Silk Road Mountain Race
Welcome to Silk Road Mountain Race 2021 ! We are pleased to inform you that your application to take part in the third edition of the race has been accepted.
SRMR has again attracted a diverse group of riders with some serious cycling and mountain experience. It was truly a pleasure to read about your previous adventures! It’s going to be quite the race.
Talk about experiencing mixed emotions when we read this email!
So for those that don’t know about the race… here goes.
To race in the Silk Road Mountain Race you have to apply… which includes a lengthy application including previous experiences, races, and the ability to race unsupported in the middle of remote wilderness (and all things survival!).
Further to the team at SRMR vetting the applications, you get accepted (or not) and invited to race.
It is a relatively new race, only starting in 2018 with riders from all over the world taking part. This was the same for 2019 until Covid stopped play!
2021 will be only the third time this race has taken place and the list of extraordinary athletes that have taken part in the race already is both daunting and hugely humbling (Lael Wilcox, Jakub Sliacan, Jay Petervary, Jenny Tough…).
So what is all the fuss about?
Roughly only 50% of starters finish.
The race is a fixed route, unsupported, single-stage cycling race through the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. Single stage = no stopping and starting!
There’s very little tarmac, a lot of hill climbing, and then some more hill climbing and the when it gets too steep to cycle… a lot of bikepacking or walking, and all the while there are great distances between resupply points.
The race clock does not stop and there are no prizes. To finish the race you need to arrive at the end before the party ends on the last day.
All in all the race in numbers can be boiled down as follows…
- 1800km
- 16 days
- 30,500m (yikes that is 100,000 feet) of climbing (and the same descending)!
- 3 check points
- -10 to +40 C
- 0 prizes
How tough it will be cannot be understated and we are under no illusions that finishing the race will be an outstanding achievement.
Our training has long started and includes a mixture of strength, endurance strength, long rides and A LOT of hills.
For the race we are very proud to be racing as Slam69. This is in recognition of our bike partner – Slam69 and the amazing legend that is – Graham Foot.
Graham is building us Smokestone bikepacking bikes. Watch this space for news about these builds and Smokestone bikes.
We are either mad, delusional or need to recognise most people book a package holiday to the beach in the summer…
Nah… lets do this #daretoride #ExpandYourRide
Photo Credit: Jennifer-Doohan
