Parkes Event Information
Prices for entry : LONG $145 / MIDDLE $130 / SMALL $90
Your Entry Includes:
goodness bag - sustainable rider plate, event buff, draw string bag and ride nutrition
catered rest stop(s) - varies for SMALL
bag drop to rest stop - varies for SMALL
support : mechanical / medical / sweep
live music
post ride sausage sizzle / vegan option and drink by a local Charity
finishers pin when riders arrive back to the Village post their ride
+ $25 for an event t-shirt - optional
Bookings will close 48 hours before the event
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Each entry will be put in to a hat and lucky rider prizes will be announced on the day
The Panaracer Plate is a major prize coming from:
SCV who donate $500 to be used on a Bombtrack, Apidura Bags or Panaracer Tires
Thank you to our great sponsors for Gundy / Glen Innes / Orange / Parkes
Riders will register by their Last Name, NOT by Rider Plate Number.
It helps to have remembered your Rider Numbers (for life) but it is not mandatory:)
Each rider will have received your Rider Number via email after you made your booking.
We will be hosting EARLY Rider Registration on the evening before our events.
Early Rider Registration :
Location TBC
Friday 31 October 2025
6:00pm > 8:00pm
Address + LINK TBC
Event Day Registration
Harrison Park
Saturday 1 November 2025
6:45am > 8:25am for 130km + 110km & 50km
Address Eugowra Rd, Parkes NSW 2870 (closest cross road Nash Street) - LINK
What is available at Event Village :
Start, registration and check-in
Live Music
Coffee & finish complimentary BBQ
Mechanic : more details below
Bathrooms : wheelchair access at the existing Council Toilets
Rest Stop Bag Drop : use your goodnessgravel draw string bag
Rest Stop Bag Collect : Bags will be returned to Harrison Park from Cookamidgera, estimated return time to Harrison Park ~12:00pm
After Ride Drop Bag : i.e. gear to be left at the start/finish for you to collect when you return
Finish
Post Ride : Riders receive a complimentary sausage sling (vegan option available) and cold drink
The Event organisers and staff CANNOT be held responsible for any bag which is left or any losses. DO NOT put anything of value in your bag.
Depart Times Harrison Park
7:30am : 130km
8:00am : 110km
8:30am : 50km
Return Time Harrison Park
1st Return Harrison Park : no stopping @ 30 kph
50km : 10:10am // 110km : 11:40am // 130km : 11:50am
Last Return Harrison Park : no stopping @ 18 kph
50km : 11:15am // 110km : 2:05pm // 130km : 2:45pm
Rest Stops
What is available at the Rest Stop in Cookamidgera:
Music
Bathrooms
Specific to Rest Stop in Cookamidgera : Collection station for riders to collect your bag
Bananas and water
Rider nutrition including bars, gels and hydration powder
Suncream
The Event organisers and staff CANNOT be held responsible for any bag which is left or any losses. DO NOT put anything of value in your bag.
NOTE : Event Volunteers will be at the Rest Stops for APPROXIMATE times and will CLOSE at those times as they are based on ~18kph.
Mechanic
Thank you to Bicycle Central Armidale & Trail Mechanic for their support during the event.
There will be mechanical support on Friday evening at Registration plus Saturday morning at Harrison Park and on course.
They will have track pumps, mechanic stand and basic spares including tubes.
This basic mechanical assistance is free to the goodnessgravel riders.
Sweep
This vehicle will move at ~18kph.
We will close the course at the stated closing times and there will be NO support offered to riders once the course is closed.
This is for safety and that is its primary purpose. It should NOT be relied on for spares.
If you are overtaken by the vehicle you will told to return to the start for your own safety.
If you are waiting for this vehicle for support &/or to fix your bike, you may be waiting for a long time and it will be a slow transfer to either the Rest Stop or back to Start/Finish area.
Please also note that there is ONLY so much space and it may not be able to sweep you.
The vehicle may take you to the Rest Stop or bring you back to Harrison Park but it is there to bring up the end of the field and take down event signage. It will not deviate away from this focus.
On the Sunday enjoy a Social Pedal and explore more of the glorious Parkes Area including the riding around 'The Dish'
These are open rides and you can depart from wherever you would like and follow any one of the GPX courses ... so leave at any time that suits you
Parkes Dish Mini 21km / 89m
61% Gravel / 39% Paved
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48765644
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Parkes Dish Midi 27km / 115m
63% Gravel / 37% Paved
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48765647
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Parkes Dish Max 32km / 165m
85% Gravel / 15% Paved
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48765654
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No cost associated - just get out and enjoy
There are also plenty more options : https://www.goodnessgravel.com/parkes-rides
Friday 31 October 2025
Early Registration, more details Under Registration Tab
Saturday 1 November 2025
7:25am : Call for 'fast' riders to enter the start area
Long : Depart : 7:30am
Middle : Depart : 8:00am
Short : Depart : 8:30am
Post Ride : Riders receive a complimentary sausage sling (vegan and gluten free option available) and cold drink - at Harrison Park
Bring a picnic blanket and reminisce about the ride while listening to some live music around the Event Village
Our strong recommendation is that you keep on pedalling throughout the day. Work on ensuring you return to Harrison Park in the shortest possible time. Therefore stopping at the Rest Stop(s) should be limited and your training program, particularly for the 130km riders, is set no less than 18kph.
Tired on the course?
The sweep vehicle is travelling at a pace to arrive back to Harrison Park at 3:00pm when the event has finished. If riders are passed by the sweep, you have the option to continue riding the remainder of the course but will be outside of the event services.
NOTE : our food and entertainment are scheduled to finish up at Harrison Park at 3:00pm.
Parkes
There is decent reception in Parkes
If you are ON on Telstra, on course there is much better mobile reception
For all other providers there is more limited mobile reception out on course
There will be First Aid available at the start line and also roaming on course
They are NOT support vehicles and will NOT be able to assist with mechanical issues
There is a Medical Emergency Phone Number - riders should save this number on their phone
+61 456 391 460
It is ONLY to be used for medical emergencies
This is NOT a phone number to call if you have had a mechanical!!
The above number is also on your Ride Plate
Your rider plate is hand-made with love and fully sustainable in cotton and dipped in beeswax.
After the event, you can actually use your rider plate to cover food instead of using glad wrap!
When registering, you will receive your plate and you put that on your handlebars.
Your rider number : the early bird catches the worm. We assign rider numbers for LIFE.
This means that for ALL future goodnessgravel events you will retain this Unique Number.
Riders will receive their number in the order which they are received.
So the FIRST rider to ever sign up got the #1 plate for LIFE.
We have been lucky enough to have been associated with bike events for years and this is something that we longed for over the years.
Who is #001?
Book ASAP to avoid disappointment
Plastic v’s Twine
We really want to try and reduce the amount of plastic we have around the course
We cannot totally eliminate it but there are some things we can do to less our impact
Zip ties are brilliant things but we always find them all over the place once an event is over … so we are giving riders TWINE to lace up their Rider Plate Numbers - it may take you another second but in the long run it’s better for the environment and we thank you
If you want to BYO ties, please feel free to do so
Please do NOT litter - you are riding through some beautilful countryside, let's keep it that way
There will be rubbish bins at the Rest Stops and around the event village
We want these events to be open for all abilities.
If you require specific access, please send us an email - info@goodnessgravel.com
When you BOOK you will Tick a Box which states
'I have read the Event Information and accept the Waiver'.
18 YO : any riders who are UNDER 18 Years Old on the day of the event, they MUST ride with an adult.
Parkes : $10 from each entry will be donated to local Clubs including Lions and RFS
Each entry will be put in to a hat and lucky rider prizes will be announced on the day
With the major prize coming from:
SCV who donate $500 to be used on a Bombtrack bike or Panaracer Tires
For ALL Events
Bookings for T-Shirts Close THREE weeks before the event
Bookings for the event close 48 hours before the event
The Transfer Deadline is 12:00pm on the Monday before the event
*We highly recommend that you organise your own Third Party Public Liability and Personal Accident Insurance
More details on 'Ride or Race / Insurance' tab below
There are a lot of costs associated with events
We have many volunteers who are assisting with the event, we will be using local charities to fill our volunteer quota and we make a donation to local charities for their assistance
These events could not go ahead if we did not have the help from these great people so please say g’day and greet them with a smile.
Payment is taken at the time of your booking via Stripe. You can pay via Apple Pay, Amex, Visa or MasterCard.
We understand that you may want to transfer your INDIVIDUAL entry from the longer course to the shorter course.
This is not a problem and so that we have this information in our system, can you please email us info@goodnessgravel.com with an update.
If you want to transfer from the shorter course to the longer course, you will need to email us info@goodnessgravel.com.
The outstanding amount needs to be paid to cover your transfer. This amount will be communicated once we hear from you.
There is no refund when transferring from the long to the short course.
We understand that things come up and you may want to transfer your entry.
There are no refunds, we are happy for YOU to organise a transfer of your entry to another rider. You can do this via our facebook page or through your own network :
We are able to transfer entries - the deadline to do so is 12:00pm on the Monday before each event
Riders can transfer their entries LIKE for LIKE, i.e. a LONG course to another LONG course rider or SHORT course rider to another SHORT course rider, including any t-shirt ordered. It is not possible to transfer a SHORT course entry to a LONG course rider. Please understand this is the case due to our booking system.
Please note that there are some details which need to be received if riders are wanting to cancel/transfer their entry.
We must receive an email from you to info@goodnessgravel.com which states :
I ____________ (insert NAME), ____________ (insert EMAIL), ____________ (insert PHONE)
Am transferring my entry to ____________ (insert NAME), ____________ (insert EMAIL), ____________ (insert PHONE).
ALL Events : Any t-shirt orders can be transferred to the new rider IF the same size.
Once we have received your email we will be in touch with the new rider and go from there.
It is up to you to organise the transfer and how you exchange the funds. This is your responsibility.
Please do NOT contact us until you have found someone to take your entry.
Groups or Clubs with 5 or more riders attract a 10% discount
Contact us via email info@goodnessgravel.com and within 24 hours we will create a dedicated code for you and your 'GROUP/CLUB' which you can then use as your 'Event / Group / Club Discount Code'
NOTE : all discounts are turned off 3 weeks before each event as we have to purchase Rider Plates, Buff, Nutrition, Finishers Pin etc
When registering, which is also riders check-in for the event, you will receive:
Ride plate : made from sustainable products
Draw string bag : goodnessgravel and made from cotton which will include
Twine : a natural string product to attach your ride plate to your handlebars
Buff : designed with the goodnessgravel course map : made in Australia
Other goodies : from our other lovely sponsors
When you finish riders will receive:
Finishers pin : a thank you for participating in the event and something which is limited and the design will change each year
Complimentary sausage sling (vegan option available) and cold drink
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2024 Event T-Shirt Graphic for all events design by Fuel Sydney and like the Finishers pin, the design will change each year
Event shirt : OPTIONAL : to organise your t-shirt, you will need to select the box when you book. We produce limited edition shirts for each event.
Deadline for ordering t-shirts is roughly THREE weeks before the event
If you register the day before the event, you can collect your t-shirt then
For SIZING :
To find the Size Guide, look for the hyper link on the RIGHT hand side of the page. You will find it next to (or under) the heading SIZE, near the text blocks ie SML / MED etc. Click the hyper link to bring up the measurements.
Once you have checked the measurements on the links, you can then measure your size by:
Placing a garment that you are comfortable with wearing flat on a table
Measure, in centimetres, from seam to seam, just under the arm.
This will give you the Body Width (cm) measurement.
Please note there is a cut off, around three weeks before the event, when event t-shirts must be ordered
When registering riders receive a goodness bag. This is your rider bag which can be taken to a Rest Stop, so long as you put it in the correct place
For the Parkes event your goodness bag can be taken by our volunteers to the REST STOP at ~35km in Cookamidgera
We have TWO options for dropping them off :
ONE : Registration on the Friday afternoon or evening
TWO : Harrison Park by 7:45am on the event day -- so if you are doing the 110km OR 50km course - you MUST drop it off by 7:45am - please and thank you
Your rider bag WILL BE marked with your LAST NAME & RIDER NUMBER
We will NOT transport ANY OTHER bags OR ANY loose food/hydration/clothing WHICH IS NOT in a goodnessgravel rider bag
On the event day, after registration, place your bag in the designated area, which will be sign posted. We will transport your rider bag to a Rest Stop where you can collect your bag
HINT : attach a piece of coloured tape/ribbon around the draw-string so that you can find it easier amongst the other bags!
When at the Rest Stop collect your bags & put things in (clothing etc) or take things out (nutrition / clothing etc)
Bags will be returned to the event village at set times - see Event Mail-Outs for specifics
To confirm, water will be available for riders at the Rest Stop(s)
As this is not a race, there should be no panic when at the Rest Stop(s)
At the Rest Stops there will be SANITISER
Riders must be self sufficient, carrying tubes, pump, air canister, multi-tool, chain link, chain breaker, tire plugs and boot (if your tire is slashed). If you do not know how to use the items which are suggested, spend some time on youtube to up-skill. There will be times when you are riding by yourself and it is far better to know how to fix an issue than to wait for support.
Please make sure you have your TWO water bottles already filled at the start - we will have water at the rest stops for re-fills
Please note that this is not an exhaustive list : use this list as a guide : LINK
Those items in BOLD are HIGHLY recommended to be carried on you / on your bike
Those items in Italics can be in your rider drop bag to go to the Rest Stop
The Event organisers and staff CANNOT be held responsible for any bag which are left or any losses. DO NOT put anything of value in your bag
Riders should come prepared with bike specific clothing and be prepared for all weather conditions
We Highly Recommended that Riders wear WOOL SOCKS as there may be water crossings!
Use our bag drop service if you want to pick up OR drop off gear at the Rest Stop
Keep your eye on the weather and dress accordingly, it may be hot OR cold
Please feel free to bring extra clothing which you can leave at the start along one of the fences
Please note, the Event organisers and staff CANNOT be held responsible for any clothing which is left or any losses. DO NOT leave anything of sentimental value at the start line.
Parkes
Weather in November : Min 14C > Max 28C : averaging 5 days of rain : Note October 11 > 24C
Saturday 1 November 2025 : Sunrise 6:08am / Sunset 7:34pm
Bad Weather - if the BOM site lists Emergency Warnings of Fire, Heat, Wind, Extreme Cold &/Or Flooding, the event will be either cancelled or the route altered.
If for any reason we have to CANCEL the event due to Bad Weather, all money paid will be used as a CREDIT for the next edition of the event.
All riders who have registered for the event will have priority registration for that next event. We will give all riders who have registered for that particular event a 7 day window to confirm their spot before we open for bookings to the general public for the next edition of that goodnessgravel event.
If we do have to CANCEL, we understand that things change. We will allow for all riders to transfer their entries to another rider without penalty. See Transfer Entry TAB on Event Information for more information on transferring entries.
We are a small business and these events take a lot of work to get up and running. We appreciate your understanding and for you support.
Event photos are part of your entry
Your official photographers for the event are from Outer Image
After the event riders will be emailed a link so you can find images of yourselves from the day - these will be classified under your Rider Plate Number
Once you have found your shot, simply select an image to view and click on the download button above the image
Please help share the love by posting them to your social media and use #goodnessgravel and @goodnessgravel
Past Events
Bikes : Bring your gravel or e-Gravel ... or ... if you do not have a gravel bike, do the ride on your MTB or e-MTB
See the Surface Tab for more details.
DO NOT bring a road or road-e bike, all courses are NOT suitable any style of road bike, even if they have ‘wide’ tires. Leave them at home!
Tri-bars are not allowed as you will be riding on sections of gravel and it is not safe.
Please make sure that you have had your bike recently serviced and all the components are in good order. You have checked your tires and lubed your chain before you head out on course.
Tyre Width : the fatter the tyre the more comfortable but slower you will be.
News from SCV Imports who distribute Panaracer tyres :
The Panaracer Gravel King SK (Small-Knobs) 'Plus' Tubeless 43 is SCV's best-selling 650 tyre size whereas the 38 is their ‘go-to’ for 700c wheels.
A 35x650 will leave you with a small rolling diameter and will be less capable on rougher terrains and has less load carrying ability. A 38 will probably feel ‘faster’ while a 43 will feel plush and comfortable.
Jimmy : goodnessgravel Rider #69 who is a tyre-aficionado and used to work for SCV - ran a 650x48 at goodnessgravel Gundy and Mogo. He felt it was very comfortable but if 'racing' it would be a little too slow/wide while riding with the faster groups.
So in summary from SCV – if your wheels are 650b, SCV would select 650x43 and for 700c they would choose 700x38.
The Panaracer Gravel King SK (Small-Knobs) 'Plus' tubeless are “the gravel tyre". They are Panaracer's flagship model and the ones which put Panaracer to the forefront in the Gravel scene. The ‘Plus’ adds a little weight but it offers greater security and worth the weight in their opinion.
The other alternative is the Panaracer Gravel King SS (Semi-Slick): Almost like a wet weather road tyre, designed as more of a “faster race tyre” for hard pack gravel. They are definitely not as stable corning on looser gravel and provide very little grip in the wet.
How Difficult : These rides ARE NOT recommended for beginner cyclists.
All riders are expected to have experience in riding long distances in remote areas. You are also required to have knowledge in following a GPS course on their Garmin (or similar) and also how to hydrate and stay on top of your nutrition during long rides.
Course 130km : It will be a big day seeing open plains, flat sections, rollers and rest stops. Make sure you dee the profile and more details on the main page.
Course 110km : Similar to the 130km course without the out and back section to Eugowra. See the profile and more details on the main page.
Course 50km : A lovely course for the gravel-curious, offering tarmac and gravel sections with a Rest Stop on course to fill up, hear some music and enjoy the day. See the profile and more details on the main page.
Signage
Keep an eye out for the signage on course - all designed by Fuel Sydney
The Parkes Region : has lots of levels of accomodation available including Motels, Farm Stays, camping and pubs : https://visitparkes.com.au/stay/
Surface : the conditions of the roads in the Parkes area can be patchy. The gravel roads are generally well hard packed roads. There is always the chance that there will be sections of potholes, dust and corrugations.
As with any type of riding, care must be taken and riders should ride to their own abilities.
DO NOT bring a road or road-e bike, all courses are NOT suitable any style of road bike, even if they have ‘wide’ tires. Leave them at home!
We will be driving the course the week of the event and any major issues will be communicated to our riders via email in the WEEK BEFORE. This is also when riders will receive the Strava and Ride With GPS links for GPX files.
Water crossing : in 'normal' dry conditions, there will be no water crossings.
Depending on the weather in the lead up to event, there may be water crossings or boggy sections. We will update riders as mentioned above.
If it has been wet, we Highly Recommended that Riders wear WOOL SOCKS due to water crossings!
Registered riders will be emailed the Strava and Ride With GPS links the week of the event
This is where you can download the GPX file onto your GPS Device - more info below
Join the goodnessgravel Strava Club and see who else is riding the course and click the Orange Box 'I'm In'
Note that riding any of our courses flat out is not possible for most ‘ordinary’ riders.
Come ride with your mates or find some new ones to enjoy the scenery and get through what is undoubtedly a tough day on the bike.
We are all here for a common reason, that is to ride bikes in an amazing location and support local businesses and charities.
These are Open Rides i.e. the roads are NOT closed and riders MUST abide by NSW road rules.
Insurance
You are responsible to cover yourself for this event.
We highly recommend that you organise your own Third Party Public Liability and Personal Accident Insurance.
If you have a membership with Bicycling NSW, AusCycling or similar, this will cover you.
We suggest you join one of the above and if you select AUSCycling they offer a policy for as little as $7 for their Lifestyle Cover - valid for ONE month only. Alternatively, you can get Individual membership for one year with BicycleNSW - $125.
For more information : AUSCycling OR BicycleNSW
It is also highly recommended that riders have their own Private Health Insurance which also has Ambulance cover.
GPX
To confirm, registered riders will be emailed the Strava and Ride With GPS link including GPX file the week of the event
We are waiting this close to the event because of road, gravel and weather conditions.
It is expected that riders have the route on a GPS device with mapping capabilities such as a Garmin (or similar). Riders will be in remote areas where there will be NO mobile phone coverage.
If you do not have a Garmin (or similar), you must download the App Ride With GPS to your smart phone. Riders can download the Map so they can use the course when Offline, i.e. when out of mobile phone reception. For more information see the Ride With GPS help page - LINK.
In addition we will mark the course in different ways.
There will be arrows at major intersections / There will be arrows sprayed on the ground / At points, there will be tape marking trees at major intersections
We need to make sure that you have the GPS downloaded on to your device incase the arrows have been removed or altered.
Riders MUST use their GPS to assist in guiding through the course. It is also helpful to keep an eye on total distance and the time which you have been on the bike.
There are two options to use to follow the course on your smart phone
Option 1 : Ride With GPS
You must have the Ride With GPS App on your phone. The logo for this App is predominately black with an orange rider.
Once you have this App on your phone you can click the Course link - or sms it to yourself - and then the course will open it in that application.
Then tap the ‘bulls-eye’ on the bottom right of the screen to show ‘your location’.
Then follow the blue dot as you go around the course, following the red line.
You do NOT need to be a premium member to follow the route.
Option 2 : Strava
You must have the Strava App on your phone. The logo for this App is predominately orange with two white triangles/mountains.
Once you have this App on your phone you can click the Course link - or sms it to yourself - and then the course will open it in that application.
Then tap the ‘Use Route’ on the bottom of the screen then tap ’start’, also at the bottom.
That will bring up a large screen with numbers on it.
To bring up the map, click the bottom right smaller circle within a circle and that will bring up the map over the entire screen.
Then follow the blue dot as you go around the course, following the blue line.
You do NOT need to be a premium member to follow the route.
goodnessgravel Parkes will be using quiet secondary roads for the event.
Saturday 1 November 2025
