Southern Grit
Gravel and single track south of the Thames on trails you simply didn't know existed! Come and join this one-day, fully supported gravel adventure with a coffee start and pizza-and-beer finish.
Sign up for £50
2 races
Event overview
Ready to roll? Don’t miss your chance to explore some of the best gravel trails south of the river.
Just over 110 km, with 65% off-road—yes, that means all sorts of trails, paths, tracks, and the occasional quiet road for a breather. It'll be interesting! The ride kicks off at the Velodrome with a caffeine boost before setting out.
There’s a well-stocked feed station halfway to keep you going, and when you get back, you’ll be rewarded with beer and pizza at the Velodrome. Because nothing says "you did it" quite like carbs and a cold one.
You’ve got two route options, either the 110 km or the 85 km course. The routes split after the feed station; you can decide on the day which challenge to take on.
Overview
- 85km or ~110km (choose after the feed split)
- ~65% off-road
Highlights
- Start from the Herne Hill Velodrome
- Gravel, bridleways, singletrack, forest paths, cut-throughs and quiet roads
- England’s oldest grotto, medieval “map to Purgatory”, Epsom Racecourse
- Pre-ride coffee and croissants at the Velodrome
- Comprehensive, well-stocked feed station mid-way
- Finish-line beer and pizza at the Velodrome
- Fully supported one-day gravel adventure
- Suitable for newcomers and seasoned riders alike
Event photos
Event video
Event community
Alfie E.
Dan N.
David A.
Tw H.
- Average fitness
- Beginner-friendly
- Event village
Ability level
110km grading 'tough challenging' - suitable for most 'Club' level riders competent riding off-road.
80km grading 'moderate' - suitable for most regular cyclists with off road experience.
Routes are a mix of bridleways, gravel paths, quiet lanes and some single track, with some steeper climbs. descents, roots and other features.
Suitable for MTB, gravel, cyclocross bikes and off-road e-bikes.
Event HQ
Herne Hill Velodrome
104 Burbage Road
London
Greater London
SE24 9HE
UK
Hands down the best off-road sportive I’ve done. Trails I simply didn’t know existed so close to South London. Challenging for seasoned riders but accessible for those new to the discipline. See you there again next year!
Best Southern Grit ever (I’ve ridden all of them and they’ve all been excellent). Perfect gravel to tarmac ratio, just the right amount of technical and oodles of new trails looking and riding resplendent in perfect weather. And I loved the way the ride was front loaded with most of the climbing in the first half so the kms flew by nicely in the second half. Stuart
Thank you for a fabulous day out, it was another great route. Stuart
A superb day out! An excellent day's riding! Charlie managed to put together a route that was mostly off-road, entirely on legal trails, of just over 100km, leaving from and returning to Herne Hill Velodrome.
It helped that the weather was decent and the trails were nice and dry, but this route would still be fun in soggy conditions (just a bit slower).
I discovered cut-throughs, byways and unknown bridleways I'll definitely be using in future, and there was plenty of fast, flowing singletrack and forest trails too. The support was great, coffee and croissants to start the day, probably the best-equipped mid-ride snack table I've ever seen, and pizza and beer at the Velodrome at the end!
A really lovely day out, I'll be looking out for this next year. Pete O
It's gonna be epic! David S