FEATURE


FROM DIRTY REIVER TO DALBY GRIT: 15 YEARS OF GRAVEL EVENTS GROWTH WITH FOCAL EVENTS


by Rebecca Bland I


f you’ve ever swapped your MTB for a curly bar alternative, or even dipped your toes into the world of fire roads and gravel from the road world, you’ve


probably come across a Focal Events ride. From the world-famous Dirty Reiver to a brand-new race for this year, Dalby Grit, the team have been putting on gravel events for over 15 years. And 2025 is set to be their biggest year yet. BikeBiz spoke to co-directors of Focal Events, Neil Atkinson and Bryan Singleton to understand how their company has flourished in difficult times, and why gravel events seem to be growing in popularity in the UK. In 2024, the team added a two-day event,


Gravel Rocks to the options. This year, sticking to the North Yorkshire location,


30 | March 2025


they’ll add a new race to the mix – taking place in Dalby Forest. Now they can add more events to the calendar because of an increase in rider numbers – something they’ve seen continuously over the last decade. “We’ve definitely seen an increase over the past 10 years with the Dirty Reiver, and year on year, we’re getting more people riding,” commented Singleton. “We’re also seeing numbers picking up in our other events. And overall, we’re seeing more events being put on around the country.” Rider engagement is key to the success of these events but so is maintaining a good relationship with sponsors and landowners. For instance, last year, Scott sponsored the Frontier 300 event, a gravel-inspired coast-to-coast route. And this year, they’re getting involved in Gravel Rocks. “Once people see the events and go, they don’t


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