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

A new BREED of bike club

  • A not-for-profit road and gravel bikepacking club for self-supported racers 
  • ​An annual programme of unsupported trials to test mind and body
  • ​Timing, routes and results handled by Strava, so no entry fees
  • Our long-term aim is to establish the UK's first crowdfunded National Park

our kind of riding


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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.
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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​​

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?"
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​LIAN VAN LEEUWEN, FOUNDER OF SHIFT CYCLING CULTURE
Our long-term aim is to establish the UK's first crowdfunded National Park.  We will buy a 10,000 acre UK shooting estate and rewild it through the restoration of natural forests and wildlife for our adventurous ancestors to enjoy. 

Our first step is to establish a rewilding fund - a pot of money TRC members and other adventure-seeking organisations pay into. 

​This money will be used to produce a series of short-films and written articles to support a series of crowd-funding initiatives. 

​​In the interim while we establish the fund, each rider is encouraged to become a member of Trees For Life who are restoring a large area of Scottish wilderness, and to attend our annual conservation and club planning week up in the Highlands.