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sTONE CIRCLE: A FESTIVAL TO ENVE

Stone Circle is a weekend gravel festival, run as close as possible to summer solstice and taking in the wide-open expanse of Salisbury Plain. The ‘festival fort’ sits just outside the ramparts of historic Old Sarum, with routes of different lengths taking in Stone Henge and the champagne gravel of military roads that are usually out of bounds to riders. The event is known for searing sunshine, a fantastic vibe and prioritising fun over finish lines. There is no racing here, just good times, with gravel aficionados kicking back to enjoy a challenge with mates.

At the centre of the festival, literally, is ENVE. The heartbeat of the festival is the brand’s impressive tent, with its bar, DJ stand and display of gorgeous MOG and Fray bikes. ENVE stands for fine cycling products without compromise, built by a team that truly loves bikes, so the needs of cyclists are placed front and centre at the event. Refreshment, tech support, entertainment and the feeling of being amongst friends are all rooted in ENVE.

Refreshment

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Tucked in the corner of the ENVE tent, this year the bespoke bar was run by the crew from Stohk, the brewery founded by a group of adrenaline junkies that has made its name crafting beers to tingle the taste buds of outdoor and adventure sportspeople.

The day before the ride, it was the perfect spot for riders to link up with mates, grab a cold one, whether an XPA, an IPA, an All Terrain Beer, a Pilsner or a Zero for those looking to stay sharp, sink down into a deck chair or cuddle on a blow-up couch, and kick back to chilled soundtrack of Elra Music (formerly Lisame). Nestled behind a DJ stand with light-up sides, Lisa was there to bring the party from around 2.00, so those arriving early could ease into the event.

As Matt from RideGravelRoad put it, “Socialising before and after is as good as the riding, and in terms of the experience, people need to come and see that the event is about more than just riding a bike.”

Repairs

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There’s no avoiding the fact that gravel riding is more bone-shaking than road, no matter how dialled your setup is, with or without suspension, and some riders arrived with their bikes already stockpiling a few issues. Chatting after the ride, internet personality Juliet Elliott said that her advice to Stone Circle beginners would be, “Check your bike properly beforehand, as lots of people had preventable problems like worn out brake pads.”

A few smart riders were wise enough to swing by the ENVE tent the night before the ride, where mechanics were on hand to help put their bikes in shape. Josh, from the ENVE team, had been hoping to take part in the fancy dress Hill Run at 7pm, riding his five-year-old daughter’s bike. Perhaps luckily for his back, instead he spent the duration of the evening prepping bikes ready for the next day’s challenge.

On the day of the ride, six Neutral Service stands were there to assist stricken riders, all manned by ENVE staff. The sun was hot and the route hot, dusty and baked hard, which meant that trouble definitely showed up. ENVE’s Ash commented, “The loose rocks on the steep climbs caused carnage, with people bailing out all over the place.”

Even the most experienced participants had their fair share of issues. Matt from RideGravelRoad said of the group of six he was riding in, “It was really about sticking together through thick and thin. We had a broken chain, a few punctures, a seatpost that kept moving and various mini dramas, but we didn’t stop laughing.” Everyone helped out, and between them the group got through it.

That wasn’t the case for everyone though; in some cases the damage wasn’t fixable, while in others, riders didn’t have the right tools or the know-how to tackle their problems. That’s where the Neutral Mechanics came into their own, doing everything from handing out bottles and lubricating chains to some rather trickier stuff, like rebuilding a Di2 system. Josh was particularly proud of fashioning a cassette spacer out of a zip tie and some electric tape, “like a modern day McGuiver!” James Horton, who was helping the ENVE team out, gave up his own handlebar to one rider after theirs cracked. Legendary.

The course, mechanicals and the headwind took their toll, so that by 11am Feed Station One was running 90 minutes behind. For riders attending the event for the first time, the participants had a few tips when it came to bike care and ride preparation.

David from ENVE, who tackled the 80km Jester Route, said: “My challenge was keeping fed and drinking enough liquid in the heat – I drank five bottles in all!”

James Bracey suggested: “Learn how to fix problems that can happen, like punctures and tubeless repairs,” while Chris Hall recommended: “Go tubeless. There were a lot of people using inner tubes and a lot of pinch flats.”

Andy Wigmore (Saddleback Founder) advised: “Make sure you have wide enough tyres, and relatively new ones. I saw people struggling with tyres that were narrow or too old. Good tyres make all the difference and are a relatively inexpensive thing to get.”

Entertainment

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Out on the course, ENVE was proud to sponsor the Stone Throne, perched grandly at the junction of all three rides. Just 2km from the festival ground, it was a chance for riders to stop and have some fun engineering their most imaginative pose using the props on offer, including the helmet of a suit of armour, a sword, a cloak and a selection of flags repping the routes, which read, “I’m a Jester”, “I’m a Rebel”, “I’m a Bastard” and “I’m a Dean”.

Getting into the spirit, riders planked across the throne, turned cartwheels or handstands, attempted to stab or execute their friends, lay upside down or simply looked cool as a posse. The best photo would later win a set of ENVE wheels, so the stakes were high.

After everyone returned to camp, from 5pm, Stohk ran an hour-long Open Mic session of music in the ENVE tent, giving the brave a shot at live glory.

At 7pm, Team ENVE (Lewis, Josh and James Bracey) bravely took part in the Bike Jousting, with Josh donating his thus-far-unused five-year-old’s bike as one of the noble steeds.

Riders faced off across a line of hay bales and charged one another, aiming to land a telling strike with inflatable lances. Josh took a particularly hard hit, with James Bracey launching him through the air off the bike. In the end, Stone Circle organiser Charlotte just pipped James to the post to take the overall win.

Right after the jousting the awards were handed out, with ENVE sponsoring many of the prizes, including those for the most punctures (an impressive six), Sportful best dressed, and of course the Stone Throne. Best picture and the ENVE wheelset were scooped by digital creator Lindsay James.

Setting the vibe

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The cornerstone of the whole event, of course, was the bikes. The Frays and MOGs in the ENVE tent were showstoppers, creating the perfect backdrop for riders to talk tech and air shop with their mates, with many mentally building their dream build. Those who wanted to take this further could talk through that build with the ENVE crew, there to advise on the perfect frame, bars, stem and seatpost to match their ambitions.

Some riders were lucky enough to already be riding an ENVE bike. Ash, the ENVE Brand Manager, mentioned that the MOG was perfect for a route with “lots of fun, flowing, open gravel, a few nice kicks up the road and loose rocky climbs”. He ran 48mm tyres, saying, “The wider tyres are perfect for going over rocky stuff, they plough through everything.”

Saddleback’s Andy Wigmore, who had taken on the 130km route, said the distance had tested and pushed him, but thanks to his MOG, he’d found it manageable and better than he’d thought. He confessed, “I’m not sure I’m doing my bike justice, but it’s very forgiving, feels quick, and the gear ratio is just right for this terrain.”

Grant, from Sigma Sports, was riding an ENVE MOG too, a Saddleback loaner in the cool Hollyhock Purple. Asked how it compared to his regular bike, he didn’t hesitate: “It’s like driving a Ferrari on a track day.”

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