Komoot launches new UK bikepacking route in Northumberland
The Slymefoot Slide route traces two rivers and speaks about the vulnerability of our waterways
More News
7,600km of endless trail starts in Portugal and ends in Norway
Salsa brings the Fargo titanium adventure/bikepacking frameset back for 2017
Rider setups from Alpkit, Sonder, Islabikes, Stooge, Genesis and more
An unsupported 300km gravel race across Scotland
Komoot has published the Slymefoot Slide, a new UK bikepacking route, in collaboration with Northumberland-based DW Agency and director Tommy Wilkinson. The new route is visualised in the accompanying short film providing a glimpse into the area's nature - and the last remnants of healthy English rivers in rural Northumberland.
- Beginners guide on how to plan new gravel routes
- Discover gravel routes in and around Glasgow - from windfarms to the West Highland Way
- 2023 UK gravel events - the best off-road races of the year
The Slymefoot Slide film follows three Wahoo riders Dave Sear, Jess Stone, and Harry Wickham on a three-day bike-packing trip through the Northumberland national park, in search of clean water, healthy fish, and experiences that are increasingly rare in a polluted nation.
“This project has been a labour of love, stemming from a desire to bring a connection between riders and nature,” Tommy Wilkinson, who directed the film with support from Wahoo, Komoot and Scott Sports, said.
The video provides a stark picture of the state of our rivers: in 2019, every UK river failed its chemical test. Now, the two rivers that the new bikepacking route follows, rivers Breamish and Coquet, are part of the last 14% of English rivers that maintain good ecological health. And although the beautiful views impress, the reality under the surface isn't great.
The Slymefoot Slide route
The Slymefoot Slide bikepacking route has been designed to be taken slowly - and based on the video a mountain bike is the best rig for it. The 104km route kicks off in the village of Rothbury in Northumberland and takes riders up and over the valleys of two rivers, the Breamish and Coquet, ideally over three days.
There are climbs, long, fast descents and amazing riverside stops en route. After the start's mellow farm tracks the route climbs up to Wyndy Gyle at 619m, and then descents to a valley where riders will pass the now-gone, but locally not forgotten pub at the Slymefoot, from which the route takes its name.
Check out the full route from the Komoot collection below.
You might also like:
Author block
