"GBDURO? Best described as a scrappy rolling picnic through Britain's ever changing landscapes" Anonymous
update 22 may 2020: GBDURO GOES FROM SELF-SUPPORTED TO SELF-SUFFICIENT
#GBDURO20 just got a whole lot scrappier... we have taken the decision to safeguard the 2020 edition of GBDURO by making it COVID-19 compliant under the strictest possible set of rules, described in Annex 1 of the GBDURO manual.
The rule changes can be summarised as follows:
This is a significant format change... any of our 2020 riders not wanting to take this on can defer their entry to next year.
We are constantly monitoring the current situation and we will only be going ahead later in the summer if government guidance across England, Scotland and Wales permits - if it’s not possible to go ahead as planned we’ll re-evaluate and re-plan once again.
The rule changes can be summarised as follows:
- Format: delayed start date (provisionally set for 8am Saturday 1 August 2020) to be ridden as a single stage, no checkpoints, no Finisher’s Party
- Rules: ride in a self-sufficient, rather than self-supported, manner without social contact (2m rule)
This is a significant format change... any of our 2020 riders not wanting to take this on can defer their entry to next year.
We are constantly monitoring the current situation and we will only be going ahead later in the summer if government guidance across England, Scotland and Wales permits - if it’s not possible to go ahead as planned we’ll re-evaluate and re-plan once again.
wtf constitutes self-sufficient riding?
Moving from self-supported to self-sufficient riding requires a shift in mindset from ‘equal opportunity’ to ‘no assistance from others’ as per below:
- Self-supported riding permits the use of the kindness of strangers, commercially available resupply points (such as services, food and lodging) and the disposal of as much waste as you like – the key test is one of ‘equal opportunity’… if it’s not available to all riders, riders shouldn’t be doing it.
- Self-sufficient riding on the other hand, does not permit assistance from others, use of any buildings (commercial or otherwise), or disposal of non-biodegradable waste – the key test here is one of ‘no assistance from others’… if it relies on assistance from others, riders shouldn’t be doing it.
More details are provided in Annex 1 of the GBDURO manual.
why zero waste? that has nothing to do with covid-19!
On backcountry trips it is normal to 'pack out' any packaging you brought in, forcing us to think about how to minimise the packaging in the first place. We want to see that logic in ultracycling and the move to self-sufficient riding, which inherently produces less waste, provides a perfect opportunity.
Under our self-sufficiency rules, riders will not be allowed to dispose of any non-biodegradable waste during the ride.
COVID-19 or not, we want to force our brains to engage on the problem at hand and shine a light on progress in biodegradable packaging etc. By creating the problem i.e. the burden of having to carry it, we will find solutions and in time, we hope the eye-watering amounts of plastic waste on ultras will be a thing of the past.
Under our self-sufficiency rules, riders will not be allowed to dispose of any non-biodegradable waste during the ride.
COVID-19 or not, we want to force our brains to engage on the problem at hand and shine a light on progress in biodegradable packaging etc. By creating the problem i.e. the burden of having to carry it, we will find solutions and in time, we hope the eye-watering amounts of plastic waste on ultras will be a thing of the past.
why these changes? why now?
We want to run GBDURO in a manner that is commensurate with the severity of the COVID-19 crisis (and the climate crisis for that matter, cue #noflyride). Hence making these deep changes which will completely change the nature of the 2020 edition of GBDURO.
We have chosen to announce this rule set now (22 May 2020), rather than continue to wait and see how the situation develops for two reasons:
To re-iterate, we are constantly monitoring the current situation and we will only be going ahead later in the summer if government guidance across England, Scotland and Wales permits - if it’s not possible to go ahead as planned we’ll re-evaluate and re-plan once again.
We have chosen to announce this rule set now (22 May 2020), rather than continue to wait and see how the situation develops for two reasons:
- The uncertainty caused by holding off making a decision will continue to cause angst all-round. We need to adapt the original rules and we only want to do this once. Therefore we have decided to adopt a strict approach that can be followed largely independent from how the situation unfolds from this point on.
- The self-sufficient approach requires riders to invest weeks of preparation to carry out research and adapt their bikes, bodies, and minds, for a ride that now has a very different personality. Hence announcing the rule change now means riders have sufficient time to prepare.
To re-iterate, we are constantly monitoring the current situation and we will only be going ahead later in the summer if government guidance across England, Scotland and Wales permits - if it’s not possible to go ahead as planned we’ll re-evaluate and re-plan once again.
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Who or what is the racing collective!?
With over 3000 members, The Racing Collective is fast becoming the largest bikepacking club in the UK. Unlike a conventional cycling club, we are not based in any particular city or town, rather we roam our little island seeking out new roads and tracks to explore, pushing our limits, and finding more about ourselves in the process (see our Trials, of which GBDURO is our flagship).
Our objective is to apply the ultracyclist mindset (self-supported, self-actualised, self-motivated) to go beyond 'Leave No Trace' to leave the world in a better state than we found it. This means not just following the 'Leave No Trace' principles when riding/wild camping, but extending these principles over time to permeate every aspect of our lives. 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 objective is to apply the ultracyclist mindset (self-supported, self-actualised, self-motivated) to go beyond 'Leave No Trace' to leave the world in a better state than we found it. This means not just following the 'Leave No Trace' principles when riding/wild camping, but extending these principles over time to permeate every aspect of our lives. 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.
wtf is gbduro?
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GBDURO is a 2000km self-supported bikepacking enduro from Land's End to John O'Groats on road, gravel, singletrack, and everything in between.
The ride consists of 4 timed stages (~500km each); lowest aggregate time over the 4 stages 'wins'... nothing. This format seeks to find the perfect balance point between hard riding and community. The newly established route embraces the versatility of 'all-road' bikes to cover big distances on new roads and ancient ways, immersing riders in the rich and unique history that has shaped the British Isles. The 2020 event follows the success of last year's event where EF's Lachlan Morton rode an unforgettable ride to John o'Groats. Riders will have to average ~200km/day (and ~3,000m of climbing/day) to make the Finisher's Party. |
Map credit: Philippa Battye
The ride follows the GB Divide route, broken down into 4 stages...
Why no-fly?
The writing has been on the wall for decades but we've buried our heads in the sand and hoped that climate change is made up, a fiction that those in the pay of the oil giants have unmasked. But, the body of evidence is conclusive; temperatures are rising and we are starting to feel the impacts of extreme weather.
Flying is incompatible with reducing our individual carbon emissions to a fair and sustainable level so we are drawing a line in the sand. As bikepackers, leave-no-trace ethics are part of our DNA; so are solving seemingly unsurpassable problems, and doing things that others (initially) think are crazy. With that in mind we want to hear stories of riders travelling far and wide in a sustainable way.
Let's take a look at the numbers:
Flying is incompatible with reducing our individual carbon emissions to a fair and sustainable level so we are drawing a line in the sand. As bikepackers, leave-no-trace ethics are part of our DNA; so are solving seemingly unsurpassable problems, and doing things that others (initially) think are crazy. With that in mind we want to hear stories of riders travelling far and wide in a sustainable way.
Let's take a look at the numbers:
- Global temperatures will only stop rising when we reach net-zero emissions (CCC net-zero report, May 2019, Page 16) i.e. where carbon emitted (e.g. from the burning of fossil fuels) matches carbon sequestered (e.g. from absorption of CO2 into the oceans or forests)
- So to stabilise temperatures, the average emissions per person must fall to about 1tCO2e/year (CCC net-zero report, May 2019, Table 1), down from 11.3 CO2/year for a typical European/North American (you can calculate your own carbon footprint here)
- A return flight from London to Madrid emits ~0.5tCO2 i.e. you've just used half your annual carbon budget on a single trip (leaving the rest to cover food, home heating and electricity, travel, bikes, sporks, chamois cream, toothpaste). A return flight from London to New York emits ~1.8tCO2 so you've just blown the budget.
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The big read on our no-fly rule and why we have chosen to draw this line in the sand...
Why single out flying?
What about offsetting?
What about technological innovation to reduce emissions from flying?
Isn't it xenophobic?
Why was it OK for Lachlan Morton to do it in 2019 but not me?
Why single out flying?
- Because it is incompatible with a personal carbon budget of 1tCO2e/year and it is done through choice rather than necessity
- Because it's not fair on the 5bn people living in the world who already live below 1-2tCO2e/year. Note 80% of people have never taken a flight - something that the CEO of Boeing views as a great opportunity for growth. But if the whole world flew like us bikepackers, which of course they are perfectly entitled to do, then we're cooked
What about offsetting?
- Offsetting is better than nothing, but it's hard to ensure the emission reductions are 100% real (link).
- The bigger problem is that this approach kicks the can down the road - we pay someone else to treat the symptoms of the problem rather than find a solution to the problem itself.
- This is where the ultracyclist mindset (self-supported, self-actualised, self-motivated) kicks in... we have an opportunity to fix our own problem with the required level of commitment and imagination.
What about technological innovation to reduce emissions from flying?
- There is talk that electric planes for short-haul flights might materialise
- But the only quasi option for long-haul flights in the medium term is biofuels which have their own issues (food vs fuel land use issues, genuine emission reductions whilst using energy intensive fertilisers etc)
Isn't it xenophobic?
- At face value a no-fly rule could be conceived to be xenophobic but we're not discriminating on nationality, we're discriminating based on a rider's environmental impact which unfortunately tends to be a function of distance from the UK
- We are a group of bikepackers who love to ride in other countries and experience other cultures; limiting participation of riders who can't get to the UK in a low-carbon way is really sad
- More than anything we want you to figure out how to get here in a low-carbon way; if you can do that we will greet you with open arms
Why was it OK for Lachlan Morton to do it in 2019 but not me?
- It was a dream come true to have Lachlan on the inaugural GBDURO and to be the first person in history to christen our newly forged route. He embraced The Racing Collective philosophy and it was incredible to watch an exceptional athlete rip the route to shreds. And of course in doing so, he bought GBDURO to the masses - would you have heard about GBDURO if it wasn't for Lachlan?
- But his involvement came at a cost... GBDURO was one of several trips that led to Lachlan's jaw dropping emissions in 2019
- If everyone lived like this, we'd be toast
- Of course it's impossible to live without imposing any negative impact on one's surroundings, but we look forward to the day Lachlan returns to ride GBDURO again, this time using low-carbon transport... #noflyride
Results for GBDURO19
Full stage times - here
Relive the dotwatching for 2019 - here
Only riders who made the Finisher's Party on 2nd July 2019 have their times recorded for GC; other riders had until midnight on Friday 5 July in order to classify as a Finisher. Anyone who completes the GB Divide route is eligible to join the club on Strava.
Relive the dotwatching for 2019 - here
Only riders who made the Finisher's Party on 2nd July 2019 have their times recorded for GC; other riders had until midnight on Friday 5 July in order to classify as a Finisher. Anyone who completes the GB Divide route is eligible to join the club on Strava.
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no prizes | no support
next tree-planting day: tbc |
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