Sunday May 7th 2023
Organisers of gravel bikepacking events the Dirt Dashes, Charlie Hobbs and Markus Stitz, have announced a new commercial partnership with Upgrade Bikes. The West Sussex-based distributor with the brands Kinesis UK and Lezyne will become the new headline sponsor of the event series. The announcement comes a week after the organisers have confirmed a third event on 26/27 August 2023 – the Lezyne Cateran Dirt Dash 5050.
The new bikepacking event will provide participants with the experience to cycle 55 miles (87 km) self-supported in the Cateran Ecomuseum in Perthshire and Angus. Camping and catering will be provided at the Spittal of Glenshee, situated on the southern edge of the Cairngorms National Park. Additionally supported by Paths for All through Smarter Choices Smarter Places and the Inspiring Scotland Rural and Island Communities Ideas into Action Fund (RICIA) in its first year, the entry fee for the newest Dirt Dash is £50, which includes route, evening meal, campsite and breakfast. Participant numbers for the new event are capped at 50.
Markus Stitz, director of Dirt Dash Ltd, comments: “We are thrilled about the new partnership with Upgrade Bikes, which will add real value to our events in 2023. At the same time we are delighted to add a new two-day bikepacking event along some of my favourite routes in the southern glens of the Cairngorms National Park to our events portfolio, following old drovers trails and some really nice and quiet roads.
“I have worked on various projects with both Kinesis UK and the Cateran Ecomuseum since 2021; after the success of those past projects I really look forward to extending those relationships to offer three great events across Britain.
“We have seen an increased demand for shorter, more beginner-friendly bikepacking events, and the Lezyne Cateran Dirt Dash 5050 is our answer to this. Our new bikepacking event has everything that people value in our events in Dorset and Dunoon, but the daily distances for this new event are shorter.
“We will also work closely with the Cateran Ecomuseum to continue and grow the new event organically in future years. So far a third for all entries are women, and as organisers we look forward to providing an accessible and diverse event.”
Mark Noble, Head of Marketing at Upgrade Bikes, comments: “Getting out there on bikes with good people and like-minded folks is one of the finest pleasures in life – events like these are some of the best opportunities to do just that.
We’re more than happy to support and sponsor the Dirt Dash events for 2023 with Kinesis UK and Lezyne, brands that truly get out there and make riding bikes better – supporting the right events like these is key to our bike companies. Dirt Dashes are hella fun, over amazing terrain and trails, with good food, good times, good vibes and good people. What more could you want? We’ll see you there.”
The quickest way to sign up for all Dirt Dash events is on the EntryCentral website at www.entrycentral.com/dirtdash.
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