Dales Divide.
Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2018 9:22 pm
Just receieved an email that I thought I'd share for those who haven't ... here goes. The contact email for anyone who might need it is: chris@highbark.co.uk
Dear fellow cyclist, fellow racer,
I am sending this email out to a host of people, hopefully the content below will interest you, whether it does or doesn’t, please try and pass it on to anyone you think might be interested. All the more the merrier.
This year I was lucky enough to ride in the Tour Divide. Like many people I had followed the race from the early 2000’s and through phone call-in and watching trackleaders been mesmerised by the exploits of so many cyclists. Year on year I had been glued to the PC screen through the night cheering on fellow cyclists some of who are now household names in the bikepacking world. I always had it on my list to try and complete the race, not fast, just complete. In 2017 I saw what happened to Mike Hall, a fellow Yorkshireman and this spurred me on to ride well in 2018. I completed the Tour Divide, within the rules and within the race-time. I was, and still am, elated.
I thought it would be great to do a Dales Divide. A ride open to all, equally possible on gravel bikes (maybe) as mountain bikes so I plan to have this event on Good Friday, 2019 giving most of us 4 days to ride it (from work). Some nutter will do it in 2 days but all should do it in 4. It is 630km and 8000m of climbing. It will involve nights out under the stars and cross the country and back. The route is ‘circular’ meaning that there is no messing about with return transport so planning should be as simple as can be logistically. The route is set so that most of it is out in the wilds with only market towns every so often (for essentials, food etc). The riding is stunning. The aim is to set up a GPS logger page where riders can register their trackers (SPOT trackers etc) but that to include an app allowing riders who don’t have a dedicated tracker to just use their mobile phone, with an android/iOS app acting exactly like tracker. See attached.
I want it to look and feel just like the established events such as the Tour Divide or the HT550 but be far more accessible and open and perhaps have some easier escape if things don’t go entirely to plan for a rider.
If you are up for the challenge, please email me you ‘notice of interest’. Route and other information will only be sent out to people that have. Again please forward this message to anyone you can think of, club members, riding friends, anyone.
Now the details
· The start location is set to be easy to get to, just off the M6 motorway (junction 35, 20min by car) and near the West Coast main rail line (nearest station Carnforth, some trains (35min by bike) or Lancaster all trains (1h:15 by bike))
· Start is good Friday, 8am, (19 April 2019) Arnside Post Office 14-15 The Promenade, Arnside, Carnforth LA5 0HF
· There is no ‘official’ organiser, this is an underground event. You are expected to act within the unwritten rules of bikepack racing.
· You may not arrange any accommodation, food drops, bike shops and the like but may use whatever you need by just turning up and using what would be available to any other rider on the route.
· You must follow the ‘official’ route, and all on your own pedal or walking power. If you go off the route you must pedal back to where you left it.
· You may ride as a pair but should carry enough independent gear (i.e. no sharing).
· The clock runs continuously 24 hours a day from 8am 19/4/19
· You must not do anything that shows bikepacking in a bad way (e.g. drop no litter, be polite to all, etc.) nor anything that the rest of the riders feel is incorrect for the event. Respect the beautiful surroundings that you will be traveling through.
· There is no support if you get lost, no support if you fail to finish, no recovery.
· A GPS track will be emailed out to all interested people about 4 weeks before Easter with any other useful information. You must email me first to be on that list.
So keep pedalling, keep safe and hopefully we will have a few people eager to challenge at Easter!
Email me too if you want a crack at the route starting somewhere else along it, or starting at another time (ITT).
Chris