Ride in two countries in one day!

Our 2020 Sportive will feature 3 brand new routes and will take place on Sunday 17th May 2020

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 11 years and it is one of the most popular sportives in the south west.

The 2020 event has 3 distances of 87km, 120km and 181km, which takes riders over the highest road in Wales – Gospel Pass.

2019 Photos are available online at https://sportivephoto.photoshelter.com/gallery/Black-Rat-Sportive-2019/G0000gjiuarOJthk/C0000iYz548eqBW4

We also organise cycling trips each year. 2020 trips include the Pyrenees coast to coast, from the Mediterranean coast to Biarritz, a weekend trip to the Tour of Flanders in early April, a fantastic week discovering Northern Spain and a week in the Pyrenees, riding famous cols in September.

We also arrange bespoke trips for smaller groups.

Events 2020

Charity

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 2020, our riders will tackle the highest road in Wales – Gospel Pass – in what promises to be our best route yet!

Download our mobile app! Free to download on iOS and Android. Just search for Black Rat or scan the QR code below

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.

Nick Siangolis

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!

Benjamin Culverhouse

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

Sarah Goodman

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

Simon Caraffi

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!!

Steve French

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!

Helen Bishop