Specialist events like Pure Peak Grit require meticulous training and preparation. So when the chance arose to join the race lineup with 3 days notice, Rory Stuart obviously said yes. (8 min read)

JULY 11, 2025

2025 PURE PEAK GRIT RACE REPORT

In at the steep end.

Words by Rory Stuart

Images and videos by Fergus Coyle and Rory Stuart

Operation Frankenbike

From past events - notably the insane Bristol-Glasgow-Bristol - I knew I needed to make specific changes to my bike. The 11-27t cassette with a 34/50 chainring simply would not cut the mustard.

The rest of the transmission couldn’t hack any lower gearing easily, and the timeline meant I couldn’t squeeze in a trip to the shops. Instead, a mountain bike groupset would have to do.

But where to mount the shifter? Turns out a Brompton light mount fixed to a stub of sawn-off handlebar, all mounted to a clip-on time trial bar fitting works surprisingly well.

That was the going up the hills and rolling down sorted. However, I was still left with the issue of stopping at the bottom of said hill. Carbon wheels are not exactly known for braking well or having long-lasting brake pads (why they are so expensive to replace I don’t know?!). The rear I could accept being mediocre, but to upgrade reliability of the front brake, I had to borrow an alloy front wheel. I can already sense some of you wincing.

It hopefully goes without saying that I had confidence in the setup despite it being an almighty bodge.

A quick spin around the block (ideal prep for an Ultra Race) showed I could stop and change gears. All the essential contact points - saddle, bars and pedals - remained the same as what I was already dialled into.

And whilst I appreciate you are reading this on their site and so it might appear a little bit sycophantic, if you’ve already tried the Kostume cargo bibs, you’ll know I had no concerns there either. Pure bliss (and plenty of room for essential snacks!)

Looping the loop

Just looking at the route map above, it is quite difficult to initially figure out what’s going on. Well, I can tell you that even after studying it for some time, it can still be confusing. So you can imagine what it might be like when you’re sleep and calorie-deprived and struggling up yet another brutal climb. In the end, I split the route into three seperate files to try to make sure I didn't make any silly (and hilly) mistakes.

To summarise, there is an inner loop, a larger loop (also encompassing the former) and a southern loop. All of which share sections of road here and there.

The persistence of the climbs along with blistering temperatures made for very challenging sweat management. Basically boiling while going up in the muggy weather and then freezing whilst flying downhill.

The images from the first day give a false perception of the weather. It may appear overcast, but I can assure you it was already pretty warm by 8am. Unlike past events I didn’t manage to get many pics myself simply due to my camera lens needing to be cleaned from sweat each time, but thankfully photographer Fergus Coyle seemed to magically appear at the top of every hill along the way.

All this heat was not ideal for maintaining a fast pace, and unfortunately this means that I have struggled to piece together memories of the ride to exact locations or times of day. But what is absolutely seared into my mind is the endless, craggy, luscious green landscapes.

No matter the hills I took, nor the roads repeated, the scenery was never less than breathtaking. That in itself is an ode to the majesty of the Peak District, and to the level of planning the organisers have done to make a ride with a frankly grim amount of climbing into something so pleasant!

One thing I do remember is the insane pace that a few of us pushed at the start, continually catching up and then dropping/being dropped as our differing riding styles and strengths came into play.

I felt reasonably comfortable running in the top 3 initially, but as we reached Winnats Pass I eased off a little, realising that the heat was already taking a toll. That was the last I saw of the leaders until they were leaving HQ for their second loop, just as I was finishing my first.

I had been living off trail mix and no real substantial food throughout the day so far, and the lentil Bolognese was so good at the control that I asked for a bag of it to go – something which came in very handy for a late evening lie down at the top of a climb, scoffing bagged dinner. Keep it classy.

Last Orders

Fatigue was really kicking in and my pace had dropped further. I wouldn’t make the end of the second loop until far too late in the morning.

I was geared up to bivvy, but the mental boost that a proper bed and shower would give was too tempting, and I booked a hotel with an ETA of 10 to 11 PM.

11 PM came and went, and I was still a good distance away. I tried calling the hotel but no luck. Would they close up for the night, and would I have to find a church porch to sleep in after all?

Fortunately, when I finally rocked up it was more of a pub affair, complete with live music still going on. I got a lot of odd looks walking in in full lycra and with a bike.

After grabbing some crisps and other bar snacks as a bit of dinner, they kindly offered some leftover sandwiches from the music event. What a score! As nice as a dinner of pub snacks is, having solid food at this stage of an event is always better.

I took even fewer photos on the Saturday. Less from the heat, more due to the fatigue.

I did catch an incredible sunrise after cresting the first hill at just after 4:30 AM. Maybe my camera fails to capture the real beauty of it, or maybe I was too mesmerised by the glowing red shadow of myself on the stone wall adjacent, and far too heavily fatigued to notice the sunrise wasn’t actually that good. Still, it captures the moment.

The weather gods took pity on me for the next few hours. Low-lying clouds and mizzle gave a much-needed respite from the sun of the previous days. The dank roads kept everything cool until the mid-morning sun arrived to burn it all away. The same theme of incredible landscapes on every climb continued. And by late morning, I had made it back to the HQ.

Onwards I went, opening my phone regularly to check what hills were coming up. Mentally and physically I knew this was the beginning of the end. I knew it, but didn’t want to admit it to myself. I could surely keep on going. And so that is what I did.

I reached Buxton for some highly calorific food – a burger and cheesy chips – and sat for a while to let my knees ease. But instead of ease, they decided to seize. I was reduced to soft-pedalling so as to not be in agony. The end had come. I simply couldn’t do another 8 hours plus of hilly riding, especially with thoughts of the Silk Road Mountain Race on the horizon. It was time to call it quits - some 500 kilometres done, with 11,000 metres of elevation.

To Scratch, or not to Scratch?

In Ultra Racing it’s generally encouraged to sleep on it before taking a final decision to scratch. It's such good advice to follow. That bit of sleep and rest can do wonders for your state of mind, and sometimes your body too. But in this case, I knew that my knees would only get more inflamed when I stopped.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed with scratching. It is so easy to get caught up in what you don’t manage to achieve, thereby forgetting or minimising what you actually do. Even the small wins should be celebrated. Looking back now, I am so proud of how far I got and the overall levels of enjoyment and adventure, even if I look awfully moody in some of the photos! Some of that also comes down to the people involved, and it's always nice to share events like this with other similarly-spirited individuals.

So, the big question. Is this unfinished business? Would I do this event again?

To quote fellow Peak District fan, Alan Partridge: 'Y'absolutely.'

Have I learnt my lesson about entering extreme events at the last minute, and being woefully underprepared? Well, I guess watch this space!