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Five Minutes With Emma Bateup
Emma Bateup was a relatively unknown entity in the ultra-distance world until she jumped onto all our radars by winning the women's Tour Te Waipounamu this year. We spent 5 minutes with her to find out more about this phenomenal rider.
Bikes of Kromvojoj
Heading into a hilly inaugural race calls for riders to balance preparedness and minimal kit!
Bikes of Heading SouthWest
This inaugural edition of the ultra-distance site Finesterra's Heading Southwest will kick off this weekend. With plenty of new and established riders hitting the road take a look at what they've packed and how they're planning to tackle the Portuguese heat!
Bikes of Race Through Poland
Race Through Poland has moved back to its summer edition after heading out in September last year. Take a look at the bikes of... and enjoy finding out what our intrepid riders take along for the journey.
We're looking for a new race coordinator!
Are you an avid DotWatcher, curious about how it all works? We're looking for a new race coordinator here at DotWatcher! Find out more...
Bikes of Seven Serpents
Into the unknown: riders take on this seven-checkpoint gravel race covering 800km from Slovenia through Croatia and its islands into Trieste, Italy via gravel and secondary roads.
Bikes of Wild West Country
The Wild West Country is the UK's new sub 1000km ultra from the creators of the Perfidious Albion, don't let the length fool you. Riders will be finding their way around the hilly Quantocks!
Bikes of Race around the Netherlands
What bike would you take for possibly the flattest utra race on the calendar? Find out how riders balance comfort and speed when elevation isn't a consideration but wind and potential wet weather are.
Bikes of Dales Divide
Cast an eye over the bikes and kit lists of the riders lining up at this 400km or 600km off-road loop from the West coast of England through the Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors to the East coast and back again.
Bikes of GranGuanche Audax Gravel
The inaugural edition of GranGuanche's Gravel route sent riders into the unknown on an island little ridden by bikepackers. Heading to five of the Canary Islands to tackle its vast network of gravel roads and secondary paved roads all sewn together with four ferry journeys.
2022 Season Preview
Another year, another season of dotwatching delight! With old favourites and plenty of new races on the calendar, we look ahead to 2022 with some sneak peaks at routes and rider start lists.
Five Minutes With... India Landy
India Landy is no stranger to ultra-distance, blasting onto the scene in 2019. This March, with a week's notice, she headed out to Rwanda for the 1000km Race Around Rwanda.
What's your favourite dotwatching moment?
There is so much more to dotwatching than watching the dots; that's why we need you! Tell us your favourite dotwatching moments.
Winter Layering Q&A With Graeme Raeburn
In conditions that can reach -40C/-40F exposure is a real risk on the Iditarod Trail Invitational. To give us an idea of how to prepare for such climates Graeme Raeburn, Albion’s lead product designer is here to answer some questions.
Bikes of Race Around Rwanda
A race through the Land of a Thousand Hills demands a light and minimalist set up that will hold up against the weather curve balls the riders could face, with some unpaved roads thrown in to shake up the riding.
Five Minutes With... RJ Sauer
RJ Sauer is an adventurer at heart, documenting his intrepid explorations with words, pictures and films you may know him from a variety of different places. We spoke to him about his adventures, family and the upcoming Iditarod Trail Invitational.
DotWatcher Viewing Party - Safety to Nome
DotWatcher and Albion bring the Alaskan wilderness to London. Safety to Nome follows athletes on the extreme Iditarod Trail Invitational.
Two Peas in a Pod: More Pairs Racing
After the insights we gained from round one of our pairs racing feature we took a deeper dive into some more pairs from around the world.
5 Minutes With... Tegan Phillips
Tegan Phillips is an adventure cyclist from South Africa, focussing on uplifiting and empowering women in cycling. You may have also seen her entertaining yet provocative comics.
Five Minutes With... Dulkara Martig
Dulkara Martig spends her time in some of New Zealand and Alaska's wildest places, working and adventuring. Her experience from the first edition of the Tour Te Waipounamu offer a unique insight into a bonified adventurer's exploration into bikepacking.
Bikes of Tour Te Waipounamu 2022
A selection of the chosen rigs for the second edition of the Tour Te Waipounamu. With lessons learnt from 2021, have a browse at how the riders' kit lists have evolved.
Roundtable: The Role of the Media Crew
The role of the media crew in telling the story of a race both during and after the event has been instrumental in the growth of our sport but their potential influence on the race is disputed. We pose our questions to those with the most experience from either side of the lens.
Bikes of GranGuanche Audax Trail
GranGuanche Audax Trail - a self supported route across the Canary Islands.
Two Peas in a Pod: A Look at Pairs Racing
A unique feature of ultra-distance racing is the ability to compete as a pair. It seems to be the marmite of the ultra-world, either love it or hate it, it's here to stay. We spoke to some standout duos to learn more about the motivation behind this style of racing.
2021 End of Season Wrap
From the flames of 2020 came a dotwatcher's delight in 2021. Restrictions in travel made for many startlists to be dominated by domestic racers and we witnessed some household names cement their prominence as well as some new names bursting onto the scene.
Five Minutes With... Alice Lemkes
Alice Lemkes is a familiar name around the ultra-distance community in the UK. This year she took on the challenge of GBDURO and became one of the few finishers, hitting John O'Groats in 7th place. We talked racing mentality, her current projects and wild swimming tips.
Winter Watching: Ultra-Distance Films
The racing may be on hold for the snowy season, but we wouldn't want you to miss out on your ultra-distance fix. We've compiled a list of films to keep you entertained, binge them or create your own ultra-advent(ure) calendar!
2021 DotWatcher Awards
Welcome to the 2021 DotWatcher Awards! This year we are honouring some inspirational and dedicated riders who have made an impact on the 2021 race season.
Bikes of Across Andes 2021
Take a browse of the riders' chosen bikes and equipment for this gravel race across the Andean Mountains.
Five Minutes With... Jaimi Wilson
A new name in the ultra-racing scene, Jaimi Wilson lit up dotwatchers' screens this summer when she stormed to third place at GBDURO21, taking the women's title as well. We delve a little more into her ride and her background on the bike.
Five Minutes With... Scotti Lechuga
Seasoned pairs ultra-racer turned solo winner, Scotti Lechuga, shares with us her entry into ultracycling, tips for family bikepacking and how to master the perfect camp coffee.
Roundtable: How can our sport achieve better diversity through positive action?
In a changing world, organisers and coordinators are seeking to address the gender, racial and LGBTQ+ imbalances in bikepacking. We put some questions to these changemakers about their chosen methods for positive action, the benefits they’ve reaped and the work left to be done.
Bikes of Two Volcano Sprint 2021
A selection of the riders' chosen weapons for the roads between Italy's Mount Etna and Vesuvio.
Bikes of Race Through Poland 2021
With the last edition of Race Through Poland throwing some absolute curveballs with snow, rain and sleet the field thinned to a final 8 finishers. Remote settings and long climb require the perfect balance of weight and preparedness. Photo: Adrian Crapciu
Roundtable: How do dotwatchers affect the racing experience?
As the sport of ultraracing has grown, so has its spectator experience: dotwatching. In the world of unsupported racing, we ask the panel how do dotwatchers affect the race experience?
Bikes of GBDURO 2021
GBDURO is most accurately described as a four-stage 2,000km race. With grand departs from each CP the riders will be waiting at the CP from the moment they arrive until the grand depart and will need to pack for this stopping time.
Bikes of TransIbérica 2021
We take a look at the rigs and equipment choices of riders who will be tackling the ~3,300km road free-route through the Iberian Peninsula ticking off the 9 checkpoints.
Roundtable: Should races enforce safety equipment that are additional to the country’s legal requirements?
Welcome to the DotWatcher Roundtable, a new feature where we invite prominent guests from our racing community to discuss a hot topic in unsupported racing. To kick things off, we’re posing some questions about rider safety in events.
Bikes of Great British Divide 2021
The inaugural edition of a race brings a level of uncertainty in what to expect. With no previous years' kit lists to rely on, riders head into some of the most remote and challenging parts of GB with their personal selection of tried and tested kit.
Bikes of Three Peaks Bike Race 2021
What machine does it take to conquer three brutal peaks in Europe? We delve into some of the choices riders have made for the 2021 Three Peaks Bike Race.
Bikes of Pan Celtic Race 2021
The British Isles are notorious for their tempermental weather system but the Celtic Nations are their own beast. The least predictable regions of the UK make for some of the most dialled-in packing lists.
Bikes of Transpyrenees 2021
Riders head into the final week of preparations for the Transpyrenees and with their bikes and kit lists dialled in, we take a look at their chosen kit lists for a 1,000km route over 36 Pyrenean cols covering a total of 27,000m of climbing. ⛰️🚵
European race availability 2021
Need a racing fix this year? We have you covered. We've been in contact with many European organisers to compile a list of races that are either full or still accepting entries and some other options for getting in some racing kilometres.
Five Minutes With... James Craven and Brad Shenton
Two childhood friends took on the King Alfred's Way route solo but they both took the FKT. Keen to know how that's possible? Continue reading.
Bikes of the Highland Trail 550
The HT550 is back following its 2020 hiatus with a star studded line up of some of the best racers in the UK. A Best of British roster with former winners and those looking to redeem themselves after a very wet 2019.
Bikes of Race Around the Netherlands 2021
What bike would you take for possibly the flattest utra race on the calendar? Find out how riders balance comfort and speed when elevation isn't a consideration.
Bikes of Dales Divide 2021
A route with a blend of singletrack, bridleways, 4x4 tracks and tarmac calls for a versatile bike. Each rider has chosen their perfect compromise of comfort and speed to meet the varying demands of this off-road route.
Orbit360 Ride For A Reason
Riders have one week left to submit their rides for the inaugural Orbit360 virtual challenge ‘Ride For A Reason’ (#rideFAR).
Five Minutes With... Ben Davies
Ben Davies' recent 2nd place in TCRno7 (First Male), was his third TCR, progressing from 44th, 10th and finally 2nd. His is not a story of a new rider bursting onto a podium, but a tale of years of work and developing the skills and experience needed to succeed in these rides.