A Friendly Self-Supported Gravel Bikepacking Experience Around Dramatic Scenery – The Dirt Dash Events Return to Three of the UK’s Most Iconic National Parks in 2025
The Dirt Dashes, a much-loved series of friendly and inclusive gravel and bikepacking cycling events held across Scotland and England, are back for 2025 with three inspiring weekend adventures through some of the UK’s most iconic National Parks.
The 2025 season kicks off with the Dexshell Cateran Dirt Dash on 3 & 4 May, followed by the Stans Yorkshire Coast Dirt Dash on 6 & 7 July, and concludes with the Lezyne Dunoon Dirt Dash on 27 & 28 September.Organised by round the world cyclist Markus Stitz, these self-supported rides are designed for cyclists who love off-road riding and are seeking new experiences on their bikes, whether for seasoned gravel riders or anyone new to bikepacking.
Entries are £95 for each event, with a £5 discount for Cycling UK members. For the Dexshell Cateran Dirt Dash, up to 20 subsidised places are available at a reduced rate of £40, supported by the Drumderg Community Fund from SSE Renewables. These are prioritised for individuals living in the PH11 8 and PH10 7 postcodes, and for cyclists from underrepresented groups—including women, non-binary and LGBTQ+ riders, disabled people, people of colour and ethnic minorities, low-income individuals, older adults, carers, refugees and asylum seekers. More details and the application form are available at dirtdash.cc/cateran.
Riders at the Dexshell Cateran Dirt Dash will also enjoy deeper engagement with the heritage of the Cateran Ecomuseum in 2025. Thanks to support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and komoot, 38 points of interest have been mapped along the two-day route and can be explored on the Ecomuseum’s Komoot channel. Highlights include the Kynballoch Stone, The Lunch Hut, Dirnanean, Diarmuid’s Tomb, and Loch Shandra.
Feedback from last year’s events has been overwhelmingly positive:
“It was my first gravel bikepacking event. Such a great experience and achievement. I’m looking forward to doing more now.”
“I had a superb time on the Cateran Dash! My first visit to the Ecomuseum and I would like to go back. The event was well organised and very friendly. Great food for dinner and breakfast.”
“This was my first organised bikepacking event and I thought it was absolutely wonderful—perfectly organised and very enjoyable overall.”
Following a similar format, both the Stans Yorkshire Coast Dirt Dash and the Lezyne Dunoon Dirt Dash offer two-day self-supported bikepacking experiences through the North York Moors National Park and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, respectively. Each ride includes a GPX route file, electronic rider briefing, support vehicle access, campsite, evening meal, and breakfast, ensuring a comfortable and social experience for all participants.
More information can be found at dirtdash.cc or by following Dirt Dash on Facebook and Instagram.
The Dirt Dashes are proudly supported by Dexshell, Stans, Lezyne, and Carradice.
