Voices of the ENVE Stone Circle

The ENVE Stone Circle is an event with many strings to its bow, with its festival atmosphere and scenic setting at the base of Old Sarum, an Iron Age hill fort dating back to 400 BC. At its heart, though, are the bikes and riders taking on the challenges of Salisbury Plain.

This year, 853 intrepid souls signed on to tackle three rides, passing ancient Stone Henge on the way and bumping over gravel previously traversed by carts and Roman soldiers. Whether they took on the formidable 220km Bastard, the more sociable 137km Rebel or the 82km Jester, riders faced sweltering heat, rolling plains and a fierce headwind, each finishing with a story to tell.

The scenery

Credit @MattBuckleyPhoto

Credit @MattBuckleyPhoto

Many riders had encounters with wildlife along the way, with early risers recalling being rewarded by the song of skylarks and other riders spotting Muntjacs darting away from the approaching wheels over the grassland. "My highlight was one point when about 100 crows rose off the fields, with everyone riding around them and the rays shining off the green the grass," said David, who tackled the Jester, on arriving back at the festival ground.

Others enthused about the incredible scenery of Salisbury Plain and the variety of surfaces on offer. Stuart, riding The Rebel, said, “The route is beautiful, especially the stretch across the plains with Champagne gravel. My favourite part is getting in with bigger groups, being pulled along and seeing the scenery whizzing by.”

Phil, another 137km rider, who had come from London with a bunch of guys from Twickenham Cycling Club, said, “The forest was nice and cool, there was fast gravel and gnarly bits, the route had absolutely everything.”

Ash agreed, “There’s been lots of fun, flowing, open gravel, a few nice kicks up the road and loose, rocky climbs with lots of people pulling over them. I liked the vast, open sections on Salisbury Plain, with long, undulating roads. You could see where you were going, get a nice descent and see the hills before you got to them, so you could pace yourself well.”

Brundha, one of the 82km riders, said, “I liked the bit where you go downhill on nice, rolling gravel, you go really fast and it feels like you’re flying. You feel a bit euphoric and silly, especially after the climbing. Then, towards the end, there was a river, where I stopped and dipped my feet in to have one last little break before the final push.”

The companionship

Another common highlight mentioned was riding with friends and the feeling of community amongst the participants. ‘The spirit of gravel’ is often talked about, and in the case of the Stone Circle this was particularly strong. It’s not a race, which frees up even usually competitive souls to relax, enjoy the ride, stop to fix others’ bikes or enjoy chatting at the feed stations.

Sam, one of the first female Rebel riders to come through Feed Station Two, said, “The people made the event for me, with the festival atmosphere and everyone being supportive all the way round. There was music at Feed Station One too, so I had a bit of a dance!”

Peter, An ENVE Stone Circle third timer, commented, “The past two times I did the long route and smashed myself to pieces. This time, I’m rolling with friends, and being here for the fun of it is nice.”

Juliet Elliott, the well-known model turned full-time adventure cyclist and YouTuber, was also taking it easy, since the 137km was the longest her ride partner had ever done. She said, “My highlight was probably the feed stations, we ate a lot and went to look at the white horse like proper tourists.”

Matt Plested, of RideGravelRoad, said, “My friends and I set out to have fun as a group and not take it too seriously. It was really about sticking together through thick and thin; we had a few mini dramas but didn’t stop laughing. When things were hurting and we were tired, everyone was happy.”

Meanwhile, challenge rider Chris Hall said, “Today was one of my favourite days out this year. Riding with mates was the most important part, I got to ride with people I haven’t ridden with for two years. Since it wasn’t a race, we got to hang out and spend time stopping and chatting. I often do 200km at home, but doing the 137km with mates, my priorities shifted. It was a shorter day but a big day out with friends.”

Grant, riding The Rebel, added, “I did the long ride two years ago, which was a day of suffering rather than a day of entertainment. This year’s event was wonderful, there was definitely more energy, there were more people and there was a bit more of a buzz.”

James McClearie agreed, “The route was flowy, the wind was higher than last year, but the vibes were equally as high.”

The challenges

Of the riders milling about, one or two said their routes had been easy, well within their capabilities and uneventful, but they were in the minority. The intense sun, brisk wind, spills, mechanicals, aches and pains were part of what made this event a challenge, rather than just another day ride.

John was amongst the first group to reach the feed station after riding hard. There was a hole in the shoulder of his jersey, and his back and arm were scratched up after he’d gone down on a stretch of super-fast gravel. He thought he’d broken a rib. Nonetheless, John refused to let the paramedic clean his cuts, saying he’d do it once he’d finished, and stoutly insisted on carrying on. When asked why he was so determined to press on, he said, “It’s what I do.”

Andy, limping past, said, “It’s getting hot out there and I’m feeling it now. It does start to ache, my hands and shoulders are all aching, and I have a foot injury from running that I had thought might not appear, but it did halfway through the ride.” He got some paracetamol from the paramedic, and 20 minutes later felt a lot better. He said he cramped up with three miles to go, which wasn’t pleasant, but had enough left to get round. His highlight was powering up the last hill without cramping. He felt he’d done the right distance, since it had pushed and tested him.

A few riders mentioned that navigation was a challenge. Dave, on The Jester route, said, “My Wahoo wouldn’t let me upload the GPX, and there were some signs but not enough, so I never would have made it alone. I was riding with one group, but they were riding faster than I was, so I was worried I was going to have to let them go. They kept dropping me, but luckily I caught up with them at a narrow part, then at a junction, then at another narrow part, so we pretty much stayed together in the end.”

Even some of the figureheads of the gravel world faced challenges. RideGravelRoad’s Matt said, “I’d had a really bad crash six days ago, so my neck and shoulders were hurting before we even started. Because of the spirit and fun on the ride, the pain goes away!”

James Bracey, meanwhile, said he had suffered an illness and done little riding in the six months prior to the event. “The first half was pretty tough, but I smashed a lot of food at the feed station and found the second half smoother and more fun. We were in a group of six and just able to flow, ride and chat together for long periods, where usually cars, junctions and so on separate you. Those guys got me through it.”

The rider assistance

All the feed stations were being run by volunteers, with food being provided by The Felix Project, a London charity that sources excess food and distributes it to those in need. Lots of people commented that the salted potatoes, in particular, were sensational, exactly what they felt like eating after lots of gels. The stations weren’t just about snacks, though. They offered a safe haven to rest, fill up bottles, borrow suntan lotion, repair bikes, tend wounds or compare notes on the day’s experiences.

Larry, one of the volunteers, said, “I’ve been riding a bike for over 15 years and wanted to get involved with the event, but I didn’t want to ride it. I’m enjoying the festival atmosphere and having our families around. I like being at the feed station, it’s quite sociable, you get to hear how the riders and doing and offer them a bit of support and care when they need it.”

Gaz, another volunteer, added, “I know Charlotte, one of the organisers, and I wanted to support what she’s trying to do with the event. It’s amazing, she’s expanded a simple ride into a festival, bringing more people in with the kids’ facepainting and the family vibe, people come from all over the country. The heart of the event is cycling, but there’s so much more to it. I’m here to have fun, hang out with friends, see phenomenal bikes and enjoy being around people who care what they do.”

Phil, riding the 137km with his best mate, said, “The route seems very well thought out, and the feed stations have obviously been designed by people who like riding. I enjoy it when somebody else does the planning and I don’t have to worry about anything!”

Jonathan, also on The Rebel, explained, “The stops are at the right moments, just when people are losing their shit and shade and shelter are needed. The first feed stop was exceptional, perfectly timed, I’ve met friends who’d run out of everything just before that stop.”

He added, “The route has been good, with the perfect mixture of surface types, the traffic control has been good, and everyone is looking out for each other.” Darren agreed, “It’s fantastic, an awesome route, with great feed stops, good weather, plus we went past the old stones and had support getting across the road, something you don’t get very often.”

Sam said she hadn’t attended last year but wanted to come next year and do The Bastard. She said, “The people running it should do another event elsewhere, it’s been so well organised.” Phil concurred, “It’s nice and friendly, with a nice choice of routes, and living in London it’s really easy to get to. It ticks a lot of boxes.”

Fabio, who had switched from The Bastard to The Rebel after an off and a broken rear derailleur, added, “I like Stone Circle as it is away from London, away from chaos. You can tell the quality of an area by how people treat cyclists. If people are happy, people are kind.”

Credit @MattBuckleyPhoto