Dates
24th to 26th Aug
Difficulty
4/5
Distance
350 kms
Ride Overview
Escape the city and take on this two night / three day multi stage ride over the entire 350km King Alfred’s Way, the iconic off road route in the South of England.
Taking in parts of the South Downs Way, Ridgeway & historic sites from Wessex, the riding & the views are only matched by the cold post ride beers & social post ride evenings.
With a fully signed route, regular checkpoints, luggage transfer and a warm, social atmosphere both on the ride & in the evening, this is the perfect way to ride the most famous off road route in the south of England.
Book now: Ride Entry £199 | Add Private Single Room & Food £399 | Add Shared Twin / Double & Food £299
Highlights
- One of the UK’s Most Iconic Rides: Ever since it’s launch the King Alfred’s Way has become one of the bucket list rides in the country, a must do for every off-roader.
- Glorious Gravel: The route takes in part of the South Down’s Way, Salisbury Plain & Ridgeway in an epic 350km loop.
- Post Ride Socials: One of the best things on the ride is finding people of a similar speed to ride with over the 3 days and spending the evenings eating & drinking together.
Included in Ride Package
Accommodation
Book an accommodation package with 2 nights in hotels by the finish line, social meal together & luggage transfers.
Mechanics Available
At the start in Farnborough and at the finish of each stage, our mechanics are on hand to help make sure your bike is in perfect order.
3 Epic Stages
From the start line in Farnborough to finish line, the route is fully signed on stunning gravel & back roads.
Meals
Bring some money for drinks in the evening but our accommodation package includes 2 dinners, 3 lunches & 2 breakfasts.
Checkpoints
Real food and mechanical support are waiting for you every 40km with a mix of sports bars, fruit and local specialties.
Luggage
With our accommodation package, we move your luggage from hotel to hotel & give you a day bag to drop off anything you want at the middle fee.
Stages
Day one starts in Farnborough. You will collect your ride number and roll out in small groups with a short section on the North Downs Way before heading south and our first big climb of the weekend – the Devils Punchbowl.
From here it’s a quick 30km before a rolling & lumpy final 50km on the South Downs Way 👊👊
Percentage of Route Off Road: 60%
Distance: 113km
Elevation: 1886m
Ride Difficulty: 4/5
Technical Difficulty: 3/5
Day two is in our opinion the highlight of the route taking in the smooth and fast gravel tracks of Salisbury Plain and some Wiltshire white roads.
Starting in Winchester riding passed the King Alfred statue, the terrain is rolling throughout with a couple of sharp climbs waiting for you in the final 10km before the finish near Swindon.
Percentage of Route Off Road: 70%
Distance: 123km
Elevation: 1600m
Ride Difficulty: 4/5
Technical Difficulty: 3/5
The final day is the quickest of the three and a stage of two halfs. The first 50km from Swindon to near Reading is on rolling terrain over the Ridgeway – the oldest road in England.
After following the Thames for nearly 20km, the last 50km is quick and flat before a triumphant finish back in Farnborough.
Percentage of Route Off Road: 50%
Distance: 115km
Elevation: 950m
Ride Difficulty: 3/5
Technical Difficulty: 2/5
Event Overview
This is the fourth edition of the King Alfred’s Way ride over the August Bank Holiday. The ride is epic & challenging – expect to be riding from 8am to 4pm on average each day. The route is fully signed with regular checkpoints so you can just focus on the ride.
One of the best parts of the ride is the social atmosphere. We will have approx 75 people on the ride so you will quickly find a group of riders of a similar ability to you.
At the finish line each day, we have food, beers & music to chat with us and fellow riders before heading to the hotel for a shower, swim & then dinner all together.
On Monday, we finish early to mid afternoon and have pizzas waiting for you at the rider village before you head home.
An epic & super social bank holiday weekend with some of the best off roading in England. See you in August 
Accommodation & Meals
Choose to book your own accommodation or book our package in the checkout. We stay right by the finish line and packages include:
– 2 nights accommodation (1st night 3*, 2nd night 4*)
– Evening meals all together
– Luggage transfer from hotel to hotel
– Secure bike storage
– Ride briefing each evening with info on the next day’s stage.
Equipment & Packaging
August bank holiday should be nice weather. Meals are not formal so casual clothing is fine. Bring swimming gear for 2nd hotel.
You will be given a day bag to put anything that you want in at the second feed stop (midpoint of ride) or to drop anything off (ie arm warmers etc).
The route is designed for gravel bikes with 40mm tyres but a hardtail mountain bike would be suitable as well. Bring spare inners & equipment to be self sufficient on the more remote sections.
Event Program
24th Aug 7.30am to 8am: Arrive at start line in Farnborough where you can leave your car for the weekend. You will collect your ride number, drop off your luggage & roll our after a short briefing.
24th Aug 6.30pm: Ride Briefing and dinner at restaurant near the hotel.
25th Aug 8am: After an early breakfast, stage two starts at 8am from near the hotel.
25th Aug 7pm: Ride briefing and dinner at hotel.
26th Aug 8am: After an early breakfast, stage three starts at 8am from outside the hotel.
26th Aug 2pm to 5pm: Typical finish time of final stage. Food and beer at finish line.
FAQs
The nearest station is Farnborough (3 miles) or Fleet (2.5 miles) with trains from London Waterloo or the South & West.
Yes, in the checkout there is a box to put whoever you want to share a room with.
We are not offering rental bikes for this event.
We start at Cody Sports Club in Farnborough where you will park your car for the weekend.