Devon Grit

Devon Grit is Sportiva Events' gravel day out in East Devon, built around the heathland tracks and singletrack of Woodbury Common. Riders roll out along the flat, traffic-free Exe Estuary Trail before the off-road climbing begins, with Woodbury Castle, the sea views from the top of Beacon Hill and Mutter Moor among the highlights.

The organisers are frank about the difficulty: they suggest adding at least half again to the distance to get the effort of a hilly road ride, and they steer riders towards wide gravel tyres rather than road bikes. The longer routes are self-navigated with GPX and FIT files, which Sportiva explains is the only reliable way to run a long off-road loop where signs can be tampered with, while the shortest route on the maze of paths across the common is fully marked.

The event runs with the Pebble Heaths Conservation Trust, which looks after Woodbury Common's lowland heath, a rare habitat for riders and wildlife alike. Feed stations lean towards real food, with quiche and homity pie next to the usual gels and cake, and the ride has appeared in Gran Fondo Guide's list of top UK gravel events.