Bikepacking Scotland tells the story of ancient drove roads – A new short film out now from Bikepacking Scotland takes us all on a Perthshire Gravel adventure along the 331km Drovers Trail. The long-distance gravel bikepacking route where the film was shot spans most of Highland Perthshire, and tells the ancient drove roads’ stories with history that inspired many of Scotland’s greatest writers.
Filmed & ridden by round-the-world singlespeed cyclist Markus Stitz, Drovers follows Markus retracing the footsteps of cattle drovers on their journey from the Cairngorms through the Tay Valley to Crieff, Scotland’s most important cattle market of the late 17th century. Led by the Highland Perthshire Cycling charity, the ride project seeks to promote & encourage more responsible exploration of the region by bike – kicking off PerthshireGravel.com.
This new gravel bikepacking route is part of eleven unique, graded itineraries (in general for 35+mm tires), available to download for free now, varying from 12-120km & rated as 1 day trips for differing abilities. But of course they can be lengthened or combined for extended adventure, and 8 of 11 are even easily accessible by Scotrail & Caledonian Sleeper train services for quick & easy loops.
Markus said that, “Designing the various routes made me aware of not only the rich history of Highland Perthshire and the Tay Valley, but also of the huge variety of landscapes that can be found across the area. I sought to use the story of the cattle drovers to draw parallels with the adventurous spirit of bikepacking nowadays, while showcasing the immense beauty of the area, not just for cyclists. PerthshireGravel.com
Advocacy & Where to ride
- Bikepack 700 miles of CO Bears Ears Loops – Bikepacking Roots has just released their 700-mile long Bears Ears Loops bikepacking route network. The loops offer some of the most stunning riding in the Colorado Plateau region, connecting High Plateaus to Moab desert to remote Henry Mountains – 100 miles of which traverses the threatened Bears Ears National Monument, an area more people need to experience to better understand what’s at stake to be lost. Building off their already-popular Wild West Route Canada-to-Mexico epic, the options of adventure are limitless. BikepackingRoots.org
- You can ride with the Ride Together Club – Last week, we shared the first stages of what was the all-volunteer You Can Ride With Us initiative, bringing together local cyclists around the world to create an inclusive way for female, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other underrepresented cyclists to ride in areas where they may not feel safe riding solo. The project quickly grew beyond its original confines in rural America, has progressed to a more representative name – the Ride Together Club, gotten a nifty website where you can connect with a safe, inclusive ride by searching the map, or still sign up as a safe ride partner. RideTogether.club
Gear, Deals & Contests
- Last Call for 10% Off Brooks panniers – Whether looking for a bikepacking adventure or avoiding mass transit by commuting by bike, Brooks is offering a 10% discount off their Norfolk and Suffolk pannier bags. Waterproof, hard-wearing materials & big storage make them a solid choice for outfitting your bike. The discount ends July 31 or when stock runs out. Use code “SPECIALPANNIER10” at checkout to save. BrooksEngland.com
- Last chance to pre-order Lumos Ultra smart helmet for 30% off – The Lumos Ultra that we reviewed last week is just about to wrap up its crowdfunding pre-order campaign over on Kickstarter. Act fast before the weekend is over, and you can lock in a low price on a smart helmet with integrated lighting (& turn signals), good fit & proper ventilation, and even MIPS protection.
- Ride The (Socially) Distance(d) and win a Bombtrack Hook EXT – The Distance challenge was supposed to be a chance for riders to come together to go the, uh… distance. But a pandemic had different ideas, so enter The Socially Distanced. No matter where you live and ride, everybody can finally attend the revised challenge. Add August 22nd to your calendar and ride, ride, ride. If you ride further than everybody else you’ll get a brand new 2021 Hook EXT frameset, plus lots of other goodies up for grabs for creative & imaginative ride, from the likes of Komoot, Ortlieb, Ritchey, Salsa, Stolen Goat, Squirt, Teravail, WTB & more. Sign up & get the deets at: TheDistance.cc
- Win $350 worth of a POC helmet & more Rapha kit from Kitfit – It must be getting even closer to the launch of the new Kitfit App, because they are giving away more free kit. This time you’ll have to register for their newsletter and either follow their Insta or like their Facebook. Up for grabs is a POC Octal AVIP MIPS helmet and some Rapha Kit, a value of at least $500 AUD. Enter before the end of August, with the draw open worldwide. Kit.fit
