Gravel Bike Tour - Reivers Trails

Duration
7 days
Site savings
$41
From
$2,005 USD
1 Review

Explore the wild borderlands between Hadrian’s Wall and the Scottish Borders on this Northumberland Reivers Trails holiday and follow the lawless territories that were raided by the Scottish and English between the 14th and 17th Centuries. The tour winds its way through England’s largest forest taking in parts of the vast network of forest trails and nearby moorland bridleways, byways and quiet backroads. The rolling hills of Reivers’ country open up spectacular vistas across the forest landscape taking in Kielder Water – Europe’s largest man-made lake – and its artwork, cultural and wildlife attractions. The area is also a magnet for stargazers, with Northumberland’s International Dark Sky Park being the largest in the UK.

  • Category
    Trail Riding
  • Type
    Fully Guided
  • Duration
    7 days
  • Culture Level
    Familiar
  • Skill Level
    3 - Intermediate
  • Activity Level
    3 - Active
  • Elevation
    3 - Intermediate
  • Terrain
    Hilly
  • Distance
    213.1 miles
  • Avg. Daily Distance
    42.9 miles
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  • Where does the tour start and end?

    The arrival point for this Northumberland Reivers Trails holiday is Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where you will meet up and overnight before transferring to the UK’s National Landscape Discovery Centre – The Sill. If travelling by car you will be able to leave your car in Newcastle for the duration of the trip at no additional cost.

    If you would prefer to catch the train, the most convenient station for this trip is Newcastle with several services from London a day whisking you up north in around 3 hours. Please aim to arrive by around 16:00 on the arrival day. At the end of the holiday a 09.00 transfer to Newcastle train station is included on the Saturday morning.

  • How long is the tour? How many days cycling?

    The tour is 7 days long with 5 days of cycling.

  • What's the tour like?

    With a very strong emphasis on off-road riding this Reivers cycle route gravel biking tour will make the most of the region’s extensive network of forestry roads which range from hardpack to chunky loose gravel in places, with everything in between. Occasionally a bit muddy too, depending on the weather. Trails in these parts of Northumberland and the Borders can be demanding and require some skill.

    The moorland byways and bridleways of the Reivers Trail feature a range of surfaces including non-technical gravel, rockier sections, grassy bridleways, stony or rutted farm tracks and narrower single-track sections. Even the tarmac sections you take in on little-used minor roads tend to be gravelly!

    The rolling landscape of the Border region means that hills are unavoidable, though mostly of reasonably steady gradient with each day involving between 950m and 1150m of ascent and descent. A good degree of riding fitness and off-road experience is required for this tour.

    For this trip, gravel bikes with a minimum tyre width of 38mm are recommended. The route may also be suitable for cross-country mountain bikes fitted with minimally treaded XC tyres.

    The Reivers Trails are being developed and improved by Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust to encourage people from different backgrounds and abilities to enjoy a multitude of activities across Northumberland and the Scottish Borders; an area rich with beautiful natural environments and heritage. The Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust works to promote sustainable development, provide recreational facilities, and improve knowledge of the natural environment.

    - Distances generally between 35-55 miles / 55-90 kms per day.
    - For gravel and off-road riders with experience, good fitness and a decent level of skill.
    - Some features that may be experienced more frequently in a higher-grade tour.
    - The gravel trails encountered are a mix of wider trails and non-technical singletrack.
    - Trails can vary more in width and in surface type.
    - You will need to choose your line more carefully and might need to move from one side of the trail to the other to find the smoothest line and the best grip/least rolling resistance.

    If you’re bringing your own bike, a minimum tyre width of 38mm is recommended.


    Is this suitable for you?

    You regularly ride off-road, although you’re not necessarily into full-on mountain biking. You enjoy getting into the countryside and getting away from roads and traffic. You’re happy with climbing and descending off-road. The occasional cheeky section of singletrack with some roots or rocks to navigate doesn’t worry you. You’re likely to own your own gravel bike, cyclocross bike or mountain bike. You might have tried one of our mid-level mountain bike or road trips, as well as having off-road experience.


  • Can I find out more about the bikes and equipment?

    If you don’t own a suitable bike or would prefer to avoid bringing your own there are gravel bikes available to hire.


    These bikes are typically full carbon Giant Revolt Advanced 2 / Liv Devote Advanced 2, great bikes with good quality components. These bikes are set up tubeless on gravel-specific wheels and both the Revolt and the Devote have 700×40c tyres. They provide a comfortable riding position and wide range of gears, running a 2×11 drivetrain with 32/48 chainrings and 11×34 cassette. They are fitted with hydraulic disc brakes.

    If you do decide to rent and would like to use a helmet, please let us know at the time of booking, otherwise you should bring your own helmet with you.

    Please also let us know if you plan on bringing your own clip-in pedals, or if you will use the flat pedals which the rental bikes come fitted with.

    If you are travelling overseas, hire bikes might have a different brake set-up to what you are used to. In the UK typically the front brake is operated by your right hand and the rear brake will be operated by your left hand.

    Given the variety of shapes and sizes of on-bike luggage and the fact the mechanisms for fitting them varies so much, the operator is not able to safely accommodate customers' own frame bags and on-bike luggage on the hire bikes.

    This holiday has vehicle support and the riding group will meet the support vehicle at regular intervals, so you should be able to get away with using jersey pockets to carry any ride essentials. You are welcome to use a small backpack on sections where you think it’s necessary.

  • What's the weather like?

    When cycling in the UK it’s best to come prepared for sun and rain, warm and cold all in the same day – spring, summer and autumn. Although there can be wide variations the monthly average temperature in the UK ranges from 9 degrees centigrade in April through to 17 degrees centigrade in July and then 11 degrees in October.

    At the beginning and end of the season (in March and late October) the weather can be a little less predictable and there could be some cooler days.

Overall Rating:
5.0/5
"Each day brought something different"
Ian, Aberdeenshire
(Review obtained from Tour Operator)

A most enjoyable trip in a beautiful part of the country that should appeal to a wide range of cyclists, not just gravel biking enthusiasts. Each day offered something different and was rewarding without being too challenging. Weather could have been better but at least it didn’t snow and the…