THE WILD WESTIE

Get ready for one of the best days you are going to have on a gravel bike in the UK, and quite possibly the world.

The route takes in in wide gravel trails, ferry crossings, sublime singletrack, epic scenery across mountains & lochs and miles of true escapism nothingness.

All in all, this is going to be a massive day out on the bike and for sure one to aim for in 2025.

Camping available on Saturday & Sunday night to make this a true Scottish adventure long weekend. We also have a coffee ride available on the Saturday going north from Cardross and exploring a different area than Sunday’s epic.

RIDE HIGHLIGHTS:
Famous gravel trails of Loch Ard Forest
Getting the ferry twice over Loch Lomond to really make this ride an adventure
True escapism & incredible views in the wild Arrochar Alps

WHAT TO EXPECT
Quite possibly the toughest one day gravel ride in the UK with 200km & nearly 4,000m of elevation.
The medium route is flowy on smooth gravel – suitable for most riders. The long route is massive. There is an option to cut 45km on the far side of Loch Lomond if needed but you will need to be in excellent shape for this and expect it to take 12hrs plus.

RIDE DIFFICULTY
The medium route stays on the Aberfoyle side of Loch Lomond. The route is rolling throughout with plenty of smaller climbs & descents. There are two main climbs – 1.5km at 6% and a pitchy 6km at 3.5%. This should take 4 to 7hrs.
The long route is our hardest ride of the year. The 76km on the far side of Loch Lomond is punchy to say the least. All of this section is up or down as we head down to sea level, then up to over 200m a total of 4 times.
Long Route *****
Medium Route ***

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY
Nearly all of the route is off road on some super smooth gravel. On the other side of Loch Lomond, there are a couple of technical sections suited more to experienced off roaders.
Long Route ****
Medium Route **

TYRE & BIKE RECOMMENDATIONS
This route is designed for gravel bikes but you will be fine on a hardtail MTB. We do send out tyre recommendations closer to the time. For the medium route, a standard 35-45mm tyre will be fine. You will want something wider (40-50mm) for the long route.

EVENT PROGRAM
22nd May: GPX files and pre ride briefing sent by email to each rider.

24th May: Optional 48km coffee spin to Brig o’ Turk

25th May: 6.00am: Ride village in Cardross Estate opens. Collecting your ride number takes approx 10 mins.

25th May: 6.30am to 7am – long route starts. 8am to 8.15am – medium route starts. We will give you a short ride briefing and set you off in small groups.

25th May: 8pm: Rider village closes.

25th May: 9pm: Link to ride times & rider photos sent to each participant by email.