Thunderbolts Adventure

Welcome to

Thunderbolts Adventure 2023

This is the big one folks. Now in it's 7th year, this ride continues to attract riders from around the globe for it's unbeatable scenery as well as the satisfaction that comes from cycling a challenging distance under your own steam.

After cresting the Barrington Tops range and then making it down the 30 minute descent in one piece, you can look forward to a sumptuous feast and plenty of hydration at the Moonan Flat pub on Saturday night. Then cruise back to Gloucester on Sunday crossing the many creeks along the way.

This is Thunderbolts Adventure

The event name of the first of our Bushranger series, harks back to the heady days of Captain Thunderbolt, one of Australia's more colourful bushrangers. We are glad to report that he was never actually accused of shooting anyone, instead relying on superior horseflesh to make good his getaway.

Your ride will feature a two day overnight gravel ride with all the trimmings you've come to appreciate from Graveleur. Your entry fee of $225 (*) is super good value and gets you:

• 2 days of riding on some of the best champagne gravel roads in Australia
• Your dinner Saturday night and breakfast Sunday morning
• Concierge Service to transfer your tent to and from Moonan Flat
• Professional event pics from ReadyAimMedia
• Entertainment Saturday night at the pub
• Camping levy
• On course Feed zone and mechanical support
• Fully insured event with approval from local council and authorities
• Goodies bag including your own limited edition commemorative patch
• A huge cache of prizes kindly donated by our sponsors. Prizes will be allocated on a first entered, best prize basis. Enter earlier for the chance of a better prize!

Overnighter: Enter under the Standard Course category, riders will be assigned a starting wave in groups of 50 riders on Saturday morning. Day 1 is 105km, Day 2 is 125km.

The Overnighter is not a race, but rather a social cycling experience designed to be enjoyed in small groups of cyclists of similar ability. To complete the activity, cyclists need to:

• Understand how to fuel their body for an extended ride and be at a good level of fitness to cover over 100km a day on remote gravel roads at an average speed of 15-20 kph.
• Be experienced at navigating and following a GPX route
• Have a reasonable level of mechanical know how in case you need to perform running repairs on your bicycle e.g. punctures, ripped tyres, broken chains, non-functioning gears.

Elite Stage Race: Capped at 30 riders, equal prizes for fastest male and female at the end of the two days. Yes you get to enjoy the party at the pub too! (entry on application)

The 2-day stage race is for competitive and accomplished riders. The riders have been vetted for their suitability to attempt this format based on their recent cycling history and Strava activity.

One Dayer: New for 2023, we have introduced a "One Dayer" option, that features a 1 day gravel ride of approximately 70km and 1600vm on Saturday. The start and finish is Moonan Flat. The loop will utilise parts of the main course to form a clockwise loop back to Moonan Flat. This option includes your meals and camping levy just like the standard course. You can then drive home after breakfast Sunday morning. It is designed for anyone looking for an easier introduction to Gravel riding. This is definitely for you if you like to ride “party pace”.

Group Discount: 10% for a group of 10 or more riders registered in one transaction. Choose someone for your group to enter the details of each rider from your group, then create a login, confirm your details and accept the waiver. Simple!

History: The Barrington Tops lies at the boundary of three Aboriginal territories, the lands of the Worimi people of the south-east, the Biripi people of the east and the Wonnarua people of the west. Graveleur would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of these lands and pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging.

(*) early bird price of $205 for 16-20 January, 2023. This represents a price freeze from 2022 including 3rd party transaction fees.

From January 21, price is $225 to cover CPI increases and some cost increases related to permits. Note that 3rd party transaction fees are not refundable (approximately 5% of your entry fee).