During the winter months, even the most hardy and adventurous off-road riders can sometimes need a little extra encouragement to get out and pedal! Whether that be the promise of tasty snacks in a warm shop at the end of a muddy spin round the local trails, or swapping adventure tales with the rider next to you to take your mind off your numb fingers, only to end up making plans to ride the Sandstone Way together in 2024…we’ve got you covered with our Sonder Winter Gravel Series!

Each ride will start from one of Alpkit’s flagship stores located in some of the best cycling locations in the UK. Route 9 will start from Alpkit Ilkley and will be a self-supported ride leaving the store at 10AM, lasting roughly 3-5 hours depending on your speed.

A GPX file of the route will be sent out to all participants who have confirmed their booking through Eventbrite, on the Thursday before the event.

The route can be completed fast or at your own pace, we encourage those of all abilities to take part and have lots of fun! Just remember, this is a social ride with gravel enthusiasts and you are fully self-supported. Please come equipped with everything you would bring on a solo ride (including a helmet) and be aware that the very nature of being self-supported means you are your own mechanic for this ride, so although we all hope it won’t happen… be prepared to fix a puncture by the side of the trail or handle anything else that may occur en route!

Also bear in mind that the weather can be changeable at this time of year, so please dress accordingly to the forecast to ensure you stay warm and comfortable for the duration of the event. (We also recommend bringing a spare set of clothes for travelling home as you may get wet and muddy!)

Back at Alpkit there will be cakes and weather-specific refreshments (the soup went down a treat last year) and plenty of time to chat bikes, routes and all things adventure with staff and fellow riders.

Tickets will be £10 and all proceeds will be donated to the Alpkit Foundation.