Home Story Short Day Out: Class of ’22

Short Day Out: Class of ’22

Adventures on the shortest days of the year

Feature type Story

Published Feb 02, 2023

Aled Bath Chief Outdoor Officer for Stohk beer. When not behind the Stohk bar, Aled can often be found down a muddy track, writing and photographing gravel bike adventures. Prone to overpacking and taking the scenic route.

#ShortDayOut is a community project established by the outdoor beer company Stohk and supported by a collective of UK-based outdoor brands including us here at BASE. The second Short Day Out took place in the run up to the 2022 Winter Solstice between 16th and 21st December. Aled Bath shares the inspiration behind the project and some of the highlights and stories.

Following the inaugural Short Day Out in 2021 and a busy summer serving up our small batch beer at some of the very finest gravel cycling events, Stohk renewed the call-up to the outdoor community to extend the stoke over the shortest days. Born out of a frustration with a lack of Vitamin D during one of the dullest months on record, the inaugural 2021 Short Day Out was our way to try and overcome the mental struggle so many of us face due to the lack of daylight at this time of year.

With December 2022 kicking off with that arctic wind blowing after plenty of rain, it had us procrastinating in our sheds about winter gear and mods for all that mud and snow. We knew the answer was to stop faffing, embrace the elements and get out there. Time to reboot Short Day Out for 2022.

Short Day Out builds on our ethos that ‘everything is better outside’ and with the help of Base, we’ve rounded up some of the most inspiring stories from those who got out there.

Stohk Founder Matt Fee was up with the sparrows to lead things out over in Amsterdam capturing this murky stunner.

Rick Rothwell joined-up with Josh Ibbett for a multi-day ride across the country and the shortest days heading down from Edinburgh to London. A true winter epic.

Good friend of Stohk, Naomi Freireich went in search of stoke with this blast through the woods and across the Pentland Hills.

Over in Canada James gathered the crew together for a sunrise to sunset winter tour. 10 hours of icy roads, camaraderie, coffee and finishing up with beers by the firepit – the perfect Short Day Out.

For his second Short Day Out @rossmallen went all-in, taking on the greasy chalk and boggy grass to claim both the summer and winter Fastest Known Times on the 169km White Horse Round. He said afterwards ‘Great Day Out, I might lay down til Christmas day now!”

The final one and winner of this year’s amazing Short Day Out prize bundle is the ace Nicole Read who looked like she got some inspo from the #rulesofstohk with a hat trick of ‘Aim for the puddles’, ‘Who dare grins’ and ‘Dirty Miles, Bigger Smiles’!

A big thank you to the Short Day Out 2022 Official Partners: Komoot, GRVL Apparel, Miir UK, Pearson 1860, Coffee Workshop, Raiders Gravel, Wild Cycles & Great British Escapades