RIDE IT Sussex Gravel Ride

RIDE IT is a series of non-competitive cycle events taking place across the country and aimed at riders of all abilities. At every ride you’ll find a choice of fully waymarked routes, well stocked feed stations sponsored by High 5 Sports Nutrition, mechanical and sweeper van support if things go wrong, electronic chip timing to record your ride and a finishers medal waiting for you at the end.

After the success of last year's event we're partnering with Crawley Wheelers again this year to host the Ardingly round of the Cyclo-cross National Trophy. Join us for a mixed terrain CX sportive in the morning including a chance to test your skills with a starting lap on the National Trophy Cyclo-cross course then watch the elite riders race in the afternoon after your ride.

Our sportive cross course includes a mix of lanes, cycle tracks and bridleways so is suitable for MTB, cyclocross, adventure road bikes with tyres that can handle some off road riding. The route takes us away from Ardingly past Weir Wood Reservoir before we join the gravel tracks of the Forest Way into East Grinstead. For here we pick up some more gravel cycle tracks taking us along the Worth Way to the outskirts of Crawley before picking up a series of bridleways through Tilgate Forest and Oldhouse Warren. We continue on through Balcombe then it’s a picturesque skirt around the edge of Ardingly Reservoir before returning to the finish to collect your finishers medal.

The starting loop on the National Trophy Cyclo-cross course is optional for anyone keen to sample what the elite racers will compete on later in the day.