DWR Rules

Official Rules:

 
ANY outside assistance besides what is publicly available via businesses along the way or provided by the event is prohibited and will result in disqualification from the official results. Teams may use their team car as to carry their supplies but may not receive hand-ups or support outside of the exchange sites at each segment.
 
Solo participants must carry their own supplies. Refilling water from streams along the way is not recommended. The route will pass through towns and it is advised that supplies are purchased along the way from these locations. All solo riders must navigate through and complete the entire route without assistance from a support car, roadside hand-ups, or drop-offs.
 
No drafting is permitted among competitors. This includes solo and relay participants. Participants may ride together side-by-side. (i.e. self supported means no drafting either…) If more than one member on a team is on the course at a given time they must stay together and are permitted to draft off one-another.

Solo riders and teams must use the tracking service and have their tracker on and operational from start to finish. Teams are only required to have one tracking device and it serves as the "baton" which gets handed off at the segment transition.

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35931443

Registration: https://www.bikereg.com/dwr-500km

When: Saturday, August 30th, 2025 at 7:00 am for solo riders and 9:00 am for teams. Solo riders must check-in a minimum of 30 minutes prior to the start to receive their tracking device. Teams must check in 1 hour before the start of their race. 

Where: Starts at South Point Ohio, Finishes in Vermilion, Ohio.

Lodging: There are numerous camp grounds along the way and ghost camping is always an option if done in a respectful, safe manner. We have been given the okay to camp at the start the night before the race at the South Point Community Center. Recommendations for campsites along the way are as follows:

Lake Alma State Park

Lake Hope State Park

Dillon State Park (slightly off route, but only a few miles out of the way)

Mohican State Park

Other: A HUGE part of this challenge is the logistics. We will not be providing you a detailed explanation of how to download the route, get to the start, find your way along the unmarked route, and finally, get home from the finish. Remember the spirit of this event is to challenge yourself and to have a little adventure in your life. We will provide you with answers to your questions, but don't be surprised if the answer more about guidance than a solution to your problem. Let's keep the spirit of the ride in mind as we all explore this beautiful state. We don't think you'll be disappointed!

A gravel bike or lightweight mountain bike is highly recommended with the ability to carry water and supplies for up to 50 miles of riding on out-of-the-way backroads, gravel paths, long smooth stretches of asphalt,  and whatever else may find its way onto the course. The route has numerous big hills, class 4 gravel roads, and long lonely stretches of pavement. It should also prove to be a beautiful course that starts with the back tire in the Ohio River and ends with the front tire in Lake Erie. We have made every attempt to cross into resupply areas when possible.

Bike set-up recommendations:

During our recon rides and drives, we have determined the ideal bike is a gravel bike with 700 x 38 tires or perhaps wider if you are unfamiliar with riding on gravel. Fast rolling tires setup tubeless would be the best bet. Water carrying capacity and some lightweight sleeping setup of some kind. We suggest a small lightweight backpack in the event you need to carry supplies to get through a night or two out on the route. BE AWARE OF GUARD DOGS ALONG THE ROUTE IN SOME RURAL AREAS. Of course, you could load up with a heavy bike-touring setup, but the hills in this route are steep, numerous, and many are rugged enough that your stuff will be more of a burden than an asset. We always recommend lights front and rear. Be sure you have a way to ride through at least some dark hours.

We've gotten a lot of questions about the route over the past few years, especially related to tire selection. The DWR consists of a majority of grade 1 roads with prolonged stretches of grade 2 and 3 and a few short sections of grade 4+. You don't want to under-tire on this route because the gravel stretches are miles long in many cases, including a 10 mile stretch in the remote Wayne National Forest area. Terrain is steep and unrelenting throughout the route until the very end so even a paved , grade 1 road, will be best tackled of a wider tire, disc brakes, and a stable bike. A perfect tire for this course is the Kenda Alluvium Pro in 700x40. 650Bx47 would also be a great choice! Gear your bike lower than you think you should... you won't regret having lower gears after 30+ hours of riding on these hills!

Here is a great explanation on different levels of gravel. Cycling Tips: Grading Gravel