Rumble in the TriTalk Jungle - 2020

[Jorgan]

Plym Valley cycle path used to be gravel, then they tarmacked it

[Poet]

@Jorgan

Says the guy who just blew about £300 on a Half in Stafford

First ever M-Dot event, plus it was more like £275, so…

@Jorgan

When I say ‘gravel’ event what I basically mean is a CX/Road ride. There are quite a few cheap ones out there around here; plus there’s a 100km mixed-surface event down the road in May.

Nice :8
Gotta love a Frankenbike - have you been watching the GCN one? They assemble the beast in under an hour! There is a real time video of it.

@Jorgan

I think the Dirty Reiver is one of the few true gravel events over here.

A load of clubmates did that…and escaped unscathed, but there was talk of collarbones broken, ambulances, stretchers and way too much “excitement” for my simple Northern tastes.

Derbyshire has what you call “green lanes” that are mostly filled with luncatics on scramblers and Defender 90s, but you can ride on them…if you join them up to the trails around there (Tissington/High Peak/Monsal etc) along with some of the tow-paths and more dodgy minor roads, you could have a great gravel event.

[Jorgan]

Yeah, I think there’s a lot around in most parts of the UK, but it’s knowing where these sections of road/path are and joining them together into a fluid ride. Sometimes that’s why it’s good to try and find local ‘gravelcross’ events to learn them. That and an OS map.

[JaRok2300]

When I lived in the Black Country there were quite a few off-road areas we could ride and I knew how to join them up via canals bridleways etc.
When I moved to Worcester I found that, although on the face of it there was a lot more countryside, it was all farm land or private and very few areas you could use. There’s one nature reserve with a few bridleways running through it or the canal. After that it’s riding to Malvern or putting the bikes in the car to take them somewhere which I try to avoid as it turns a 2 hour ride into a 4 hour outing.
OS maps are OK but many of the tracks or unrideable when you actually see them.

[Jorgan]

@JaRok2300

on the face of it there was a lot more countryside, it was all farm land or private and very few areas you could use

Much like around here.

[stenard]

@JaRok2300

OS maps are OK but many of the tracks or unrideable when you actually see them.

Which is where the strava labs global heatmap is great. It’s how I always find places to run and ride when travelling somewhere new. If other people are running/riding along certain paths, you know they’re reasonable.

[Jorgan]

@Poet

Gotta love a Frankenbike - have you been watching the GCN one? They assemble the beast in under an hour! There is a real time video of it.

Link? Couldn’t find anything with a YouTube search

[Poet]

This is a decent watch:

[Poet]

Here it is:

Full build:

Part2:

Part1:

Being a Canyon fan, you may like this, too.
But make sure you get it in the EF colours with full matching Pro Rapha kit
[FYI: I like Canyon and Rapha]

(I had a lot of time in the hotel!)

[Jorgan]

Thanks, I will watch that lot tonight!

[wiganer]

[Poet]

Well hello, stranger!