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SITW Rally - East Devon Trail 2022


  • Start/End - 30 min cylce from Exeter England United Kingdom (map)

We’re hosting a bikepacking rally!

Join us to ride the East Devon Trail, a new UK bikepacking route designed by Katherine Moore. Starting with a night 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 offroad loop, before joining us back at basecamp for a finishers celebration. Ride in your own way, and at your own pace. Challenge yourself, have an adventure, and meet a bunch of great people whilst doing it.

Price: £125

What is a “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.

  • You choose when, where, and how you sleep along the route. Wild camping? Campsites? B&B's. All great options!

  • 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! We can help out with gear and some bikepacking 101 sessions before the rally starts.

What's included?

  • Two nights at our SITW basecamp before (Thursday 6th) and after (Sunday 9th) the rally ride

  • Two communal dinners for our nights at basecamp on Thursday and Sunday, and a starters breakfast at basecamp on Saturday

  • A detailed route guide with tips about the route, resupply, accommodation ideas and the best ice cream and swim stops!

  • Access to our SITW Gear Library. We’ll have Ortlieb bikepacking bags, Alpkit camping gear and a handful of Hammerhead Karoo 2 navigation devices to lend. We don’t want gear to be a barrier. Drop us an email if you think you’ll need some of this stuff and we’ll see what we can do. hello@sistersinthewild.com

  • 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 inspiring tales!

  • Opportunities to connect with other riders in advance, and at the start of the rally. Great for solo riders!

  • A few mid ride surprises :)

What's not included?

  • Bike hire (available locally for a fee)

  • Any accommodation or food out on the route

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 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.”

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.

I’m new to bikepacking. 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. 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, it could be just the challenge you’re ready to work towards! 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?

No, this is not a guided ride. The ride is self supported, and you will need to carry what you need to complete the route.

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! You’ll get access to our SITW gear library as part of the ticket, subject to availability. We’ll have Ortlieb bikepacking bags, some Alpkit tents and sleeping mats, some stoves, pans and a few sleeping bags and a handful of Hammerhead Karoo 2 navigation devices. Email us to ask about borrowing - first come first served.

What’s going on at basecamp?

We’ll start and end the rally with a night together at a private campsite, about 30 mins ride by bike from Exeter train station, or accessible by car. There’s 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 6th) and finishing (Sunday 9th) night.

Can cars be left at basecamp whilst we’re on the rall?

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 week.

I can’t arrive ‘til Friday/need to leave on Sunday. Is that OK?

Yep! If you can’t get to the start until Friday morning, or need to leave after the ride ends on Sunday, 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.

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

Up to 45 days before the event. You may transfer your ticket to someone else up to a week before, though we may not be able to accommodate new dietary requirements or gear requests.

Still have questions?

Great! Drop us an email at hello@sistersinthewild.com

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