The Dirty Reiver
Kielder Forest, Northumberland
20 April 2024
● The 2024 edition of one of the UK’s largest gravel events took place this spring in Northumberland and attracted over 1,600 riders to the English/ Scottish border region. There are three route distances to try – 65, 130 and the full 200km – and the event offers the riders the chance to experience some of the UK’s best gravel tracks. Here, Kielder Reservoir was tackled early in the day.
Participants cross Kielder Dam around 15km into their ride before they hit the first big gravel section of the day through Kielder Forest 
Riders gather at the start line eager to start the event and warm up from the freezing early morning temperatures 
Conor McGoldrick of Richardsons Trek DAS enjoys the Northumbrian gravel trails in Kielder Forest 
This rider tries to focus through the muddy spray caused by the soggiest of springtimes 
The 200km route can prove to be a long and lonely day in the saddle 
Even tubeless tyres were no match for some of Kielder Forest’s sharpest spikes, thorns and grit 
Amelia Mitchell rides with Maddy Nutt of the Ribble Collective, right, who set the quickest women’s time over the 200km distance in 7:38:02 
Sam Stephenson (Hope Factory RT) leads a group of top riders through Kielder forest on the longest 200km route 
The first riders start the 2024 Dirty Reiver in the shadow of the 18th Century Kielder Castle 
A group of club riders at the start line of The Dirty Reiver. The event, which regularly sells out, returns in April 2025.