Australian Online News Presents…

The Australian Online News Network and TenterfieldOnlineNews.com.au presents the inaugural Gravel N Granite Bike Race in the spectacular winding roads of the Tenterfield hills.

The Tenterfield Shire Council is partnering with its local mountain bike club to take advantage of the emerging gravel cycling scene with a three-route race event on Saturday 21 August 2021.

The event will cater for all levels of experience for participants aged 13 years and over, with three route options – 28km, 65km, and 102km. Run by Tenterfield’s Saddlers Mountain Bike Club and will cater for riders seeking a challenging adventure-based experience, taking them off the bitumen roads but without the higher-level technical aspects of traditional mountain bike events.

Not to be outdone, traditional mountain bikers are also attracted to these events, presenting an opportunity to challenge road riders on their own terrain. Chris Thompson of Cyclesense=Excellence has worked with the club to prepare an event management plan, ensuring a professional and experienced approach is applied to planning and implementation.

Cycling NSW has identified the potential of this new type of ‘hybrid’ event and has extended its traditional focus from road and track cycling to include a gravel event on its calendar for the first time,” he said. 

The region’s scenic, challenging gravel roads interspersed with quiet bitumen sections presents potential to attract a wide range of participants from around the country”. 

Thanks to government grant funding received as a result of the region being hit hard by bushfires, it is intended that Gravel n Granite will become a highlight of Tenterfield’s annual event calendar, attracting hundreds of participants from near and far and providing a boost to the local visitor economy. 

Mayor Peter Petty said Council supports the future of gravel cycling and mountain biking in the region, following a business case presented by Regional Development Australia – Northern Inland in October 2020 in support of the Angry Bull Mountain Bike Trails proposal. The proposed concept would see the construction of 150km of varied trails to suit riders of all abilities, including disabled riders and walking trails, placing Tenterfield as the first year-round mountain biking destination on this scale in Australia. 

“This was the first step in establishing Tenterfield Shire as an adventure tourism hub,” he said. Well done to the Tenterfield Shire Council for getting behind such a great initiative.

Click the link below for Early-bird registrations now until 11 pm Monday 5 July. General registrations will close at 11 pm Monday 16 August. 

To register: https://thesaddlersmtbclub.com.au/gravel-n-granite

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/GravelnGranite

Facebook Event link: https://bit.ly/34wfnIb

Instagram profile: www.instagram.com/gravelngranite  

Photo Credit Facebook The Saddlers Bike Club and Tenterfield Gravel and Granite Facebook page.