What is a Gravel Enduro?
What is a Gravel Enduro?
The Dukes Weekender Gravel Enduro is one of the first of a new type of race format to grace the shores of the UK. The beauty of the format is it’s social, competitive, accessible for most riders and above all it’s going to be an amazing yet challenging day out with your friends on some of the most incredible scenery in Scotland.
The ‘Gravel’ part of the name means basically what you’ll be riding on. The course on the Sunday will be made up of primarily gravel terrain with a few bits of natural trails (of course if you enter the 'Full Weekender' this will also include the Sat night hillclimb). In our event this means is beautiful lochside paths, dirt forest roads, and mountain trails. The course will be ridable by everyone and the riding and stages are generally not technical (unless of course you’re trying to ride them at warp speed in which case the corners become a little more challenging!).
The ‘enduro’ part of the title means the event is made up of a selection of timed stages. In a similar way to a car rally, rather that race over the full 60km loop, in the Dukes Gravel Enduro you can ride with your friends (no matter how varying the fitness levels) over the course of the day, chat and generally take in the incredible scenery… That is all until you reach the the beginning of a stage!!!
Suitable for both MTB or Cross/Gravel bikes...
At each stage you can take a moment to prepare yourself before unleashing your skills/fitness and the real racing begins. Once you’re ready to go ride through the start line which will automatically triggering your timing chip and at that point the aim to to go as fast as you can until the finish of the stage.
Big grins!!
Stages can be climbs, descents or undulating terrain, a mix of single-track and forest road, with plenty of twists and turns and around 3 – 10 minutes in length. Once you reach the the end of the stage you get together with your riding buddies again, share the stories of each stage and set off across the trails until you reach the next one.
The 'Full Weekender' entries will also feature a one-off prologue event on a closed road. The Saturday night spectacle of a closed road hillclimb on the iconic Dukes Pass. A short but beautiful road that winds it’s way up above Aberfoyle. It’ll be an amazing opportunity to ride the road without traffic and on a Saturday evening lined with spectators armed with cowbells, banners and a whole host of positive encouragement!
The Dukes event will feature this one off prologue hillclimb up this iconic beautiful climb! (note. there won't be snow at that point :))
Your finishing time and result for the event will be based on all your stage times and prologue added together. You’ll get your overall time as soon as you complete the event!
Like the sound of it.... You can sign up for the event by clicking here!