a community of SELF-SUPPORTED racers​
who love wild places

A bike club with a mission to protect the natural world

  • A not-for-profit bikepacking club for self-supported racers
  • ​An annual programme of unsupported trials to test mind and body
  • A desire to go beyond 'Leave No Trace' principles to leave the world in a better state than we found it​
  • ​​​A long-term mission to establish a series of rewilding projects​

our kind of living


​​---
Yes, someone has to finish first, but for us winning is not really the point.
We shake hands on the start line and ride across a country 
​for the satisfaction of exploring our own limits.
​
Our rides are not races, they are reliability trials. There are no entry fees and no prizes. 
There are no officiators, no ride leaders. 
There is no support.

This self-supported, self-actualised, self-motivated mindset permeates our everyday lives. We take the path less travelled, reject business-as-usual, and show environmental sustainable ways of living are within our grasp... if we want it enough.


"Respecting the environment is respecting yourself"
 Caterine Ibargüen, Olympic gold-medalist in athletics​ 
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  • Start and finish points are defined
  • Plot your own route from A to B via a series of checkpoints
  • Most riding will be on road but gravel shortcuts may be quicker
  • Riders must tweet a timestamped photo at the start, all checkpoints, and the finish
  • Test your route planning, navigation, and night riding skills... explore your limits, expand your horizons​
  • Combines the best aspects of cyclocross, bikepacking, and a MTB enduro
  • A defined route over mixed terrain - gravel, road, and the odd bike carry
  • Made for gravel/adventure bikes
  • ​5 timed Strava segments per day; lowest aggregate time over the segments 'wins'
  • Lots of time for socialising on the non-timed bits
  • GBDURO is a twist on this theme; 4-stages ~500km in length with validation through timestamped Insta posts

A new kind of mission

"THE FACT THAT SUSTAINABILITY SEEMS ALMOST A NON-ISSUE FOR MOST CYCLISTS BEWILDERS ME, AS THE FREEDOM WE EXPERIENCE AS CYCLISTS IS SO CLOSELY INTERTWINED WITH THE ENVIRONMENT WE RIDE IN.  IF WE LOVE WHERE WE RIDE, WHY NOT ACT ACCORDINGLY?"
​
​LIAN VAN LEEUWEN, FOUNDER OF SHIFT CYCLING CULTURE AND FRIEND OF THE RACING COLLECTIVE
Our long-term aim is to establish a series of rewilding projects.  Together, we will buy land and rewild it through the restoration of natural forests and wildlife for our adventurous ancestors to enjoy.

Our first step is to establish a Feral Fund - a pot of money TRC members and other adventure-seeking organisations pay into, which will be used to produce a series of short-films and written articles to support a series of crowdfunding initiatives. 

​​In the interim while we establish the fund, each rider is encouraged to:
  1. become a member of Trees For Life who are restoring a large area of Scottish wilderness;
  2. attend our tree planting days; and
  3. our annual tree-planting and club planning week up in the Highlands.