What does self-supported mean?

This is a good article about the principles of self-supported bikepacking: https://bikepacking.com/plog/self-supported-principles/

At Tor Divide you are free to ride with others and we encourage helping other riders out if you can/is safe to do so.

Is this a race?

No. The event is designed to be a time trial, a test of physical and mental resilience, a personal challenge against yourself and against the route.

Having said that, you can make the event what you like it to be. You can decide to go all out and be as fast as possible. You can take it as a chilled long weekend and take all the time you want to complete the route. The fastest finisher won’t win any prizes but times will be recorded and a list of finishers published.

Is the route waymarked?

No, you will need a GPS device (e.g. Garmin, Wahoo, phone) to navigate the route(s). You may want to take with you a back-up device (e.g. GPS unit & phone or phone & paper map).

We advice against using a mobile phone as navigation can quickly drain the battery however this is also an option. If you do, ensure you pack a power bank or similar.

Thanks to Ride with GPS, event participants will have full access to signature turn by turn navigation, offline routes and maps, custom route and cuesheet PDF maps. If using a dedicated GPS device for navigation, the chosen route can be easily loaded to your preferred device following the instructions on this page.

How can I get to the start?

We would recommend travelling by train, as the start is near Bamford train station, which is connected to Manchester and Sheffield via regular direct trains. Travelling with Northern doesn't require to pre-book a bike space.

Manchester and Sheffield can be reached from most of the Country via train.

For those travelling by car, we will have an ample field that will be used as car park on a first come first served basis. There's also a small pay and display car park at the Bamford train station that can be used for long stay.

Which bike should I use?

We have scouted 90% of the routes on a gravel bike with 40mm tyres, the rest has been ridden on a rigid monster gravel bike with 2.25” tyres.

The best bike is the one you already have HOWEVER should you have the choice we would recommend either a hardtail with fast tyres or a gravel bike with wide tyres (47mm) and a mullet drivetrain.

A hardtail is likely to make the gnarly sections more fun while still be fast on the smooth sections. A gravel bike with big tyres is likely to be equally fun (for different reasons!) as long as the gearing is right.

Due to the variety of surfaces covered along the route and the presence of both steep and flat sections, no bike is going to be “ideal” along the full length of the route.

Ultimately the bike choice will depend on your fitness level, confidence on the bike and weight of kit/bags. If unsure we’d recommend going with the bike you’re most comfortable with.

Divide & Millstone: we don’t think there’s a perfect bike for the whole route, which is part of the challenge and part of the fun. A gravel bike with MTB gearing and big tyres or a hardtail are likely to be the most fun on the routes.

Peak Gravel: like the name suggests, a gravel bike would be ideal for this route. Ideally one with wide gear ratio and wide tyres, but a hardtail won’t be out of place and will offer more comfort.

I have never bikepacked before, is this event for me?

Yes! But with some caveats. Having bikepacked before it’s not a requirement, and neither is pro-racer level of fitness. However, we strongly recommend going out for an overnighter before the event to test your bike and equipment before the weekend. This will give you the opportunity to test and fine-tune your equipment in a non-stress environment and fully enjoy the weekend.

While bikepacking experience is not mandatory, you will need to be confident riding off-road for long hours, pushing your bike at times, following a route on your own, and fixing potential mechanicals. We believe this is a perfect “first event” due to the non remote nature of the routes and popularity of the Peak District.

If you haven’t bikepacked before or are not confident riding off-road, we recommended signing up for the Peak Gravel route (and to do it at your own pace). The Millstone is also a good option, especially for MTB’ers. This includes most of the highlights of the Divide route but in a shorter/smaller package.

Being armed with a positive attitude will be crucial, as the event is designed to challenge you. Just allow plenty of time when planning your ride, especially if riding a heavily laden bike.

Do I need expensive gear to start bikepacking?

No you don’t! There are plenty of brands providing entry level gear at affordable price.

Most of the kit we've been using was bought second hand, saving money and waste.

Check out Bikepacking.com for guidance on how to start bikepacking using inexpensive gear.

Where can I sleep before/during/after the event?

Join fellow riders at our campsite, open on Friday and Saturday—a perfect place to share stories and make new friends.

The event campsite will allow people to travel to the start the day before the event, meet up and mingle. The event is still a self-supported event and we recommend planning your ride/night stop independently however, the campsite at the start will be available to you should you need it.

Unless you're local to the start of the event, we would recommend travelling the day before the event to get to the start fresh and with plenty of time.

Please take your time studying the route in the weeks ahead of the event and identify potential locations where to stop at night. The Peak District offers plenty of opportunities to sleep using inns, hotels and campsites during the event (remember that you shouldn’t book accommodation before the start).

There is no provision under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act for camping (i.e. wild-camping) on open access land. If you wish to wild camp in the Peak District National Park you must first obtain permission from the landowner before camping otherwise you will be committing a trespass.

Please note that the risk of moorland fires is very high in the Peak Districts. Fires have caused huge damage in the area in recent years, and it is absolutely vital that you do not have an open fire at any time.

Please tell us more about the event campsite.

The campsite is right next to the start, at the Bamford with Thornhill Recreation Ground (S33 0DA).

The campsite will open around 5pm (TBC) on Friday afternoon and will close on Sunday at 5pm.

It has male/female changing rooms and showers, as well as a drinking tap and toilets.

It will only be open to Tor Divide participants.

Every Tor Divide participant is welcome to pitch up on Friday as well as Saturday. This will allow people to get to Bamford on Friday, as well as those early finishers to have a shelter and somewhere close to crash.

We understand that things can happen and plans change, everyone who feels like calling it a day on Saturday is welcome to join us back at the campsite and stick around on Sunday for food and drinks.

What if I finish in less than 24hrs/more than 32hours?

Everyone is welcome whether you intend to go for a fast time or take your time and enjoy the views and coffee stops.

We will be on site to welcome everyone finishing under 36hrs but please bear in mind should you finish at night/early morning we might not be around (we’ll need a power nap at some point!). Please get in touch with us ahead of the event if you're aiming for a fast time.

Should you finish in just over 36hours chances are we will still be around packing. Depending on the time, some facilities might be closed/unavailable unfortunately.

Can I get a refund if I sign on and don’t ride?

Please read our event Terms and Conditions. We understand that circumstances might change however we have several fixed costs that we will pay/have paid during the year. We are unable to offer refunds however, we do provide the option to transfer entry from one person to another. This must be requested by the 15th March 2025 and it is the participant’s responsibility to find a replacement. We will facilitate this where we can.
If you wish to proceed with an entry transfer please contact us via email.

Can I take part with an e-bike?

Yes you can! We want people with different levels of fitness to try and enjoy bikepacking and if you need an e-bike to help you completing the route you are still welcome to take part.

Please make sure you plan your stops taking into account the capacity of your batteries and bring spares if you can. Please be respectful of the trails and other users.

However, please note that only riders participating with regular bikes will be included in the Finishers list.

You offer Live Tracking during the event. Is that mandatory?

Absolutely not! However we strongly recommend it as it’s a great way to keep family and friends at home up to date on the ride or check out how far ahead (or behind) everyone else is. Dot-watching is now a big part of bikepacking events and is really entertaining.

Live Tracking does not and should not affect your experience and how you ride the event, whether you have or not have a tracker!