We’re coming back to the East Devon Trail!
Last year, we held a bikepacking party on the East Devon Trail, and it was the perfect end to the summer. We can’t wait to come back for round two.
Starting and ending with a night together at our Sisters in the Wild basecamp near Exeter, you’ll have three days/two nights in between to complete the 115 mile 50/50 off-road loop, before joining us back at basecamp for a finishers celebration.
New for 2023, you can choose from two ways to ride:
Self-supported: You plan your own ride, and carry your own gear, and choose where you sleep along the way. Ride in your own way, and at your own pace, and let the adventure unfold (£150)
Group Ride: You’ll carry your own bikepacking & camping gear, but join our guides for a group ride. We’ll sort where you’ll sleep - you’ll camp on night 1 and share a hostel together on night 2. Bikepacking and camping ear loan available. (£225)
Challenge yourself, have an adventure, and meet a bunch of great people whilst doing it.
What is a “Bikepacking Rally” anyway?
A self-supported, community focused, bikepacking adventure on a set route
Ride at your own pace, and in your own style, over three days. Consider it a challenge, but not a race. An opportunity to ride a great bikepacking route with a gang of good people following the same route.
If riding “self supported”, you’ll choose when, where, and how you sleep along the route. Wild camping? Campsites? B&B's. All great options! Or choose from one of our two guided options for more support.
Come with friends or come solo. We'll create plenty of opportunity to meet new riding buddies.
Who's this for?
Women, trans, non-binary people with some off-road experience/bikepacking or who feel like they’re ready to work towards giving it a go. You should be comfortable riding self supported off-road for 40-50 miles per day in relatively hilly terrain. If you're new-ish to bikepacking, that's OK! New for this year, we have two guided ride options to choose from - one which (“Supported”) includes all the gear and support you might need.
What's included?
All ticket options include:
A nights at our SITW basecamp before (Thursday 21st) and after (Sunday 24th) if you want them. Feel free to head home on Sunday evening though.
Two communal dinners for our nights at basecamp on Thursday and Sunday
A starters breakfast at basecamp on Saturday and on Monday morning if you’re still around
A detailed route guide with tips about the route, resupply, accommodation ideas and the best ice cream and swim stops!
A detailed route info pack, komoot bundle for navigation, and rally whatsapp group to get connected for the ride.
Access to an online pre-rally webinar a few weeks before the rally. We’ll share more info about the route, chat about packing, and answer any niggling questions you have!
Skills sessions and campfire chats at basecamp - expect last minute trailside repair tips, packing advice, and tales to get you inspired for your ride
Opportunities to connect with other riders in advance, and at the start of the rally. Great for solo riders!
A few mid ride surprises :)
Group Ride additionally includes:
Qualified MTB guides leading a group, with no more than 1:6 ratio
Guide support in helping you sort out issues on the ride
Accommodation during the rally - 1 night camping (BYO tent) and 1 night hostel (dorm room)
Bikepacking and camping gear loan if you need it. We’ll follow top after you book to see what you need.
What's not included?
Bike hire (available locally for a fee)
Any accommodation or food out on the route (unless choosing one of our Group Ride option)
What will the riding be like?
The loop, starting and ending in Exeter about 50/50 offroad/on road and around 2300m of climbing. It’s a challenging route to complete in three days, with bits of hike a bike and technical terrain. BUT, there are detours available to miss the toughest bits if you want. Bikepacking.com give it a 5/10 rating for difficulty, and have great detailed write up by route designer Katherine on their website. The full route and description is available on Komoot.
“The East Devon Trail is a 113-mile bikepacking route through East Devon, a rural and coastal landscape between the county’s capital of Exeter and neighboring counties of Dorset and Somerset. This often-overlooked region will astound you with the sheer variety of habitats, from freshwater marshes to lowland heath, green agricultural field networks to steep cliffs, pebbled beaches and sleepy woodland, and the wonderful wildlife that calls these wild places home.”
What will the daily stats be on the Group Ride be?
Approximate daily distances and elevation stats will be:
Friday: Basecamp to Beer YHA (70km, 900m climbing)
Saturday: Beer to Honiton Camp (60km, 1200m climbing)
Sunday: Honiton Camp to Basecamp (65km, 750m climbing)
Our experienced guides may adapt the route, and take some shortcuts to cater for the group and/or safety reasons. You are very welcome to choose to leave the guided group for part of the ride if you prefer, we’ll all regroup at various points.
Can I come alone?
Absolutely! Many people come to our events solo (and usually leave with a gang of new riding buddies!). We’re working on some stuff that will connect riders (if they want!) in advance of, at the start of, and during the rally. Grabbing one of the Group Ride tickets might be a good idea if you’re keen to make sure you’ll have riding pals.
I’m new to bikepacking or off-road riding. Is this for me?
It could be! We’d recommend using the summer to try an overnighter and get some experience of off-road riding in advance of the event. Joining one of our Introduction to Bikepacking weekends could be a good idea! It is a challenging ride, with quite a bit of climbing and mixed terrain, and you’ll need to be comfortable sorting yourself out if something goes wrong. But, there are plenty of smooth tarmac shortcuts, and it could be just the challenge you’re ready to work towards!
If you’re not quite ready to take the leap into riding self-supported, take a look at our Group and Supported ticket options, which include two tiers of extra support to help folks get the rally experience.
We recommend reading the detailed write up on bikepacking.com, and have a think about whether this is for you.
Is this a guided ride?
The Group Ride ticket will include the option to ride with a guide if you want it. The self-supported ticket will not include a guided option. You can upgrade your self supported ticket to a guided option for £75 through eventbrite.
What kind of bike do I need?
A gravel bike or hardtail MTB works. The route covers all kinds of offroad terrain including mud, grass, gravel, tarmac, sand, and everything in between! We recommend tyres of 38mm upwards.
Can I borrow gear?
Yep! We have some gear available to loan for folks who want to ride self-supported (subject to availability, must be booked with ticket). Our Supported Ticket option comes with all gear loan included.
What’s going on at basecamp?
We’ll start and end the rally with a night together at our lush private campsite, about 30 mins ride by bike from Exeter train station, or accessible by car. There’s a gorgeous barn that we’ll be hanging out in, compost loo’s, a hot shower (though expect a queue!) and running water. No electricty or kitchen. We’ll be hosting campfires, talks and skills sessions as well as a communal dinner on both the starting (Thurs 21st) and finishing (Sunday 24th) night. Your ticket includes camping on the 24th and a simple breakfast on the 25th if you want it.
Can cars be left at basecamp whilst we’re on the rally?
Yep!
What do I need to pack?
You’ll need to carry everything you need to complete the route with you! But what that is, will depend on how you plan to ride and sleep. We’ll share some example packing lists in advance of the event.
I can’t arrive ‘til Friday. Is that OK?
Yep! If you can’t get to the start until Friday morning, that’s cool! We’re keen to have an opportunity for people to hang out before and after the event, but totally understand it’s not possible for everyone due to work/life commitments. We expect people to start riding late morning on Friday.
Can I stay on Sunday night?
Yes! It’s included in the ticket price.
Are there subsidised spots available?
Yes. If you are facing financial barriers to joining, especially if you consider yourself to be from an group under-represented in bikepacking, we have some subsidised spots available. They’re on general sale, no questions asked. We just ask that you only take one of the spots if it would really make a difference to you.
Refund policy
Refunds available up to 30 days before the event. You may transfer your ticket to someone else of your finding up to a week before, though we may not be able to accommodate new dietary requirements or gear requests. If we have a waiting list we will open your ticket up to the waiting list up to a week before, and give you a refund if it is taken.
Still have questions?
Great! Drop us an email at hello@sistersinthewild.com