Training guide · Gravel · Kielder Forest, UK
How to train for Dirty Reiver
23 April 2027. Kielder Forest on hard-packed fire roads, remote, exposed and timed but not raced. Here is what the day asks of you, and when your plan has to start.
- Date
- Fri 23 Apr 2027
- Weeks to go
- —
- Start
- Kielder Forest
- Routes
- 65 · 130 · 200 km
- Climbing
- 3,000 m
- Format
- Timed, non-competitive, checkpoint cut-offs
What this event asks of you
The Dirty Reiver is Kielder Forest on hard-packed fire roads, remote and exposed, with a start from Kielder Castle and long stretches where there is nothing but trees and gravel. The 200 km route is timed but not competitive, with checkpoint cut-offs that divert slower riders to a shorter loop. The feed stations are generous but the organiser is clear that they are not your only support, so you carry food and spares. The climbs are long, gradual gravel drags rather than steep pitches, and the surface is fast when dry and heavy when wet. April in Northumberland means both are possible.
This is an endurance event with a self-sufficiency test attached. The physiology is steady aerobic power held for many hours, with repeated moderate climbs that add up rather than a single wall. Riders go wrong by starting with the fast groups out of the castle and by eating only at the feed stations. Train long rides on gravel, practise a steady effort on long gradual climbs, and carry and eat your own food on training rides so the habit exists on the day. Cold-weather clothing and a plan for rain belong in the kit as much as spares.
The day by rider level
| Route | Typical finish | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| 200 km | — | Steady aerobic power for many hours on gravel, checkpoint cut-offs made with margin, carrying your own food and spares |
| 130 km | — | A long forest day with gradual climbs and weather to plan for |
| 65 km | — | A first forest gravel event with a steady effort and tyre choice for fire roads |
When your plan has to start
Counted back from the event date. If the organiser moves the date, these move with it.
Decisive features
- 1Forest fire roads
- 2Remote sections
- 3Checkpoint cut-offs
The route is published by the organiser each year. Climb detail will come from the route engine once the GPX is loaded.
Other guides for the same block of the year
- How to train for Paris-Roubaix Challenge10 Apr 2027
- How to train for Mallorca 31224 Apr 2027
- How to train for The Traka30 Apr 2027