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Ride in two countries in one day!

The next Black Rat Sportive will be held on Sunday 23rd May 2021

Click here for upcoming events!Join us on a cycling trip

Welcome to Black Rat Cycling

The Black Rat is a cyclosportive in Bristol. We have been running the event for 12 years and it is one of the most popular sportives in the south west.

The 2021 event has 3 distances of 87km, 120km and 181km, the longest of which takes riders over the highest road in Wales – Gospel Pass.

We have striven to make the 2021 event as “Covid safe” as possible. Please see our Rider/Covid Info page for further details.

We also organise cycling trips each year. 2021 trips include the Route des Grandes Alpes, from Lake Geneva to Menton on the Mediterannean Coast, crossing some of the highest mountains in the French Alps, a weekend trip to Paris Roubaix in early April, a fantastic week riding and wine tasting in Tuscany in June and a week in the Pyrenees, riding famous cols in September.

We also arrange bespoke trips for groups – please tell us where you want to ride and we will do all of the organisation for you.

sportive in bristol

Events 2021

Cycling tours in the Pyrenees

Charity

cycling trips to the Alps, Pyrenees and Dolomites

Cycling Trips

Who we are

We have been successfully organising the Black Rat Sportive in Bristol since 2010.

Our first 4 sportives were based around the Mendips, since this is an area that we know very well from riding locally ourselves. However in 2014, we decided to give our riders something different and found some routes taking them over the Severn Bridge and through the Forest of Dean to Monmouth and back. Now in 2021, our riders will tackle the highest road in Wales – Gospel Pass – in what promises to be our best route yet!

What we do

Our rides to Wales have been a tremendous success and very popular, but avoiding busy roads in Bristol has been a challenge, prompting us to move to our new HQ at Marlwood School, Alveston.

The new HQ gives us easy access to the quiet roads of Severn Vale, which take riders to the Severn Bridge and over to the lovely roads of South Wales.

Check out the events to see this year’s routes!

Thanks to Chris Kemp for use of some photos on this website!

Dear All

Just a quick note to say thank you and well organised. This was my second ever event and really enjoyed it, even though some bits were hurting for the last 10 miles!

Thanks again.

Firstly, many thanks for a great Granfondo course on Sunday, easily the best Rat I’ve yet ridden.
Really liked the venue and as you say all staff were helpful and friendly.
And GREAT to see draught Black Rat back on the menu!

I enjoyed my ride on sunday and am now fully recovered…just!
So thank you for a great day.

Thanks very much for a great ride, my first Black Rat but not my last.

Big thank you to every one! such a well run event I had a great day!
This was my first Black Rat C/S and already pencilled in for next year!!

Best trip ever ….. 

The Route des Grand Alpes in 2019 was very well organised; riders are well supported on the road; it was good fun … a challenge but a very enjoyable one. 

The trip exceeded my expectations and by the last day I’d already signed up for next year’s trip without even knowing where they were going!