltshire for 40km of stunning gravel tracks and grassy sections close to Avebury. The ride is rolling throughout but the toughest climb is on the long route with a sharp 1.5km off road ascent averaging 8% waiting for you 40km in.

After the second feed we rejoin the medium route where after a short climb, its downhill for most of the way home on a glorious fast gravel section. Grab some food at the last feed and roll back to Thruxton for a well earned beer.

RIDE DIFFICULTY 4/5

MEDIUM ROUTE

Thruxton: 70km, 1000m

One of the great gravel routes in the country. This ride should take most cyclists between 4 and 6 hours and is a great first gravel ride for anyone new to off-roading. Around 75% of the route is on gravel. It doesn’t take us long out of Thruxton to hit the fast tracks and the first 20km for feed one is undulating but quick.

The toughest part of the ride is the 10km section dragging up to the Westerly point of the ride but you are rewarded by an amazing long descent all the way to the final feed stop at 55km. From here it’s just 16km back with a couple of lumps to get over before a cold beer and food at the end.

RIDE DIFFICULTY 3/5

FAQS

WHAT TYPE OF BIKE SHOULD I RIDE?

This route is ideal for gravel bikes with lots of smooth, fast gravel but you could use a mountain bike. Road bikes are not suitable for this ride. We have carbon gravel bikes from Pearson available to hire for the day. E bikes are not allowed on this ride.

HOW DO I FIND OUT MY START TIME?

Riders start in groups of maximum 6 at a time. We will send you an email after you have booked to choose your start time between 8am and 10am, if you are riding with a friend you can choose to start with them.

WHERE IS THE START / FINISH?

The ride starts and finishes at Thruxton Circuit. There is free parking onsite as well as a bike wash, toilets & refreshments.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I HAVE A MECHANICAL / ACCIDENT?

We have first aiders & mechanics at all the feed stops and ride captains along the route to support.

WHAT SHALL I PACK WITH ME FOR THE RIDE?

You need to have a water bottle, basic kit to repair punctures, inner tubes & riding with a helmet is compulsory. Our feed stops have water, coke, cake, fruit & the best tasting sports nutrition bars & nut butters from Outdoor Provisions.

WHEN WILL I GET MY GPX FILE

Our local team do a final recon ride 1 week before the event and can make final tweeks then based on route conditions. We will then send out the route GPX within one week of the ride.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

ROUTE GPX

GPX sent to you a week before the ride with a full route description & packing list.

FEED STOPS

We have feed stops approx every 30kms with fruit, cakes, coke, water, hydration tabs & tasty ride nutrition from the experts at Outdoor Provisions.

FULLY MARKED ROUTE & TIMING CHIPS

Focus just the stunning views & thrilling ride. The route is marked out all the way & you can check your time for the route at the end.

RACE VILLAGE AT THE FINISH

After an epic ride, grab a pint, coffee or cake at the end. Free parking for the day, toilets & bike wash also included in your entry.

BIKE RENTAL & MECHANICS AVAILABLE

New to gravel riding? Hire a Pearson Off Grid gravel bike for the day. We also have mechanics on site to support with any issues before & during the ride.