Team Parcours Member Callum Stubbs On Racing The Gralloch
Callum Stubbs joined the Parcours Ambassador team in 2026. 
He is a passionate gravel racer, whos’t been racing at the highest level in the UK and Europe the last few years. He particularly loves the endurance X-country racing and mountain biking, and returned to the UK, from working at a bike shop in Whistler, Canada, last summer.
One of his races this year was Gralloch. The Gralloch is one of Britain’s premier gravel cycling festival, with three days of action and fun, celebrating endurance, adventure and world-class riding. The event has something for everyone, from the elites to the sportive for beginners.
Callum takes us through his race and preparation for The Gralloch.
The Gralloch, Scotland
My preparation heading into this race hadn’t been ideal. I’d recently moved city and had a busy few weeks with work commitments, meaning riding and training had taken a bit of a back seat while I got settled in. Nonetheless, I knew I was going well on the bike and had some speed tucked away.
Before any race, I like to strip the bike down, bolt check everything, grease components and throw on a fresh waxed chain. It gives me confidence knowing the bike is dialled and not going to rattle itself to pieces once the gravel gets rough. It always feels good rolling to the start line on a bike that feels ready for a big day out.
Why the Gralloch?
This was my fourth time racing the Gralloch in Scotland. The mix of climbing and high-speed gravel descents suits my riding style well coming from a mountain bike background, and over the years I’ve come to know the 111km course pretty well. That familiarity definitely helps with pacing, nutrition and staying mentally composed both before and during the race.
The event itself is also brilliantly organised and set in one of the most picturesque locations on the calendar. Fast gravel roads, open moorland and big Scottish landscapes make it an easy decision every year to come back and race this round of the UCI Gravel World Series.
Race Day
The race started surprisingly well. I made it over the first climb in a strong position and settled into the front group feeling comfortable, ticking off the early sectors at a fast pace without going too deep. The winds over the exposed moorland roads were savage in places, so I was conscious of staying sheltered and riding smart where possible.
Even with all the preparation, attrition was still the name of the game. I picked up three punctures throughout the race and eventually ran out of CO2 cartridges. I hoped the final puncture would seal, but the last descent had other ideas and it blew again halfway down. I plugged it as quickly as I could and rode on with little air left in the tire until I came across some locals supporting from outside their house. They disappeared into the garage and emerged with a track pump that got me rolling properly again.
From there, I managed to ride across to a group of two for the final 10km road section and rolled it home with them to finish the day.
Of course, I’d have loved a cleaner race and a better result, but the legs were firing, the bike felt fast, and despite the hiccups it was still a fun packed day out on the bike.
The Tech Bit
For the Gralloch I ran my Specialized Crux fitted with Parcour’s FKT wheelset with the ceramic bearing upgrade. You really notice how much the rim depth and profile help carry speed across the faster sections of the course.
For tires, I used Pirelli Cinturato H 45c’s, which measured closer to 47mm thanks to the internal rim width of the FKTs. I tend to favour slightly higher pressures for races like this as I prefer the bike to skip across the rougher, chunkier gravel rather than sink into it. That combination worked brilliantly for the mixed terrain the Gralloch throws at you. CeramicSpeed jockey wheels and bottom bracket finished off what is an incredibly smooth, agile and lightweight gravel race setup.
What’s Next?
I’m looking to target National Gravel Champs and Graean Cymru before heading out to British Columbia for some trail riding on the mountain bike around the Sunshine Coast and Whistler. A bit of a switch-up from race mode, but definitely something to look forward to.
