"The future is not a spectator sport" Jeremy Lent, Web of Meaning​

overview

A long weekend of tree planting and biodiversity conservation with a pretty long cycle in the middle
Bikes, Bees & Trees Rally:
  • Start: 10am on Friday 14th April, Dumyat, Stirling
  • End: 12 noon on Sunday 16th April, Glenaros, Mull [with ferry connection to Oban]

Despite the warm, fuzzy name, this will be gritty!!! You will be tasked with carrying out conservation work at two fantastic sites, connected by a >200km gravel ride through the night, in Scotland, in April. As per normal, there are no ride leaders or support. 

​​​Key objectives:
  • Contribution to nature restoration and discuss how land is managed in the UK
  • Brainstorm session to steer the future direction of self-supported riding and sustainability
  • Opportunity to ride and chat with people you’re normally racing against

Itinerary overview:
  • Friday will be spent at Dumyat Estate, a 480ha area of land near Stirling, where we’ll assist with reforestation and biodiversity projects on the site.
  • Saturday evening will be spent at Glenaros Estate on Isle of Mull. Once at Glenaros, we’ll relax around the fire and on Sunday get stuck into removing invasive species and looking at peatland restoration.
  • You’ll be cycling between the two. It’s a rally not a race, but you’ll want to hustle to make it onto Mull for a Saturday evening sat by the fire.

entry

Tickets cost £50 to cover the costs of hosting the event and are currently live...
Who's it for?
  • Anyone interested in long-distance cycling and doesn't mind getting their hands dirty

What’s included?
  • Conservation tools (saws, spades etc)
  • Friday afternoon pre-cycle food at Dumyat Estate
  • Saturday evening dinner and night camping at Glenaros (Isle of Mull)
  • Sunday morning breakfast
 
What do you need to bring?
  • Sturdy shoes you’re happy to plant trees and walk on steeper slopes with. These can also be your cycling shoes….just don’t turn up in road cleats
  • Gloves, you may be using saws, spades etc
  • Warm stuff and food (except Fri aft, Sat night and Sun morning)
  • Camping gear - bivvy or tent, Friday night you can wild camp or ride straight on through. Saturday night we’ll camp on the estate at Glenaros.

This event is being run in collaboration with ​The Future Forest Company - who are they?
  • ​The Future Forest Company is a private company managing 11 sites across Scotland covering over 2,800 ha. Their mission is to plant enough trees to remove 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by 2030. They plant native, broadleaf trees on our UK sites to create thriving habitats for wildlife.
  • This isn’t the only way to achieve these objectives, but they’re keen to share what they do to inspire thought and conversation. Oh and it helps that their forest manager is a keen ultra-distance cyclist and GBDURO alum.

itinerary

This isn’t a school trip or guided tour. But on privately managed sites we do need to take health and safety seriously. The Future Forest Company will have risk assessments in place for practical work on site. All cycling is entirely at your own risk. Be Safe, be Seen, lights, a helmet and a working bike are essential.
  
Thursday 13th April
  • Those arriving on Thurs night should wild camp somewhere discretely, and not in a large group
 
Friday 14th April
  • 10am - meet at Blairlogie Village Hall [56.150196 , -3.8873865] for short kick-off talk and Dumyat site tour by bike (2h)
  • 12pm – meet back at the Village Hall to collect conservation kit and meet later arrivals (please bring a snack lunch)
  • 12pm-3pm - tree planting and biodiversity works
  • 3pm – pre-cycle food at the Village Hall (we'll provide the food)
  • 4pm – Set off for Glenaros [56.527283 , -5.9757987], Isle of Mull (we recommend our ~230km mix of road and gravel route, but feel free to ride your own way there)
 
Saturday 15th April
  • Arrive Gleanaros Saturday afternoon into the evening depending on pace
  • Greeted with food and fire
  • Camp at front of estate, we do have toilet and shower facilities but they are fairly minimal and antiquated
 
Sunday 16th April
  • 8am breakfast followed by conservation work, removing invasive species
  • Midday – Depart (welcome to leave before this if constrained by travel plans, equally if you would like to do more conservation work and stay another night that’s also fine, but note Sunday breakfast is the only food we can provide)
  • Return home via Craignure to Oban ferry; Oban is on the main train network

Route

  • We recommend riding our ~230km mixed road and gravel route, but of course feel free to plot your own course to Glenaros
  • The route will be released on this page a couple of weeks before the ride