← All eventsCotswolds Gravel X
Accessible fully-signed gravel sportive over rolling Cotswold limestone byways from Didmarton — 91/65km, feed stations, no cut-offs. Climbing estimated. Date approximate.
A fully-signed gravel sportive with no cut-offs and two distances to pick from. Ride the 91km or the 65km out of Didmarton, follow the arrows, and take a medal and a beer at the finish.
The route rolls across the southern Cotswolds: limestone byways, big estate tracks and quiet-lane links, fast and grippy when dry, chalky and slick after rain.
There are no sustained cols here, just Cotswold rollers that add up over the day. The 65km is a realistic goal for a fit first-timer. The 91km is a proper four to five hour ride.
Is Cotswolds Gravel X for you?
- First-timers stepping up to a real gravel day. No cut-offs and a signed route take the pressure off, so a big ride feels achievable rather than intimidating.
- Steady riders who meter the effort. The Cotswold rollers reward a durable rolling tempo, not surging over every rise.
- Riders happy to fuel and pace for the long haul. The 91km is a four to five hour ride decided by eating on schedule, not by peak power.
- Anyone choosing their distance honestly. The 65km suits a fit newcomer, the 91km needs genuine long-ride preparation.
Training plan for Cotswolds Gravel X
A training plan for Cotswolds Gravel X isn't a generic base build. Beina reads the event's exact demands, looks at your specific profile and the time you actually have, and maps a highly adapted plan to the start line.
- Rolling accumulation: escarpment rollers that add up over four to five hours, not big sustained climbs
- Mixed limestone surface: grippy and fast when dry, rutted and slick after rain
- A rolling-resistance tax: power on gravel runs slower than the same effort on road, all day
- Self-sufficiency between feeds: fuel and pace the 91km, carry your own for the gaps
- Progressive long ride: build from 1.5hr to 3.5hr on gravel, mostly Z2, the core adaptation for the 91km
- Event-pace long: 3 to 3.5hr at target effort with full fuelling rehearsal, 60 to 90g carbs an hour
- Sweet spot on gravel: 2-3 x 15-20min at 88-93% FTP on rolling climbs for roller durability
- Mixed-surface handling: ride limestone byways dry and wet, plus a tubeless plug and tube change
- Built from your current fitness and the time you actually have
- Adapts every week as Beina learns how you respond
- Syncs your sessions straight to Garmin and Wahoo
- One clear next session, never a wall of spreadsheet
