Mint Gravel

Questions and answers about routes.

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Hyppy
Posts: 288
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2023 8:09 am

Mint Gravel

Post by Hyppy »

Not strictly a bikepacking route, given it's doable in a day, but I've been working on a route based on our cycle club's various weekly gravel ride routes and having ridden, tweaked, and re-ridden over the past 6 months or so now have a final route which I'm calling 'Mint Gravel'. It's a 160km loop around South Lakeland, Cumbria with ~4000m of ascent and is approximately 50% off-road.

There's no reason it can't be broken up into an overnighter, but if you fancy a long day out and FKTs are your thing, my own inaugural ride time of over 16 hours stood for barely a few weeks before the second completion came in at 12 hours 38 mins.

Details and GPX here: www.mintgravel.co.uk

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Lazarus
Posts: 3773
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2013 10:49 am

Re: Mint Gravel

Post by Lazarus »

Ooh very interesting, quite fancy that ( fkt is safe)as I don't know much of the route

How all weather ( mud boggy peaty i can handle getting wet )is it given its likely late October before I can give it a go
redefined_cycles
Posts: 9916
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2016 8:19 am
Location: Dewsbury, West Yorkshire

Re: Mint Gravel

Post by redefined_cycles »

Lazarus wrote: Wed Sep 13, 2023 11:12 pm Ooh very interesting, quite fancy that ( fkt is safe)as I don't know much of the route

How all weather ( mud boggy peaty i can handle getting wet )is it given its likely late October before I can give it a go
You going on your mtb Jon. If so I may be able to join ya.
redefined_cycles
Posts: 9916
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2016 8:19 am
Location: Dewsbury, West Yorkshire

Re: Mint Gravel

Post by redefined_cycles »

Thanks Hyppy.
Hyppy
Posts: 288
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2023 8:09 am

Re: Mint Gravel

Post by Hyppy »

Lazarus wrote: Wed Sep 13, 2023 11:12 pm How all weather ( mud boggy peaty i can handle getting wet )is it given its likely late October before I can give it a go
I've ridden all sections of it in all seasons and to my mind, there's nothing too bad that goes on for more than a few metres. There can be the inevitable boggy bit on some of the grassy fellside tracks and muddy patches on otherwise hardpacked trails, but no long slogs through the mire.

And rocks can be slippery when wet, but you knew that right? :lol:
Lazarus
Posts: 3773
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2013 10:49 am

Re: Mint Gravel

Post by Lazarus »

Nan bield taught me a valuable lesson on wet rocks and grip :wink:


Thanks very much for the explanation not bothered about some.mud just don't want miles of bogs
You going on your mtb Jon. If so I may be able to join
Plan was gravel bike . Suspect mtb (.as 50 miles are road) would be an overnighter
Will mail you after bb200 re my.plans
redefined_cycles
Posts: 9916
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2016 8:19 am
Location: Dewsbury, West Yorkshire

Re: Mint Gravel

Post by redefined_cycles »

Hyppy wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2023 9:54 am
Lazarus wrote: Wed Sep 13, 2023 11:12 pm How all weather ( mud boggy peaty i can handle getting wet )is it given its likely late October before I can give it a go
I've ridden all sections of it in all seasons and to my mind, there's nothing too bad that goes on for more than a few metres. There can be the inevitable boggy bit on some of the grassy fellside tracks and muddy patches on otherwise hardpacked trails, but no long slogs through the mire.

And rocks can be slippery when wet, but you knew that right? :lol:
33c gravel tires in a road bike... is that gonna be overgravelled!
Hyppy
Posts: 288
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2023 8:09 am

Re: Mint Gravel

Post by Hyppy »

redefined_cycles wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2023 12:27 pm 33c gravel tires in a road bike... is that gonna be overgravelled!
:o You've sometimes just gotta run what you brung, but I reckon that'd be pushing it for too much of the route to be enjoyable. I find it's often the sections of a ride where you think you'll get away with it that catch you out with a pinch flat or worse, rather than those bits you can tell are sketchy and so you pick a line more carefully.

That said, the 'worst' bits aren't that much worse than what you'll find coming down Whernside or Pen-y-ghent at the 3 Peaks Cyclocross so if that's your thing …
redefined_cycles
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Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2016 8:19 am
Location: Dewsbury, West Yorkshire

Re: Mint Gravel

Post by redefined_cycles »

Thanks Hyppy :grin:
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