2000KM SELF-SUPPORTED BIKEPACKING ROUTE FROM LAND'S END TO JOHN O'GROATS ON ROAD, GRAVEL, SINGLETRACK, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN
Go feral
Feral: in a wild state, especially after escape from captivity or domestication.
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Route philosophy
This route was made for gravel bikes. We love fast flowing tracks but we are not allergic to road and if it's a choice between a rutted bridleway or road, we choose road - our philosophy was to get to the good off-road riding as quickly as possible. So in terms of riding time, it's probably 50:50 road:off-road. The vast majority of the 'off-road' is doubletrack so you'll want a setup that rolls well but can handle the rough stuff... a gravel bike with minimum 40mm tyres would be ideal.
Rules
The rules below apply if you want your ride to be acknowledged on this site as an ITT.
- Don't be a dick - Leave No Trace (bring a trowel), be nice
- We want this ride to be as much an adventure for riders now as it is in 2050 - with that in mind do NOT share or publish information that will help future riders (such as resupply points, technical/hike-a-bike sections, etc) as you will be helping to dumb down the route and diminish their experience
- Complete the entire route, under your own power - no drafting, if you leave the route then rejoin it at the exactly same spot
- Be self-supported throughout - no support crews, no pre-arranged resupply/bookings/caches, no gear sharing, no travel by any motorised means during your ride (by all means do so if necessary, but understand if you do your attempt is over)
- Show evidence of your ride - gram a timestamped photo to @GBdivide and #GBdivide at the start and end of your trip and email the GPX file of your ride to the email address below for entry into the GB divide Strava group
- Endeavour to #bemoremike - don't just Leave No Trace, endeavour to give back more to the world than you take
Leave no trace
Nothing beats a well-earned shit in the woods - fact. And whilst the "turn over a rock" method has been used for donkeys years it is no longer fit for purpose given the volume of people now going 'into the wild'. Indeed, failure to properly manage human waste has led to the death of other bikepacking rides such as the Oregon Outback - read the story here.
So to avoid this fate for GB Divide, please pack a trowel and follow some advice from Leave No Trace on digging 'catholes'.
So to avoid this fate for GB Divide, please pack a trowel and follow some advice from Leave No Trace on digging 'catholes'.
History & records
Inspired by routes like the Tour Divide, our mission was to create a route of our own little island to remind ourselves that not every journey has to start with a flight.
The routes that have come before the GB Divide were either LEJOG TT routes that follow A-roads/dual carriageways (no thanks), 'traffic-free' routes (think awkward canal paths/cycle lanes), or MTB routes (painfully slow and indirect). We sought to exploit the versatility of gravel bikes by designing a route that links GB's most remote off-road riding via small roads, following the most direct natural line possible.
The route links several existing routes such as the HT550, the Badger Divide, Second City
Divide, in one continuous flowing line. The route was created by Miles Resso (published in 2019), but it has been a collaborative effort from leading members of The Racing Collective - Ed Wolstenholme, Stu Allan, Liam Glen, Luke Douglas, Katherine Moore, and many others for participating in the plan-recce-refine feedback loop; plus Tom Probert for help with the website/graphics. And if you're aware of some refinements we should make, please email your suggested route amendment with an explanation and GPX file of your proposed amendment to the email below.
The route was first completed by Lachlan Morton (EF Education First) on 28 June 2019 with an elapsed time of 6d13h41m during the inaugural #GBDURO19. The fastest woman to date is Philippa Battye who completed it in 11d8h5m also during #GBDURO19.
The routes that have come before the GB Divide were either LEJOG TT routes that follow A-roads/dual carriageways (no thanks), 'traffic-free' routes (think awkward canal paths/cycle lanes), or MTB routes (painfully slow and indirect). We sought to exploit the versatility of gravel bikes by designing a route that links GB's most remote off-road riding via small roads, following the most direct natural line possible.
The route links several existing routes such as the HT550, the Badger Divide, Second City
Divide, in one continuous flowing line. The route was created by Miles Resso (published in 2019), but it has been a collaborative effort from leading members of The Racing Collective - Ed Wolstenholme, Stu Allan, Liam Glen, Luke Douglas, Katherine Moore, and many others for participating in the plan-recce-refine feedback loop; plus Tom Probert for help with the website/graphics. And if you're aware of some refinements we should make, please email your suggested route amendment with an explanation and GPX file of your proposed amendment to the email below.
The route was first completed by Lachlan Morton (EF Education First) on 28 June 2019 with an elapsed time of 6d13h41m during the inaugural #GBDURO19. The fastest woman to date is Philippa Battye who completed it in 11d8h5m also during #GBDURO19.
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In theory the route follows the watershed (hence the name GB Divide), but geography was never our strong point and we make no apologies for deviating wildly from this imaginary line to take in the beauty of mid-Wales for instance. Some also claim the route should start in SE England rather than SW England but we don't see the logic given the North Sea and English Channel are all part of the Atlantic, and besides, we'll take Cornwall over the M25 any day. Robert Szucs' map on the right shows the true complexity of Britain's watersheds.
See you on the road x |
Source: Robert Szucs
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Route log changes:
- v400, containing 2 changes, was released 5 July 2022 ahead of GBDURO22 (noting that GBDURO riders have to follow a small add-on from Fort Augustus to reach CP3 and reconnect with the route)
- v300, containing 6 minor tweaks, was released on 5 August 2021
- v200 was released publicly on 5 July 2019 and was used for GBDURO20
- v100 of the route was first released to riders for GBDURO19 on 22 June 2019
- v400, containing 2 changes, was released 5 July 2022 ahead of GBDURO22 (noting that GBDURO riders have to follow a small add-on from Fort Augustus to reach CP3 and reconnect with the route)
- v300, containing 6 minor tweaks, was released on 5 August 2021
- v200 was released publicly on 5 July 2019 and was used for GBDURO20
- v100 of the route was first released to riders for GBDURO19 on 22 June 2019
