A new bikepacking event will take riders on some of the best trails in Scotland's Cairngorms National Park. The two-day Lezyne Cateran Dirt Dash 5050 takes place in August and offers participants the experience of an 87km self-supported ride.
Camping and catering will be provided at the Spittal of Glenshee, situated on the southern edge of the Cairngorms.
The event is the newest from bikepacking event organiser Dirt Dashes. The entry fee is £50, which includes the route, evening meal, campsite and breakfast. Participant numbers for the new event are capped at 50.
The Lezyne Cateran Dirt Dash 5050 is supported by Paths for All through Smarter Choices Smarter Places and the Inspiring Scotland Rural and Island Communities Ideas into Action Fund (RICIA) in its first year.
The bikepacking events are suitable for riders of all levels, from beginners through to more experienced riders.
Two more Dirt Dash bikepacking events
There will also be a weekend of bikepacking in Dorset later this month. The two-day Kinesis UK Dorset Dirt Dash 5050 takes place on May 27 and 28 extends to a total of 152km. It is a self-supported bikepacking event on the Isle of Purbeck around Swanage and includes an overnight camp.
On May 28, the Kinesis UK Dorset Dirt Dash 100 is a one-day ride of the same distance.
The route is described as “the perfect way to experience the rugged beauty of Dorset and the Jurassic Coast with fine gravel riding, camaraderie, camping and castles".
In September, there is another chance to head to Scotland with for a bikepacking adventure. The Dunoon Dirt Dash offers the opportunity to ride 130km over two days or 160km over one day.
The 130km Lezyne Dunoon Dirt Dash 5050 takes place on September 23 to 24, while the one-day Lezyne Dunoon Dirt Dash 100 is on September 24.
The event is described as a self-supported bikepacking event on the beautiful Cowal Peninsula near Glasgow. The 5050 is split over two days with an overnight camp, while the 100 is a single day’s ride.
The gravel ride is on trails amid the rugged landscape of Argyll, known as Scotland’s Adventure Coast. To enter the events see Dirt Dashes.
What are Dirt Dashes?
The organisers of Dirt Dashes are bikepacking enthusiasts Charlie Hobbs and Markus Stitz, who has recently written a new Bikepacking Scotland book.
Markus is a filmmaker, journalist and founder of Bikepacking Scotland. He has cycled around the world on a singlespeed bike and has mapped a number of popular bikepacking trails in Scotland and Germany.
Charlie is the founder of the Dorset Gravel Dash, which was the inspiration for the Dirt Dash events. The Gravel Dash has been running successfully from 2013 and was the first gravel cycling event in Britain.
