Ride Journal
The 360 Recce: Hemel Hempstead to Greenwich
The final sector of The 360 is ridden almost entirely in another world. Old railway lines, silent towpaths and woodland trails pull riders south through the night towards Epping Forest before London slowly reappears beside the Thames at dawn. Exhaustion, relief and slightly surreal night riding combine into the strangest and most memorable part of the entire route.
The 360 Recce: Guildford to Hemel Hempstead
The middle sector of The 360 is where the ride really begins stretching out. The sharp climbs of the North Downs give way to sandy heathland, pine forests, army training grounds and long flowing gravel through Surrey and Berkshire before the Chilterns finally rise ahead in the evening light. Somewhere around Maidenhead the ride quietly shifts from long day out into overnight ultra.
The 360 Recce: Greenwich to Guildford
A 360 kilometre gravel ride around London sounds faintly ridiculous until you start riding it. The city slowly loosens its grip as towpaths become bridleways, bridleways become chalk climbs and the North Downs begin testing tired legs surprisingly early. This first sector runs from Greenwich through Kent and Surrey to Guildford, linking hidden gravel, old railway lines and long fast chalk tracks into one of the most enjoyable sections of the entire route.
The Wrecker Recce: Riding the Mendips, Ridgeway and Thames into London | UK Gravel Ultra
The final recce for The Wrecker heads from Weston-super-Mare back to London via the Mendips, Kennet and Avon Canal, Avebury and the Ridgeway. Faster than Cornwall and less brutal than Exmoor, but still a long way from easy. Ancient tracks, chalk gravel, canal paths, strange villages and the slow return to London.
The Wrecker Recce: Exmoor & Quantocks | Scouting the Second Sector of a UK Gravel Ultra
The second sector of The Wrecker, a UK gravel ultra from Land’s End to London. Exmoor fights back with slow, technical riding and relentless climbing, before the Quantocks open up with fast gravel and flow. A two-day recce across remote terrain, dark skies and a coastline that changes everything.
The Wrecker Recce: Land’s End to Barnstaple | UK Gravel Ultra
Three days into The Wrecker and Cornwall is already making the point. A first recce of this UK gravel ultra from Land’s End to Barnstaple.
Southern Grit | Gravel Cycling Event in London & Surrey Hills
Southern Grit is a gravel cycling event from London into the Surrey Hills, chalk climbs, hidden trails and flowing descents that quickly feel a long way from the city. A proper day out on the bike, finishing back at Herne Hill Velodrome with something left in the legs.
Explore London's best gravel rides
Gravel riding in London is closer than you think. Discover Hidden Tracks Cycling’s 2026 events, off-road routes and self-supported adventures from the capital.
Rivers and Palaces The story behind this easy London cycling ride along the Thames
London hides some of its best riding in plain sight.
Leave the busy streets behind and the city begins to change. Pat...
Gravel, Camels and Cardamom: Riding Across Jordan
An eight-day ultra gravel adventure across Jordan, from the Dead Sea to Petra and the red sands of Wadi Rum. Crusader castles, Roman roads, Nabataean trade routes and desert bivvies stitched together by coffee, camels and long climbs. A gravel journey through history, landscape and culture on two wheels.
London to Paris: Adventure Beyond the Tarmac
Riding from London to Paris is a rite of passage for many cyclists. Most take the smooth and efficient road routes, but the real magic lies beyond the tarmac on gravel paths, woodland trails, and ancient bridleways that reveal a hidden world between two great cities.
Do Gravel travel, my way!
Introducing a brand new range of extraordinary gravel bike tours