“Dirt Dash Ltd, the organisers of gravel bikepacking events in Alyth, Swanage and Dunoon, have released a short new film, which captures the atmosphere and scenery of the events held in 2023. Produced by Markus Stitz, one of the directors of Dirt Dash Ltd alongside Charlie Hobbs, the nine-and-a-half-minute film called ‘Three Dashes’ is available to watch for free on YouTube.”
“Entries for the 2024 Dirt Dashes are available on the Dirt Dash website www.dirtdash.cc and Entrycentral. Riders can sign up to the 5050 (two-day) events in Alyth, Swanage and Dunoon for £95. The 100 event in Dorset is for faster riders, who want to tackle the route in one day, and priced at £50. Cycling UK members get a discount for all events.”
“The Dirt Dash season starts with the Lezyne Cateran Dirt Dash on 4 and 5 May. The event, on the first bank holiday weekend in May and before the midge season, is a co-operation with the Cateran Ecomuseum in Scotland. The Lezyne Cateran Dirt Dash takes riders around the dramatic scenery of the Scottish Highlands and through the Cairngorms National Park. At around 55 miles (89 km) the Cateran Dirt Dash has a shorter route than the other events, making this the perfect introduction to bikepacking.”
“On the second bank holiday weekend in May the Kinesis UK Dorset Dirt Dash offers two different events on the same route on 25 and 26 May. The Kinesis UK Dorset Dirt Dash 5050 is held over two days, while the Kinesis UK Dorset Dirt Dash 100 is the ultimate one-day gravel grinder. Both take riders around the amazing scenery of the Isle of Purbeck, with start and finish in Swanage, the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Jurassic Coast. Formerly known as the Dorset Gravel Dash, the Dorset Dirt Dash is the longest-running gravel event in the UK.”
“The Dirt Dashes return to Scotland to close the 2024 season with the Lezyne Dunoon Dirt Dash on 21 and 22 September. The event was first held in 2019 and follows Scotland’s Adventure Coast – Argyll. The route includes sections of the popular bikepacking route Wild About Argyll Trail, taking riders on gravel roads, singletrack and roads through the amazing scenery of the Cowal Peninsula. Easy to reach by train and ferry from Glasgow, the Lezyne Dunoon Dirt Dash is the most challenging of the three Dirt Dashes, with a campsite next to a castle on a sea loch.”
‘Three Dashes’ features footage from all three events and feedback from the riders – who range from an experienced bikepacker from the US to another participant from Glasgow, who had not ridden a bike further than on his 20-minute commute. For Markus Stitz, one of the Dirt Dash directors, this is what the events are about: ‘Our focus for all Dirt Dashes is to provide friendly and welcoming events, where people meet each other, share the experience and ride bikes together. The people we interviewed for our latest film mirror exactly that. Like this year we will continue in 2024 to work closely with our local partners and sponsors to attract more women to our events. We made a great start on this at the Lezyne Cateran Dirt Dash, which to date has more women signed up than men.’
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The Dirt Dashes are sponsored by Kinesis Bikes UK, Lezyne, Komoot and Schwalbe, with additional funding provided by Perth and Kinross Council through the Beyond Scotland Market Development Grant. More about the Dirt Dashes can be found at dirtdash.cc, on Instagram @dirtdash_cc or Facebook @dirthdashcc