The Durham Destroyer routes hit the best Gravel, Dirt, Trails and Rail Trail that the Region has to offer. The Full Monty and Tapping out do venture into the Kawarathas due to their Epic Distance.
Although the official routes start in Port Perry, they can be tackled from any point along the route.
Whatever route you take, enjoy the journey and challenge.
I’m Not Worthy
The Durham Destroyer Full Monty has a little sibling and it’s I’m Not Worthy. Make no mistake about it, this is one challenging Gravel Century ride. Packing in an impressive 2000m of elevation gain over the 160km, this route packs a punch. The first 20 kilometers hit you hard with a series of sharp stinging climbs and then relents a little as the terrain flattens slightly before depositing you on some rail trail where you can relax for a bit as you ride towards Uxbridge. This is the only spot for food resupply on the route. Leaving Uxbridge you tackle over 20kms of flowy single/double track trails until you rejoin the gravel roads and a last opportunity to fill up your bottles at the chalk lake Spring at km87. The remainder of the route is packed with more climbing and the notorious sandy sections on Byers and Boundary roads. Only upon arriving at the routes finish will you be able to answer the question… Are you Worthy?
Durham Destroyer
KM for KM this is by far the hardest of the Durham Destroyer routes. A true Century, Lots of Climbing, Ample Trail Sections and 7kms of Soul Sucking Sand will have you screaming I’m Not Worthy.
For a detailed write-up of the route, check out the ride report by Cory on An Athlete’s Blog.
This route is not particularly long in the grand scheme of things and can be done in a day by more experienced riders. If you are going to take more than a day…and that’s perfectly cool…you’re going to need to figure out a sleep plan for the night.