Update 29-08-2018: Sadly, the organisers have had to postpone the event to 13-14th April 2019. Anyone that has already bought a ticket will be offered the choice of a refund or to transfer it to the new dates. Head to the Brathay Challenges website for any more updates.

The original story is below:

The Adventure Cycle Festival is a two-day event for riders that like to go self-supported. It's all about celebrating long adventure rides, whether you are on the road or off it. We went along last year to check out some of the weird and wonderful bikes on offer, the event is this weekend (1st-2nd September) if you fancy some of the bikepacking action.

• Bikepacking rigs of the 2017 Adventure Cycling Festival
• First Look: Marin Gestalt X11

The event takes place near Ambleside in the Lake District with the event village at located at Brathay Hall providing a hub from where organised activities will launch. There will be the chance to try demo bikes and equipment, plus attend workshops, lectures and group rides as well as an evening bar with live music.

Lyon Equipment, a key event supporter, said: “With the rise in adventure cycling’s popularity, we felt there was an opportunity for a highly targeted event where like minded individuals, brands and organisations could come together to celebrate travel on two wheels. As a distributor, we have been able to invite brands from both the cycle and outdoor industries which has allowed for an extremely diverse list of supporters”.

The big ride of the weekend is organised by Ghyllside Cycles who have been working on a challenging event that takes in some of the finest gravel tracks in the area. Whilst the 80km distance may seem on the short side to the hardened roadies out there, the elevation and nature of the trails will almost definitely make up for it. If you're after something a little easier different then Vielo Sports will be leading a series of rides from Brathay offering you an opportunity to try out their new pretty bling V+1 bike.

There are loads of brands attending so you can check out gear from Apidura, Bombtrack, Exped, Frog, Mason, Ortlieb, Orbea, Ritchey, Specialized, Surly and loads more, full a full list, click here. 

Tickets are £12 per day (Saturday or Sunday) or £20 for the whole weekend. Tickets will give you free access to all workshops, presentations, rides and demo bikes. It will also give you special discounts with selected local retailers. Camping is available for £5 per night. 

• Get your ticket here

Event website - www.brathaychallenges.com 

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