Author: Ben Yeo

With the exciting rise in gravel biking and e-biking in the UK, we thought this was the perfect time to introduce the UK’s first gravel coast to coast route.

The first route across the UK that’s over 95% off road, the gravel coast to coast route takes you on a spectacular journey from Ravenglass on the West Cumbrian Coast to Robin Hood’s Bay on Yorkshire’s rugged East coast, with some of the best gravel the UK has to offer. 

Beau Smith, co-designer of the route with Robert Thorpe, editor of Pedal North, said: “At 365 km in total distance this ride is for any cyclist who wants to leave the traffic behind for an unforgettable off-road adventure on two wheels, with plenty of options to split the ride to suit your ambitions.” 

From inspiring Eskdale in the west, through to the historic Roman Cam Road in the Yorkshire Dales and Wensleydale, the magnificent beauty of Jervaulx Abbey, onto Rosedale in the North York Moors, this route has something for everyone. 

With stops designed at places such as Coniston, Windermere, Kendal, Sedbergh, Hawes, Northallerton and Rosedale, there’s also ample opportunity for cafes, accommodation and support, as you ride across the most beautiful parts of Northern England. 

To get a flavour of what to expect check out our gravel coast to coast video with highlights from along the route: https://youtu.be/z14D9ZLgWDQ 

For more information on the route, please visit: https://www.voomnutrition.co.uk/blogs/news/voom-gravel-c2c-ravenglass-to-robin-hoods-bay

Leisure spending may hold up better than expected among active Brits. This is the conclusion of a new report by Sporting Insights (formerly Sports Marketing Surveys Inc.), available for immediate purchase.

The study confirms suspicions that general spending will, and indeed already is, beginning to be constrained. However, data suggests almost half of people are not, or at least not yet, considering changing expenditure concerning leisure activities.

This resilience, which is even more marked in some specific cycling categories than others, would be excellent news for both the cycling and wider sports industry and chimes with findings from throughout the pandemic that showed people according greater importance to active habits and products.

In fact, the research highlights how, in certain cases, spending on leisure items may actually help ease financial pressures. Overall, the trend in car usage was for drivers to shift towards driving less compared to 2021, this despite a general shift back towards offices or hybrid working. Meanwhile, around 40% of people cycled more in 2022 than in 2021.

Together, the responses indicate a rise in active transport use among one of the more active sectors of society.

The report, available for £250 + VAT, is designed to highlight how people’s day-to-day transport choices have shifted in 2022, how purchase habits are evolving at the dawn of the cost of living crisis – including on key sectors like sporting holidays – and how cycling is perceived more generally.

The data is based on a robust sample of almost 4,000 respondents with an interest in outdoor sports including cycling and running. Responses from active people across the UK were sought, with 64% of respondents taking part in over 150 minutes of exercise each week and 34% taking part in 30-150 minutes.

Raccoon Events, who organise passion-led consumer events in the health and well-being space, is looking to crack another market by launching the first ever National Egg and Spoon Show. Following the rapid growth of Egg and Spoon racing over the past two years, The National Egg and Spoon Show promises to deliver a weekend of Inspiration, fun and motivation to thousands of visitors who are keen to turn exercise into eggs-ercise.

The show promises a spoon full of hard-boiled speakers such as ultra-spooner, Susie Chan, OLY Gold Medallist – turned spoon advocate – Iwan Thomas MBE, a man who always sees life sunny side up, Danny Bent, and a special appearance from the legend that is Humpty Dumpty, for a special ‘Wall-side Chat’ on the Eggsperation Stage.

The show will break onto the scene on the 1-2 April 2023 at the Farnborough International. Set across two-days it will host over 100 eggs-tra egg-citing exhibitors and 10,000 wonderful visitors. If that isn’t an-oeuf, top brands Pulseroll, Sports Tours International and Outside and Active have already signed up for this break-through event.

Raccoon Events CEO, Mike Seaman, who is a lifelong egg and spooner said, “This is an egg-citing time at Raccoon Events, I am over the spoon to be announcing this brand-new event. Its going to be an egg-citing egg-travaganza of awesomeness for the egg and spoon community. This market has been under-served for a long time; we haven’t just scrambled this idea up it’s been boiling around for a while. We can’t wait to get cracking!”

To celebrate the launch of The National Egg and Spoon Show, we are releasing a special free ticket code to our sister shows when you use the code “EGGSPOON” at checkout.

The National Running Show South
The National Snow Show
The National Cycling Show
Run Show Chicago
Run Show LA
Run Show Boston

For more information, please head to nationaleggandspoonshow.com