Clarkes Gambit FAQs

This is a fully supported ride with feedzone, marshalls and mechanical support, but we can’t be everywhere all at once.

With this in mind, you should plan to be self-sufficient.

What we will provide:

• Support vehicles at key locations along the course including mechanical support

• Some snacks and plenty of water at the Feedzone. We are planning to have secondary water drop available as well. Locations for these points will marked at POI’s along the official route..

• We will have a sweep car drive through after the event on both days, to make sure everyone is back safely, but you could be waiting a long time for this car to come through and it may not have space for you and your bike, so don’t rely on this as a sag wagon. It is primarily to ensure the safe passage of the riders.

What you are responsible for:

• Carry your own trail snacks and hydration. We would recommend carrying a minimum of 2 litres of water. You might consider bringing some water tabs or a filter in case you want to drink water from the creeks.

• You need to navigate your way along the course. Do not rely on course markings.

• You need to carry sensible protective clothing. Plan for all four seasons in one day.

• You need to carry any spares that you feel you might conceivably need on the day.

This event is open to all cyclists from those who like to just cruise through to the highly experienced racer. You will need a moderate level of fitness.

Riders who turn 12 years or greater before the event date are welcome to join in with parent supervision.

Further to that, riders 12-17 years of age on event day are able to join the Medium or Long course with parent approval.

The process is:

1. Enter your child in the preferred course and then sign the waiver at event registration.

2. No special treatment will be provided. Your child will receive the same support on course as any other rider. You are invited to be on course to support your child so long as it does not interfere with the wider field or riders.

3. Check and confirm your child is registered in the requested category at registration.

• Once you have entered, book your accomodation

• The Big4 Caravan Park, Nelligen ph (02) 4478 1076 is just across the road from the event centre, but it does book out fast. There are heaps of great accomodation options just 10 minutes down the road in Batemans Bay.

The majority of this event will take place in State Forests within a 50km radius of the Nelligen. There is some 4WD traffic on these roads and you may pass through camping grounds on each day. There are a few odd remote residences but we would not advise you to rely on these for help. Please try not to bother the locals and stay off private property. They live there far from the madding crowd for a reason. There are no shops along the route.

Mobile reception (Telstra) is not too bad over most of the course but carrying an EPIRB is recommended. A SPOT or Garmin InReach is even better! Think about what happens if you crash heavily, need an ambulance and there is no one in the immediate vicinity. Having an InReach will mean not having to rely on your mobile phone to call for help.

If you are not carrying one of these devices, consider riding in pairs and/or within sight of another rider. We’ll also have a sweep and a roving Marshall on course.

Yes there are some good patches of mobile reception (Telstra) but we recommend you do not rely on your mobile phone for navigation or communication. Your phone should be used as a backup to a GPS device being your primary navigation device.

The route is perfect for a Gravel Bike, Cyclocross or Mountain Bike – consider running the biggest rubber that will fit your frame. As a minimum we would recommend at least 38mm tyres with some tread (ie. not slicks).

Please don’t bring your roadie, even if you have 28mm tyres on it. We are aiming to stick almost entirely to State Forest roads that are well maintained for commercial purposes. In the dry they are mostly very smooth and a joy to ride, BUT a turn in the weather can bring on a dramatic change in conditions for the worse.

Do not let the absence of a gravel bike in your stable prevent you from coming. A mountain bike would be fine and the routes we have designed should be quite manageable for an intermediate rider on an MTB. It may not be as quick on the open roads, but you may be thankful for the MTB gearing at certain points.

There is something for everyone at Clarkes Gambit, e-bikes and adaptives welcome.

The roads can be of varying quality at any given time depending on recent weather and when they were last graded, so expect everything from lovely smooth crunchy gravel to more technical descents with embedded sharp rocks, water bars, diagonal ruts.

KEY THINGS TO REMEMBER:

1.) KEEP LEFT. These are open roads and the locals just love rounding a blind corner and seeing a cyclist on the wrong side of the road on a collision course with a bullbar.

2.) SLOW DOWN. Most crashes occur when someone gets too excited on a descent. It only takes a stick, a rock, a rut or a cattle grid to really ruin your day.

3.) GET GOOD BRAKES. Consider getting your brakes professionaly serviced before the ride. Everything else we can probably fix, but worn pads, sticky pistons and brakes in need of a bleed are very hard to fix once you are out there.

If at any time you decide to withdraw, it is most important to let the organisers know as soon as you can. A simple text message with your name will suffice. Just not turning up won’t do as we will come looking for you and waste a lot of time. Please let us know if you decide not to continue and be aware of the timing mats so your location and is logged

Yes. While you will most likely reach the end of the stage each day before it gets dark, lights are a good safety measure so please bring at least one rear flashing red light and a solid white front light with 4 hours capacity.

Yes you can choose to ride a different length course on the two days. You can mix and match your course selection for each day at rego, depending on how you feel. So you might choose to enter the Long Course option, but downgrade to the short course on Sunday at rego

Graveleur works closely with AusCycling and obtain event insurance through them. This provides Public Liability Insurance for the organiser Graveleur Pty Ltd.

For this event we are also asking riders to ensure they have some form of riding license.

If you join AusCycling, there are a number of licenses that are suitable for this event:

• “RACE OFF ROAD” license will allow you to race any Aus Cycling affiliated MTB, Gravel, CX or BMX event.

• “RACE ALL DISCIPLINES” license will allow you to race all of the above plus ROAD CYCLING EVENTS

• “LIFESTYLE” license social, Leisure of Commuting riding on any kind of bike

• “DAY LICENSES” can also be purchased as part of your entry fee.

As a minimum you need option 3 or 4 above. Alternatively you can arrange a free trial license from AusCycling. We will also accept a license from another cycling peak body such as Bicycle NSW or Bicycle Network.

You can see a summary of the insurance provided to members here. Please review and choose the right license for your circumstances.

You should also consider taking out Private Health Insurance with ambulance cover. The route is entirely on open public roads. The route will not be marked. We expect that other riders will do what they can to help you should you suffer a misfortune, but in the end you are on your own, and responsible for yourself.

There will be a disclaimer releasing Graveleur of all liability when you enter. You should read this carefully (it is not too long) and ensure that you are happy to accept the disclaimer as a condition of entry.

It has been said that if you put 2 or more cyclists together on the same route, it’s a race. And the added timing technology for tracking certainly makes it feel like a race. This event is designed primarily as a social event and most of our riders come to enjoy the ride, as much as a good meal and a beer or two at the end of the day. That is how we roll at Graveleur.

Feel free to ride as fast or as slow as you like, it’s your ride to enjoy.

The cost for the event (regardless of course distance) is:

• Early bird pricing – $179

• Standard Pricing – $219

• (One Day option – $129/$159)

Family and group discounts are available.

Your entry includes 2 days of riding on a fully vetted gravel course, a professional photographer who will share the photos with you for free after the event, Feed zone on course, mechanical support, event insurance and all site access permits and a goodie bag!

A recommended list of gear on your bike would include:

• Cycling apparel including Helmet, gloves, glasses

• Spare tube and means of inflating flat tyre, multitool, spare hanger, chain quick link

• Food and water (2L)

• Clothing layers for warmth on the bike

• Lights

• 1st Aid Kit

• EPIRB/SPOT/Garmin InReach device (optional)

• GPS bike computer (Garmin/Wahoo/Hammerhead) and mobile phone.

Everything to get you through the ride, but if your bike is well maintained then punctures are the main thing you need to be prepared for. Tubeless setup for tyres is recommended.

Other spares you might consider would be a chain breaker, a spare quick link and a spare Derailleur hanger.

Yes you need to train for this event. You might think you are fit but if you havent ridden this far on gravel with that much elevation, you might be in for a bit of a reality check.

PLEASE don’t make this your biggest ever gravel ride. Your entry fee does not entitle you to have the Event Director shadow you for 3 hours, because you are 1 hour behind the rest of the field. He has 200 other riders that might need a little support.

Be wise, be considerate and go conservative.

Have a look at our training guide here, we recommend starting this minimum 8 weeks out from the event.

If you are attempting the Long course, you will need to make the time cut as detailed in the Rider Guide.

The following refund policy applies, unless strictly advised otherwise from the event organiser.

1. If you wish to withdraw from a Graveleur event up to 14 days prior to the event (or greater), you shall advise the Organiser by email info@graveleur.cc. A refund of the entry fee less a $20 administration fee will apply.

2. If you wish to withdraw from this event within 14 days from the event start date any decision to refund any part of the entry fee (including nil) is at the sole discretion of the Organiser. As standard we will offer a transfer to one of our next two events.

3. The Organiser, in its sole discretion, may delay, modify, or cancel the Event if it believes the conditions prior to the event day will be unsafe. If the Event is delayed, modified, or cancelled for any reason, including but not limited to acts of God or the elements (including without limitation, wind, rough water, rain, hail, hurricane, tornado, earthquake), acts of terrorism, fire, threatened or actual strike, labour difficulty, work stoppage, insurrection, war, public disaster, flood, unavoidable casualty, pandemic, event course conditions, or any other cause beyond the control of the Organiser, participants may request a refund of any participant entry fees or choose to transfer their paid entry to a future event. There will be no payment for any other costs incurred by participants in connection with the event.

4. The Organiser, in its sole discretion, may delay, modify, or cancel the Event if it believes the conditions on the event day are or will be unsafe following the commencement of the event. If, the Event is delayed, modified, or cancelled for any reason, including but not limited to acts of God or the elements including without limitation, wind, rough water, rain, hail, hurricane, tornado, earthquake), acts of terrorism, fire, threatened or actual strike, labour difficulty, work stoppage, insurrection, war, public disaster, flood, unavoidable casualty, pandemic, event course conditions, or any other cause beyond the control of the Organiser there will be no refund of any participant entry fees paid. There will be no payment for any other costs incurred by participants in connection with the event.

5. Entries are non-transferable to another rider EXCEPT via the entry system. A transfer fee shall apply to riders transferring their entry to another rider. For riders who independently give their entry to a new rider outside of the entry system, the entry shall be invalid and the new rider shall not be permitted to start. Discount codes used in conjunction with an entry are subject to final approval by the organiser. A discount may be refused and an entry may be cancelled if it is clear a discount code has been used by an unauthorised entrant.

6. Note that Transaction fees included in your entry fee are not refundable