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Earlier this week we had a poke around the bike and kit that I’ll be lugging around Dirty Reiver on the 13th April. Now let’s take a look at what we’ll all be facing.
The Weather
Everyone’s favourite topic of conversation. Thankfully the forecast doesn’t look anywhere near as horrific as it was in 2016. We shouldn’t have to worry about hail and snow, but we are unlikely to get the summer temperatures we enjoyed in 2018.
Our trusty weather app predicts sunny intervals and a moderate breeze. This means you should prepare for a chilly start warming up to maybe 10C. Make sure you pack the arm warmers and gilet!
The Routes
This year’s routes are all new, but keep to the familiar landscape of Keilder Forest and the Northumberland wilderness. Riders will follow the gravel forest access roads that service vast areas of the forest covering the English and Scottish borders. No matter which route you’re riding on Saturday, you’ll be riding through some stunning (very remote) areas with outstanding views across this spectacular part of the UK.
You can find all the routes ( supported by Komoot ) for the 2019 Dirty Reiver below. Follow the links below and zap them over to your GPS so you don’t get lost!
We had a pre-ride of the 200 last month and found the course to be very fast in places. Compared to the previous iteration, there seem to be more longer, gradual climbs this year.
Dirty Reiver 65
Dirty Reiver 130
Dirty Reiver 200
The Expo
Don’t forget to visit Kielder Castle on the Friday before registration and check out all the latest goodies from event sponsors including Bombtrack Bicycle Co and Endura.
And keep an eye out for Gravel Union. They’ll be there on the Friday handing out free beer!
Last modified: 9th April 2019
