About the Kettle Mettle Dirty Fondo

What is the Kettle Mettle Dirty Fondo?

It’s The Oldest Gravel Fondo in Western Canada and most likely one of the most scenic Gravel Fondos in all of North America as well.

What is a Gravel Fondo

It’s a bike race or bike ride taking place primarily on gravel and dirt with at least 85% on gravel / dirt and less then 15% on pavement.

What type of Bike is Appropriate?

The most common bike at the event these days are Gravel or Cyclo-Cross bikes. There are some who participate with some road bikes and mtn bikes, hybrids or touring bikes. Just so you know suspension mtn bikes are not really needed for the event. However much wider tires with less air (compared to road bikes) do make the ride much more comfortable and offer more traction and of course Disc brakes sure do help on the descents. (Please Note: There will be more of this relevant bicycle information on the FAQ page)

Kettle Valley Trail and Railway History “The Dirt Track that takes you back!”

The rich history of the Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) that was a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) that operated across southern British Columbia, west of Midway running to Rock Creek, then north to Myra Canyon, down to Penticton over to Princeton, Coalmont, Brookmere, Coquihalla and finally to Hope where it connected to the main CPR line. It opened in 1915 and was abandoned in portions beginning in 1961, with the surviving portion west of Penticton seeing their last trains in 1989. Much of the railway’s original route has been converted to a multi-use recreational trail, known as the Kettle Valley Rail Trail, which carries the Trans-Canada Trail through this part of Southern British Columbia.(from Wikipedia)

Most of the KETTLE METTLE KLASSIC takes place on the Kettle Valley Railway Trail (KVR) and features a maximum 2.2% grade “Railway Grade”, and the trail can be cycled for most fitness levels although the faster you go the harder the effort is.

KETTLE METTLE KLASSIC DIRTY FONDO

On June 28th, 2025 the Kettle Mettle Klassic will showcase the historical nature of the Kettle Valley Trail and also showcase the amazing scenery of the Okanagan while also providing a scenic and challenging ride. This is a great event with a post celebration including a post event meal and cold beer , Souvenir T shirt and bottle of wine and tons of draw prizes! There are 3 Distances of Gravel Fondos to choose from that are for all levels of fitness:

  • Medio Fondo (approx. 50kms)for the Beginner or Recreational cyclist
  • Full Fondo (approx. 100kms) for the Intermediate to Advanced level cyclist
The Start / Finish is in Princeton at the Rodeo Grounds. We also have Individual and Team competitions for all events (Team of 2 and Team of 4) and their results are based upon combined times or all riders on the team

 

  • Bikepacking (for those who want to carry all their stuff with them)
  • Regular Competition (for those who want to just carry the bare essentials to finish each day)