Last weekend, I finally dipped my toes into the world of gravel riding — and what an introduction it was at the Stone Circle event. If you have not heard of it before, the Stone Circle is a cracking gravel adventure that starts and finishes near the famous Stonehenge. It offers a few route options to suit different appetites for distance and suffering. You can choose from the Basterd (220km), the Rebel (135km) or the Jester (87km); each one takes you deep into the gravel tracks of the Salisbury Plains and surrounding countryside.
For my first ever gravel event, I decided to stick with the Rebel distance; I thought it was probably best to leave the Basterd for another time! In hindsight, it was the perfect call.
The day was nothing like any road event I have done before. The atmosphere had a proper festival feel to it with music, food, camping and loads of friendly faces. Everyone I spoke to out on the course was welcoming and up for a chat; there was no sense of racing or pressure on times. My only goal was to finish in one piece and enjoy every mile.
A bit of a confession — I only went tubeless on the Thursday before the ride, so this was also my first test into the tubeless world. Luckily, it all went to plan.
The first half of the Rebel route was spectacular. Miles and miles of smooth gravel tracks stretched out across the Salisbury Plains. I could not help but smile as I rolled along in the sunshine, not having to worry about cars or potholes. One thing that made me laugh was the sheer number of portaloos along the route; at first I thought the organisers were being overly generous, but I later realised they belong to the military bases that share the land!
The second half of the route ramped up the challenge with more technical sections, but I was pleased to keep it rubber side down and stay upright. The feed stations were genuinely some of the best I have experienced at any cycling event; there was even fresh pizza at one stop, which went down an absolute treat.
In the end, I crossed the line after 136km in 6 hours and 18 minutes. I was chuffed with that and celebrated with a well-earned beer at the finish line. It was great to be able to give both myself and the bike a proper wash off before kicking back and enjoying the festival vibe at the event village.
What I Learned
There were definitely a few things I learned from my first gravel ride that I will take into my next one:
- Time to buy a Hydration vest; trying to drink from a bottle on rough gravel is not easy, and you end up with a mouthful of dirt more often than not. A hydration pack will make life so much simpler.
- More low cadence work in training; I found myself grinding away at 50 rpm for long stretches, and it really works the legs differently than road riding. A bit more strength and endurance training will pay off.
- It is all about finding the right line; choosing the smoothest or most stable path through the gravel makes a huge difference to your energy levels and keeps you much safer. Pick your line well, and you will save yourself a lot of effort.
Overall, the Stone Circle has set the bar high for my future gravel adventures. I am well and truly hooked on this style of riding; I will definitely be back next year to take on the Basterd route and push things a bit further.
If you are on the fence about giving gravel a go, I cannot recommend this event enough. Friendly people, brilliant organisation, stunning scenery and a proper community spirit. What more could you ask for?
See you out there next year.
