Bikes of Dorset Divide 2025

Jakob Poffley

Age: 26

Location: Cambridge, UK

Bike: Focus Atlas 6.8

Key items of kit: Brooks saddle and handlebar tape; Perelli tires; Restrap bags; Alpkit bivi, sleeping bag and mat; and many snacks, incl. a whole jar of peanut butter

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Aluminium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45-50mm

Electronic shifting: No

Tom

Age: 28

Bike: Fairlight Secan 2.0

Key items of kit: Went for 27.5 wheels mainly for extra comfort. I'm also running tyre inserts so I can run pressures as low as possible. To keep my hands and neck happier I have fitted a redshift suspension stem.

For sleeping kit I'm taking an Alpkit Hunka bivvy, thermarest neo air and depending on the weather, either a sleeping bag or omm sleep suit. I'm going "full comfort" because my only aim is to complete the route.

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 650b (27.5")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Christopher Purt

Age: 46

Location: Caernarfon

Bike: Genesis Longitude

Key items of kit: Revelate Designs bikepacking setup

Frame type: Hardtail - Fully Rigid

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45mm-50mm

Electronic shifting: No

Vlad Bodogan

Age: 31

Location: London

Bike: Canyon Grizl AL

Key items of kit: Saddle and handlebar bag

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Aluminium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Dylan Hubble

Age: 49

Cap number: Dylan Hubble & Stefan Brisbane (Pair)

Location: Windsor

Bike: Scott Addict RC Cyclocross with SRAM GX Eagle AXS 1x11-52. TT bars with Blips. Rene Herse Barlow Pass 38mm tyres. Zipp 303 Firecrest wheels.

Key items of kit: Exposure Toro front light. Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt and Garmin eTrex 20 for navigation. Hydration pack and bottles. SOL Escape Lite bivy.

Frame type: Other

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 35mm-39mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Jack Nixey

Age: 29

Location: Lulworth, Dorset

Bike: I’ll be attempting the Dorset Divide on my well scarred Surly ECR size Large. Certainly not the lightest bike in the field, but we know each other well.

Mix of DT Swiss wheels, Shimano XTR / Deore drivetrain, Ergon grips, cable brakes plus some new Vittoria rubber.

Key items of kit: Revelate Designs full frame bag. USWE Hydration bag for fluids and SON dynamo lights will guide me through the night. Lightweight down jacket, Albion waterproofs and SOL emergency bivy.

Frame type: Hardtail - Fully Rigid

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Alun Lewis

Age: 47

Location: Bournemouth

Bike: Specialized chizel

Key items of kit: Bivi and sleeping bag on bar holster. Wet weather kit and change of clothes in back. Stem bag and top tube bag for snacks and battery. Have 3l on the frame and a 3l bumbag. Lights from exposure

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Aluminium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Steve Lewis

Age: 52

Location: Bristol

Bike: Canyon Grizl , no frils base model , 50mm pirelli tires , Redshift shockstop stem, wolf tooth 38T chainring , Ergon saddle.

Key items of kit: Restrap race frame bags and saddle pack , Exsposure Maxxd for light , Garmin 1030 for Nav

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Aluminium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Alasdair Hitchen

Age: 29

Location: Dorset!

Bike: Ribble CGR, 105 di2 and a forgiving GRX front chainset for those final "rollers" on the return to Portland.

Key items of kit: A key bit of kit will be my Restrap Race Hydration Pack. With the bike packed light, this will be essential for carrying extra water to get through the night and for those easy to reach snacks.

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45mm-50mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Mark Turner

Age: 49

Cap number: Mark Turner

Location: Exeter

Bike: Cannondale Trail 2

Key items of kit: APIDURA BACKCOUNTRY LONG TOP TUBE PACK, MAAP X APIDURA SADDLE PACK, APIDURA EXPEDITION STEM PACK, Garmin Edge 1030, Exposure lights - Race Mk17 Gun Metal Black & Joystick Mk17

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Aluminium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 25-29mm

Electronic shifting: No

Chris Hawkins

Age: 35

Location: Hertfordshire

Bike: Stayer Groadinger OMG, Whisky Mtn carbon fork, SRAM gx axs

Key items of kit: Down quilt. So much comfier than a sleeping bag.

Frame type: Hardtail - Fully Rigid

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: Yes

Jon Regler

Age: 50

Location: Blandford, Dorset

Bike: Cannondale Topstone Carbon 4, who goes by the name of Olive. She is far more happier with Hunt Limitless Adventure wheels and recently added Schwalbe G-One RS Pro 45mm tyres.

Key items of kit: Garmin Edge 1030 + Beeline Magic Shine front and rear lights + backups Alpkit bivvi + down jacket, legs, first aid in Restrap bag under aerobars - this makes for a nice cockpit. Tools, power bank, cables + stuff in Restrap frame bag Food, electrolytes, gels, lube etc in Tailfin top tube bag. 3 bottles + tactical Redbull somewhere by race day.

Oliver L Herdsman

Age: 41

Location: Weymouth

Bike: Kinesis FF29 -very old. XT brakes. SRAM 1x11 drivetrain. Fox 34 fork. Cane Creek Thudbuster ST. Soma Dream Lowdown bar. Rene Herse Fleecers Ridge tyres, which most definitely do not roll as well as a slick on the road.

Key items of kit: Revelate bags + not a lot of stuff.

Tyre width: 50mm+

Colin

Cap number: 69

Location: Dorset

Bike: Rocky Mountain Vertex

Key items of kit: Little bike with big wheels

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Wozza

Age: 39

Cap number: 60

Location: New Milton

Bike: Specialized

Key items of kit: Frame bag, top tube bag and the tail-fin at the rear

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45-50mm

Adam Gorman

Age: 42

Cap number: 1

Location: BRISTOL

Bike: Specialized Chisel, SIDs ultimates for bounce, rovals on mezcals and gx eagle axs, hope X2

Key items of kit: Tailfin too tube filled with rice cakes and bars, frame bag for tools and battery pack bits, Styrkr fuel, warmth and sleep kit in the saddle bag. Sqlabs and ergon grips

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Aluminium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: Yes

Perry Taylor

Age: 58

Cap number: 47

Location: Colchester

Bike: Sonder Camino 46/30 - 11-42 cassette

Key items of kit: Tailfin Cargo rear bag with Bivvy, Summer Sleeping Bag, Tools, Waterproof Jacket, Tools. Exposure front light and 2x Battery Rear Lights. Garmin 1040, Battery pack and cables. Top tube bag with food & bar mounted Food pouch Camelbak with 2L bladder & more food

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Aluminium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Megan Joy Barclay

Age: 28

Cap number: 38

Location: SE London

Bike: Cotic Escapade (steel frame, carbon forks), GRX820 1x12 40t, Hope: BB, hubs, wheels, and carbon seat post - a personal favourite of mine - all rolling on Pirelli Cinturato’s, 40mm.

Key items of kit: Orange Albion Vis Vest that’ll be jammed full of food, a bladder and my beloved Albion Ultra Light down jacket. Apidura expedition packs and lightweight sleep setup (including a Sea to Summit sleeping bag), all kindly lent to me. And finally, Beeswax wraps to help me attempt a low plastic ride.

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 40-44mm

Electronic shifting: No

Nat Haden

Age: 51

Location: Wiltshire

Bike: Giant Revolt

Key items of kit: Shimano GRX gearing (11-42 cassette), Hunt Gravel Wheels, Tailfin luggage, Vittoria Terreno mixed T50 tyres(50mm)

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45-50mm

Electronic shifting: No

Chris Puddifoot

Age: 60

Cap number: 65

Location: Oxfordshire

Bike: Santa Cruz Blur

Key items of kit: Restrap bags, Roval wheels , DT Swiss 120 front , Rock Shox 120 rear and Exposure lights.

Frame type: MTB - Full Suspension

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Duncan Mellish

Age: 56

Cap number: 65

Location: Oxfordshire

Bike: KTM Scarp MT

Key items of kit: Zefal bags, Fox forks front and rear, Exposure lights and Scwalbe tyres.

Frame type: MTB - Full Suspension

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Ashley Scott

Age: 37

Location: Weymouth

Bike: Ragley Trig

Key items of kit: Alpkit frame bags. Vittoria Mezcal tyres.

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 40-44mm

Electronic shifting: No

Peter Cashman

Age: 31

Location: Weymouth

Bike: Pinnicale Arkoses

Key items of kit: Bags: Spoke full frame bag & top frame bag Restrap saddle bag & bottle holders. Lights: Standard front & back light with exposure helmet light Nav: Garmin Edge 530

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Aluminium

Wheel size: 650b (27.5")

Tyre width: 25-29mm

Electronic shifting: No

Harry Fisher

Age: 29

Cap number: 24

Location: London

Bike: Giant Revolt

Key items of kit: Electrolytes and leg warmers

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45-50mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Willl Stewart

Age: 30

Cap number: 61

Location: London

Bike: Canyon Exceed

Key items of kit: Full frame bag, Tailfin bags, exposure front light, Hutchinson Krakens

Frame type: Hardtail - Front Suspension

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Michelle Lindley

Age: 51

Cap number: 39

Location: Portland

Bike: Lynskey GR270

Key items of kit: Bell Exposure front light rear light Mobile phone and battery pack Alpkit tent 2 season sleeping bag Sleep mat Spare bibs Thermal top Warm jacket Waterproof jacket Arm and knee sleeves First aid kit Water Bladder

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Titanium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 40-44mm

Electronic shifting: No

Alex Mabey

Age: 51

Location: Cornwall

Bike: Mason Bokeh 3

Key items of kit: Tailfin aero pack Jack the rack

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Aluminium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45mm-50mm

Electronic shifting: No

Ryan Scott

Age: 31

Cap number: Tracker 1373

Location: Exeter

Bike: Scott Spark RC Team 2024

Key items of kit: Deuter Caberzon SB 16 Saddle Bag Tailfin 2.2L Long Top Tube Bag Chrome Snack Bag CamelBak Chase (not shown) Brooks C17 Saddle Garmin 1030 Plus Lezyne Lights

Frame type: MTB - Full Suspension

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No