Its Northern Ireland.If you listened to the weather forecast, you wouldnt do anything!Today was no better proof that if you bring together the right people to the right location, then the sun is guaranteed to shine!A long overdue Fustle Family ride out after what feels like the longest winter on record was a welcome distraction as nearly 20 riders set off this morning around Glenariff(e) Forest and the surrounding area.Huge thanks to everyone that could make it, and sorry to those who couldnt. You missed a belter!And props to those hardcore gravelists who ventured down to the waterfall at the end of the ride while the rest of us dashed for warm coffee and dry clothes in a poor attempt to avoid the final window maker climb back up to the car park!

Theres a point on the Big Dog route at the Lakeland Gravel Grinder where it all settles in and you realise exactly what kind of day youre in for. The early buzz fades, you find a rhythm, and it becomes about getting stuck into it, long climbs, fast descents, endless forest tracks, and the occasional view that makes you look up and take it all in before getting straight back to work. Its a properly epic big ride. The kind where the hours stack up, the terrain keeps changing, and you just keep rolling through it, one section at a time.It was also the first real outing for me on the Lakelander, and straight away it just felt easy, in the best possible way. Smooth over the rough stuff, responsive when you ask it to be, and almost annoyingly eager on the climbs. There were moments where it felt like it wanted to go quicker than I could, which was equal parts impressive and slightly frustrating. But thats kind of the point, it just gets on with it. No drama, no distractions, just a bike that lets you focus on the ride. By the end, legs completely spent, I had that solid feeling of having put a proper shift in and enjoyed every bit of it. - CathyThe week before the Lakeland Gravel Grinder I was really surprised to hear that there were 900+ participants over the various distances. When you consider the numbers attending road sportives would be nowhere near this it blew my mind a bit. Who knew there were that many cyclists who love a rattle around the gravel trails?!? After completing the event, which was our first official gravel event, I can now see why the numbers were so huge. It was epic!The event was simply fantastic. The organisation was seamless from Friday night when we turned up for registration, to Saturday morning when almost 1000 cyclists descended on a wee Community Centre on the outskirts of Belcoo, the whole way around the route and right to the finish line and the delicious burger and beer. We made a weekend of it and stayed at Rushin House Caravan Park which we would highly recommend. The facilities are great and its only a 2 minute cycle to registration and race start/finish. Im sure any non-cyclists on the site wondered why the place was coming down with bikes on Friday and Saturday and why everyone was walking like John Wayne on Sunday.We struck it lucky with the weather which was warm and sunny with very little wind. The dusty trails were a far cry from the muck and dirt we were expecting. Although, I must admit to being a wee tad disappointed that I crossed the finish line so clean!The route passed through some beautiful forests but the elevation on The Big Dog route was not for the faint hearted. The Navar Ending Climb had a wee sting in the tail but the amazing view from the Magho Viewpoint and the friendly volunteers up there were worth the climb. As for the last climb in Belmore Forest which we christened the Everest Climbwe managed to stay on our bikes and grind it out. This gives us some bragging rights over a couple of friends (who are much better cyclists than us) but they admitted to taking their bike for a wee walk up the hill. So good to bump into so many cycling chums from all over NI and Ireland but especially Lisburn Triathlon Club, Dromore CC and of course lots of Fustle Family enjoying the day. - GailMy first Lakeland Gravel Grinder! Epic day out on my Fustle. A great route; it had it all: tough climbs, speedy descents. Such a great atmosphere all day! I can't wait until the next one! - PaulAfter retrieving my trusty Fustle Causeway GR1 from the garden shed for the first time since the Five Forest Challenge in the autumn I was really looking forward to getting back in the saddle for a season opening spin.A quick tyre pump, and lights charged I was ready to rock.With my lack of bike fitness I knew the 32km night time werewolf was realistically the best option, and it was fantastic fun. Whilst I started optimistically my lack of fitness became apparent when most of the other 30 odd entrants disappeared into the distance, I could even occasionally hear the ominous rumble of the 'sweeper vehicle' closing in on the climbs, headlights blazing through the forest in front of me.It's somewhat menacing presence behind me definitely motivated me to keep going! Once the climbs were out of the way it was a thrill to hit 50kmph on the way back down to the finish where we all got a much welcome bowl of Irish stew and I realised the only person I finished ahead of had spent a good few extra km lost in the forest in the dark before the aforementioned sweeper vehicle came to the rescue ! Thank goodness I had a Garmin.As always these gravel adventure events we are blessed with on this Island prove to be great craic and the Fustle Causeway is the perfect tool for the job! - AndrewLakelander was my first proper gravel event since getting my Causeway last summer. True to its name, the Mongrel was a mix of everything; 60km of rugged gravel, steep climbs and fast descents. My causeway handled like a dream and didnt miss a beat (unlike my legs on the Belmore climb).Awesome sunny weather and stunning views made for a great day - we even got a wee beer at the end... whats not to love?! - RachelIf youre going to do the big dog, let it be at Party Pace. Me and my good friend Marcus Cromie (not Fustle Fam Famous, but bread Famous!)We took a staggering 7 hours to do the 100km big dog including breaks, punctures and stopping to take in the views. The weather was on our side, so we made the most of it (thats what I'm telling everyone anyway)I was fun to see the route reversed in places, but for those who know me, know I basically live up in those hills anyway. Marcus insisted that we did the big dog, only to change his mind at the last feed stop, so it felt only right that I insist we did the last mega climb of Belmore forest *which is only 15%I was a little gutted not to see Alastair Beckett down as its always fun watching him suffer up the steepest of hills. Maybe October hey! - DarrenThis was my third year taking part in Lakelander, and after previously doing the Mongrel and the Big Dog I thought I would take it a little easier this year and give the Little dog a go to tick off the trio! This was also the first year of the Werewolf night time ride the night before, and having being doing nighttime gravel rides through the winter I wanted to give this a go.The Werewolf was a lot of fun, and even after bit of a spill (my own fault, my confidence was greater than my skill) I had a great night. Little Dog was fantastic as well, and definitely less suffering than the Big Dog, but still managed to test the legs, and I was fading towards the end of the ride. I think the ride being in March this year meant my fitness wasnt quite where it would be compared to October.We were incredibly fortunate with the weather, it was a lovey day, and enjoyed riding dry dusty gravel trails, rather than the usual muddy gravel. - ConnorI took my new Fustle Lakelander out for its debut at the Lakelander Gravel Event & honestly I credit the bike itself maybe the amazing weather a little bit too! for the permanent smile fixed to my face throughout! It honestly felt like the perfect bike for the job! Straight away the bike felt dialled in for the terrain being thrown at it. The frame of this bike I feel strikes a perfect balance between comfort & stiffness so on the climbs responds well & doesnt beat you up on the rough stuff!It felt great on the descents & gave me the confidence to let it roll! The comfort in general over the distance was amazing! Even towards the end I felt good & that I actually really could have ventured on a little further! Overall, seriously impressed! It made me feel capable. - Gillian

"Fustle Causeway - What a bike!"The picture below is of IvanMcMinn, proudly wearing his Vatterunden 2025 medal.The Vatterunden is the worlds largest public cycle event and 2025 was the 60thyear of the event, this year attracting over 24,000 cyclists from all around the world, competing in what is a 315km non-stop event around the massive Lake Vatterunden in the centre of Sweden.Ivanwas 62 when he completed in the event and although he has completed a number of Marathons and many half marathons, triathlons and the likes, he had never undertaken such a long cycle event, his longest prior to Varrerunden being just over 100kms, so quite a challenge.Ivancontacted us to thank us for our help in supplying him with a Causeway. His comments to us were Wow, what a bike!The Causeway was just amazing and got me round the 315kms in just over 15 hours. The Causeway allowed me to cover the KMs with ease and in comfort, including the circa 7,000 ft of climb during the event with some of the climbs lasting a good few KMs. I can honesty say that if someone had said to me at the finish line, you have another 100kms to go, Id have had no problem doing that.Massive thanks to Julie and Alistair for all their help and advice to the novice that I wasFustle Causeway strongly recommended."

Gary from UK Gravel Collective has been a big part of our journey since the very beginning, and as an off road enthusiast with a background in MTB, his approach to gravel biking aligned perfectly with ours as we both set out to discover this shiny new world of Gravel back in 2018/19.Gary tested the originl Causeway G1 and followed that review (read it here) by ordering a frameset for himself.Jump forward to 2025 and we couldn't wait to send him one of our pre production prototypes of the new Causeway G2 to see how it stacked up against his own pride and joy.Needless to say his review speaks for itself, and you can check out the whole thing right here.Below are a few of our own personal highlights however!"The original G1 frame came in only 3 sizes, S/M M/L and L/XL and some riders found this limiting when trying to get a good fit. The new G2 frame is avaliable XS, S,M,L,XL so should make the frame accessable to more riders. the geometry of the new bike has been teaked and the reach is slightly shorter and the head angle a tiny bit slacker. the wheelbase remains the same. Like for like the new frame is around 700g (1.5lb) lighter than the original""So i guess as I own the original Causeway i should say which of the bikes I prefer. I do love the aluminium G1 it handles great and weve had some top adventures together but if i had he money id definitely go for the G2, same great handling in a lighter package and all that tyre and front triangle clearance, whats not to like!"Shop the whole Causeway range here!

Retirement?These Italian made aluminum and carbon prototypes have served their time and are ready for the archive (aka a cardboard box shoved to the back of the top shelf in our warehouse)The development process of bringing a new model to market starts much earlier than you might expect.When we set about refining and redesigning our Causeway frame, we gathered up notes from our own rides, customer feedback, magazine reviews and made a wish list of improvements that we wanted to address.Then we draw up some data comparisons from other competitors products, focussing closely on those which we have ridden ourselves.Then we design a range of geometry spanning the full size range, and overlay that on top of the previous Causeway to make sure we havent overlooked anything.Often when refining geometry, a small change to one area can sometimes throw another angle or dimension out of whack and into a place that is undesirable so everything gets triple checked.Next we use a small batch frame maker in Italy to produce raw aluminium prototype frames with the geometry that we plan to use and set about building and ride testing those frames.In the cause of the Causeway G2, we went through 2 revisions making subtle changes to geometry, tubing positions and cable routing, then we had a carbon prototype made by hand with all of the refinements to validate everything.The Causeway G2 was released this summer, nearly 5 years after the original model was introduced, and not only is it more refined and better fitting, but it benefits from lighter materials and construction, cleaner cable routing, increased Tyre clearance and UDH compatibility.All of these refinements have the sole goal of making the rider experience better, more fun, and less fuss!Causeway G2 is available now as a frameset, and in a series of complete bike builds.

Our flagship model, and a fan favourite, the 'Causeway' started life as a disruptive 2 fingers up to the cycle industry that tried its hardest to ignore the need for a gravel bike with real life credentials!Originally released in 2020, this 2nd generation Causeway chassis sees a tonne of upgrades, refinement and redesign to offer the ultimate in do it all adventure gravel bikes.The Causeway is the ultimate in versatility. Designed for bike packing adventures, long distance trans continent epics and thrashing along rugged terrain while you channel your inner hooligan!Featuring multiple luggage mounts, aggressive, confidence inspiring geometry, refined from our G1 platform over 5 years of real world testing.The Causeway G2 also features a huge 50mm tyre clearance front and rear to allow you to install even larger volume tyres for added comfort and traction, inspired by some of the most challenging trans-continent gravel races.Features:Improved bike packing luggage carrying capabilities.Refined geometry with wider size range to fit more riders of various sizesIncreased tyre clearance. Fits 700x50c tyres with easeLightweight Toray T1000 full carbon construction saves 700g over it's aluminium predecessor.Carbon 27.2mm seatpost as standard offering compliance on chattery terrain.Integrated cable routing with blanking plates for that ultra clean look.T47 Threaded bottom bracket for ease of servicing and maintenance.Available in 2 colour options. Browse the full range here: SHOP CAUSEWAY

This is Valerie.Valerie is my mum, and aside from raising this budding young cycling-mad toddler who went on to create FUSTLE in his mid 30's, she was as many mothers are, the centre of our family home growing up.Valerie lost her father Billy (my grandfather) to Pancreatic Cancer in 2017, and became curious in 2024

Racing Through the Night: 24 Hours with Womens Cycling Ulster at MondelloBlog Post by Catriona Wheeler:A few weeks ago, I had the incredible experience of taking part in the Mondello 24-Hour race with Womens Cycling Ulsteran unforgettable test of endurance, grit, and a whole lot of midnight snacks.We rolled up to the track as three teams of 8 womenwell, 7 in our caseand got ready to take on the challenge: a full day and night of continuous riding in 30-minute stints. Sounds simple on paper. In reality? A blend of adrenaline, sleep deprivation, and surprisingly high spirits at 3am.What made it even more special for me was taking on the race aboard the new Fustle Lakelander. This bike was an absolute dreamsmooth, responsive, and totally in its element, lap after lap. It held up beautifully through the dark hours, the windy corners, and even the slightly wobbly, sleep-deprived dawn laps.Each rider on our team brought their own strength and energy to the race, and we quickly fell into a rhythmriding hard, resting harder, and cheering each other on like mad. The camaraderie among all the teams was something else. Whether it was passing high-fives in the pit lane or sharing warm coffee and weary laughs, the support never wavered.The real test came in the wee hours. Trying to stay awake between rides when your body just wants a warm bed is no joke. But somehow, between the buzz of the event, our collective motivation, and the odd caffeine boost, we pushed through. By sunrise, we were running on fumesbut also pride, determination, and a healthy dose of team spirit.Crossing the final finish line was pure magic. Wed done it. 24 hours, hundreds of kilometres, and one very happy team (albeit slightly broken and desperate for showers).Massive shoutout to the incredible ladies of Womens Cycling Ulster for making this event so inspiring and fun, and to Fustle for creating a bike that truly delivered when it counted most.CatrionaTo find out more about Womens Cycling Ulster events and rides, check out their website: https://www.cyclingulster.com/women-news/

Pedal The Periphery 2025 - TEAM FUSTLEOn Friday 6th June, 2025, it was time for all of the previous 6 months preparation and planning to stand up and take action, as our first dedicated FUSTLE TEAM set off on an epic 48 hour, 480mm circuit around the periphery of Northern Ireland, in aid of Pancreatic Cancer.What is Pedal The Periphery?This event was born back in 2023, when sisters Cathy and Andrea were set the challenge by Andreas late husband Paddy Harrower, as one of his last wishes. Paddy was well known for his comment about his diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer which may well have played a part in the events creation."Im not living with Cancer... Cancer is living with me... and I'm taking it for a ride!"The girls, who were no strangers to marathon adventure and cycling events, took on the challenge by themselves, and pedalled non stop around Northern Ireland before arriving back at the finish line in just under 48 hours in an effort to raise awareness and funds for NIPANC, Northern Ireland Pancreatic Cancer Charity.Pancreatic cancer has touched so many people and is often only diagnosed very late on so it has unfortunately got one of the lowest survival rates amongst. Cathy's long time school friend Natalie also fell ill to the disease and sadly passed away, and it was this heartache for both of the girls that helped them dig in throughout that ride in 2023 despite the pain, discomfort and sleep deprivation to complete the 480 miles.PTP 2025Leap forward to June 2025 and the event has now become a multi team relay, inviting teams from all over Northern Ireland to take part, and having dipped a toe in 2024 as part of a team of Fustle customers and University Staff, we felt strongly that we wanted to enter a dedicated Fustle team to tackle this years challenge.We gathered our team of riders, some were experienced cyclists, and some were not. For 2 or 3 team members, this event would be the first time they had swung a leg over a bicycle in 20-30 years. No easy task when you consider the event takes place on open roads, throughout day and night, and with the ever reliable Northern Irish weather to keep you on your toes.The great thing about events like these are that although our team started off with 10 names in a hat, plus a few brave crew, throughout the days leading up to the start, and even throughout the ride, it swelled to 11, then 12, then 13, all wanting to play their part and help complete the ride. Huge thanks to everyone who joined in and helped out along the way!Glenn McCaffrey, Neal Boomer, Valeria McKie, Gary McKie, Cathal Bagnall, Michael Williamson, Eddie Doyle, Catriona Wheeler, Darren Tapp, Chris Burns, Sarah Grant, Julie Beckett, Alastair Beckett.Friday 6th JuneAt 13:20 on Friday 6th June, 3 team members, Glenn, Cathal and Julie, set off from Lisburn Rugby Club just outside belfast and kick-started the journey around the country. The first leg takes the teams from Lisburn all the way down the ards peninsula, across the ferry in Portaferry and onwards to Check Point 1 in Newcastle. A journey of 90 miles, which we opted to split into smaller sections and draft in a few different cyclists.FUSTLE's very own Granny Val, who had recently only taken up cycling again to train for the event after a 35 hiatus, turned out to be one of the top fund raisers and the streets were lined with donors patiently waiting for their chance to cheers her on as she pedalled from Groomsport to Ardglass. (36 Miles)Accompanied by Neal Boomer, he took the timing chip (and our trusty mascot, Turbo the Turtle) onwards from Ardglass and put the hammer down to reach CP1 in Newcastle as dusk was starting to roll in. A quick stop for photos and to top up his water, collecting Eddie Doyle on the way through Dundrum, then onwards to the next hand-over which was in Rostrevor where Cathal and his partner were waiting with the crew car to take over for the first night stage to Dungannon. (65 Miles)Saturday 7th JuneEddie Doyle, Cathal Bagnall put in a fantastic ride through the night from Rostrevor to Dungannon, faced with dropping temperatures, and heavy rain showers, saved only by the flask of coffee that Cathal's crew had smuggled away in their crew car. After departing Rostrevor jut before midnight, the boys delivered the tracker and 'Turbo' safely into Dungannon at 04:30am where Michael Williamson was waiting their arrival.After waiting for daylight so that he could ride unassisted by any crew car, Michael set off from Dungannon on a mission to achieve a 100mile ride as was his target a few month prior when all of the planning was going on.Michael faced similar rain showers and undulating roads as he travelled west towards Fivemiletown, before turning south on his way to the twisty roads around Lough Erne in Fermanagh. By this stage, Julie, Sarah and Alastair were packing the van and preparing to drive west to take over at the most westerly point of Northern Ireland.Michael rolled into Belcoo (where the famous Lakelander Gravel Grinder event departs) around mid day on Saturday after a stellar 85 mile ride, and to help provide a tow across the final 20 miles, Alastair, Daz (Darren Tapp) and Chris Burns jumped on and rode with Michael through yet more rain showers, to arrive at CP3 in Beleek, and then onwards to Boa Island for a coffee and bun from Island Brew.Here come the girls!Arriving in Boa Island at shortly after 2pm, it was time for Julie and Sarah to head off and start racking up the miles after sitting in the crew van for 5 hours. Much to their surprise, the road out of Boa Island and headed North East towards Castlederg was referred to as the "Roller Coaster" thanks to it's seemingly never ending undulating hills.The girls powered on and were feeling strong as they descended into Castlederg and onwards to Strabane, and with word of family members cheering them on from the roadside in Derry, they refused to stop until they reached it, racking up an impressive 47 miles in the process.The time was 6:15pm, and after swapping over with the girls, Alastair set off for his 2nd leg from Derry and headed north towards the Causeway Coast, unsure of the end goal, but happy to back on 2 wheels and not worrying about driving, navigation or where the next toilet stop might be!The Causeway Coast.The north coast of Ireland is stunning, and gave name to our very first gravel bike, so it has a fond place in our heart always. Riding along the coastline into Downhill Beach, and onwards to Portstewart, Portrush and Bushmills as the sun was setting and the moon turned red, was definitely a unique experience and provided a quiet moment to reflect on the event and what it really meant to each and everyone who was out on the road at the same time.There was a sense of calm to be had knowing that even though I was on the road alone, only a few miles either side would be another cyclist suffering with the same tired legs, sweaty eyeballs, and sore butt, totally in awe of the thought of Andrea and Cathy both having completed this marathon cycle all by themselves!I reached Bushmills around 21:30pm and handed over to Sarah and Julie for the last 13 miles into Ballycastle in the dark. Again, as they made sure to communicate with their unique tone of colourful language and hand gestures, they were met with some steep climbs along the coast road past the Giants Causeway and Carrick-a-rede, before descending into Ballycastle around 23:00pm where Catriona Wheeler was waiting to take over.Torr Head!23:30pm on a Saturday night, and Ballycastle was jumping with live music in the pubs, and fellow cyclists retiring for rehydration in the bar across the road. The temperature was dropping rapidly, but the sky looked clear of rain clouds for the time being at least.Catriona set off, with support driver Paul McT in tow (better known for organising the "FROG" Fun Run of the Glens cycle event) and didn't make it far before passing her first cheering squad who were a few drinks deep in the local pub in Ballyvoy after a Cycling Ulster MTB event that day.Catriona set a blistering pace over the infamous Torr Head spurred on by the thought of a few hours of well needed sleep in Glenariffe, arriving around 00:25am on Sunday.As the rest of the team slept with one eye open and fixated on the tracker, calculating what time we might need to head to the finish line to join up for the final pedal across the line, Catriona was up and on her way at 05:30am and making up ground as she fixated on the other teams up ahead.News team... ASSEMBLE!At 09:00am on Sunday morning, those who could make it had parked up at the finish line and we set off in reverse to meet both Catriona and "Navigator Neal" who were now coming through Belfast on the final approach of this epic 480 mile challenge.The finish line didn't disappoint, with purple jerseys, flags, banners and dogs cheering and shouting as we pedalled around the corner, it all of a sudden felt like only a few hours since we rolled out of the start gate just a few miles away.Huge thanks goes to the event organisers, planners, timing crew, support crew, volunteers and everyone that stood on the side of the road, in the rain, cheering the riders on.This is the 3rd year that we have seen this event grow and develop, and we are so fortunate to be able to help support it and help raise awareness for those suffering from this terrible illness.There is still an opportunity to donate and show your support for this mammoth effort:DONATE HERE

It can be a real challenge finding somewhere new and exciting to take your gravel bike, but sometime daunting when you don't quite know what to expect from the terrain.Having recently ridden lots of new places, either with friends, customers, or during events like the Pan Celtic Gravel Rally, a good GPX file with some friendly pointers can make the difference between having a great experience, and a nightmare!We have started to put together a list of routes for those fellow gravel riders based in Northern Ireland (We hope to expand this to a wider audience soon) and will continue to add to it over the coming months.If you have a route that you particularly love and would like to share with use, we would be thrilled, so drop us an email with a link to the GPX file and a brief summary of the route and its statistics. (We find that Komoot is a great app to use for this, but any GPX file will also work)VIEW ROUTES