Weekend Overview
The Roses Gravel Weekend combines the best off roading in Lancashire & the neighbouring Yorkshire Dales.
Both rides start in the beautiful Gisburn Forest. On Saturday, we head into the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire and ride the legendary Salter Fell. On Sunday, we head into the Dales for some stunning gravel and breathtaking countryside.
For our money, this is one of the most picturesque & friendly parts of the UK and the best bit is there are few other visitors, particularly on the Lancashire side. The riding is a mix of quiet back roads, some smooth gravel and some more technical stuff particularly for bits of the Salter Fell and small sections in the Dales.
Camping is available at Gisburn Forest (pay on site) or there are plenty of hotels in Clitheroe & the Ribble Valley, about 25 mins away.
Throw in great pubs, the world’s best cheese shop & tasty feed stops, this is a glorious weekend in one of the hidden gems of the UK…
Can’t make the whole weekend? Enter each day separately:
Sat 4th May – Lancashire Gravel Epic
Sun 5th May – Yorkshire Dales Gravel Epic
Highlights
- Ride the legendary Salter Fell across the remote middle of the Forest of Bowland
- Start & finish each ride on the smooth gravel of Gisburn Forest
- Explore hard to reach parts of the Yorkshire Dales, one of the UK’s most beautiful regions.
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 30 - 35km
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
2nd May: GPX files and pre ride briefing video sent by email to each rider.
4th May – 7.45am: Ride village in Gisburn Forest opens for Lancashire Gravel Epic. Collecting your ride number takes approx 10 mins.
4th May – 8am to 6pm: Lancashire Gravel Epic ride. We will give you a short ride briefing and set you off in small groups. Enjoy a well earned beer at the end.
5th May – 8am to 6pm: Yorkshire Dales Gravel Epic ride.
5th May – 7pm: Link to ride times & rider photos sent to each participant by email.
Lancashire Gravel Epic
Starting in Gisburn Forest, we kick off with 7km of smooth gravel round woodland trails before heading up a lovely climb on backroads with epic views across the moors. Bowland Knotts is 2.3km at 6.6% on roads where it’s very rare to see a car.
After a flat section we hit 15km of gravel on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales including a punchy 3.5km off road climb. As we head back into Lancs we enjoy a second feed stop before tackling the mighty Salter Fell – 17km of remote gravel with huge views.
Off the top of the Salter Fell it’s a quick descent down to Slaidburn for a last feed and a quick road section back into the forest trails in Gisburn before finishing with a beer. An epic day out!
Percentage of Route Off Road: 50%
Distance:
102km or 70km
Elevation:
2200m or 1500m
Difficulty:
4.5/5
Yorkshire Dales Gravel Epic
A spring gravel epic in the Dales! Starting in the Gisburn Forest, the long route start with 8km of smooth gravel in the woods before a road section taking us into Yorkshire.
The first big off road climb of the day is out of Settle, just over 3km at 7.4%. From the summit we are in the heart of the Dales with some glorious off roading around Malham Tarn and across to lunch in Cracoe.
From here we have two big climbs to get over (the first is off road and 2.7km at 7.3% before the very punchy climb out of Malham. Back in Lancs we have a stunning 5km road section and finish with 5km back in Gisburn Forest for a BIG and varied day in the saddle.
Percentage of Route Off Road: 60%
Distance:
95km or 62km
Elevation:
2150m or 1400m
Difficulty:
4/5
Short Route
A short, tough but very rewarding medium route. We follow the long route up to the reservoirs over a big back road climb and through lovely gravel in the forest before skipping the section round the reservoirs and a rapid descent back to Ruthin.
Percentage of Route Off Road: 75%
Distance:
53km
Elevation:
1150m
Difficulty:
3.5/5
Bike Selection & Packing List
Bike Choice: There is no perfect bike for this weekend. There are long sections on tarmac (particularly on the Lancs day) and then some rougher sections on the Salter Fell and in the Dales. Mountain bikes will be fine but slower, gravel bikes with wider tires ideal. Road bikes are not allowed. E-bikes are allowed on all of our rides.
Tyre Choice: We will send an update on conditions closer to the ride. A 40-50mm wider allround gravel tyre should be ideal for this route.
Packing List: Bring equipment to be self sufficient on the route (inner tubes, sealant, multi-tool, pump or CO2 etc). We recommend a bell to warn walkers / runners of your presence.
Clothing: Likely to be changeable in early May so layers and checking the forecast is critical. This is one of the wettest parts of the UK so expect rain at some point! Helmets are mandatory, you will not be able to ride without one.
FAQs
The ride starts and finishes in Gisburn Forest both days. There is free parking onsite as well as toilets & refreshments. We will send the ride village address by email.
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.