The Kinesis UK Gravelcross Series returns for 2018 with the Kinesis UK Wildwood sportive on February 11th.

Based in the village of Woodcote, north of Reading, the Wildwood was the original CX Sportive, starting in 2010, before the words 'gravel' and 'bike' were even being commonly joined together in the UK.

It was that early adoption of 'cross style bikes for exploring beyond the confines of the racecourse that inspired the event though, and the 80km Chiltern Hills course is still something of a blueprint for how to put together a great multi-surface ride in the south of England.

Gravelcross sportives: just about the most fun you can have on a bike at this time of year.
Gravelcross sportives: just about the most fun you can have on a bike at this time of year.

Switching regularly between dirt and tarmac, and utilising bridleways, farm roads, back lanes and singletrack, the Wildwood course is consistently varied and entertaining. Tracks have been carefully chosen for winter rideability, so that the conditions won't blunt your pace.

At a time of year when road riding can be a dismal experience and half your MTB options are reduced to hub deep mud, it's a fresh and exciting event, and about the most enjoyable way of getting in some good winter miles!

>>> Video: Kinesis UK Wildwood Gravelcross 2018 Course Preview

Backed by Kinesis UK in 2018, the event is also a showcase for their acclaimed Tripster range, with both the titanium Tripster ATR and the new exciting Tripster AT on display to get a close up look at. These are exactly the bikes that inspire this sort of riding, but the event is not limited to CX or gravel rigs.

CX Sportive events are equally popular with MTBers on 29ers and fast XC MTBs, and whatever bike you ride is welcome - just make sure it's capable of handling some dirt.

>>> Sportive report: Kinesis UK Crossbones Gravelcross 2017

The Wildwood features a choice of 40, 60 and 80km route options, with all courses fully marked for easy navigation, with map and GPS back up available. Feed and support stations on the route will keep you fuelled for the ride, and rider support is available to keep you on track too. RFID timing gives you on the line results, and there are gold, silver and bronze time band finishers medals to shoot for and mark your achievement.

Full catering back at the finish includes hot pasties and home made chilli, perfect to warm up and relax before you head for home.

For full details and to sign up, head over to cxsportive.com.

0 Comments