I’m wanting to spice up my endurance riding, i’ve done the main endurance type races, Exposure 12, Kielder, Bontrager 24:12, Brighton Big Dog etc to a degree of success but i’m interested in doing some big long rides, like the South downs way but easier than the Pennine Bridleway, Trans Cambrian Way, West Highlands Way etc to start with.

i’m aware of the Seven Deadly Spins and so far i’ve done the Ridgeway, there and back, but i’m after other types of routes which are accessible to cyclists, around 100miles which i can get a GPX file for, so does anybody have any further recommendations?

Did the 100K randonee on the Isle of Wight last Saturday. I personally found this harder work than 75 miles of the SDW, thought that could have been soemthing to do with the gale force headwind! There is also a round the island loop of over 70 miles which is almost all off road and includes a lot of climbing. Recommended.

The Great Glen Way is a nice length route although not at all “gnarr” (canal paths, forest tracks etc for the most part). I used a few miles of the old Great Glen cycleway route (on back roads) near the end rather than the official waymarked walking route so I cannot comment on the climb out of Drum which I am told is steep and may be a bit of a push. I was on the singlespeed that day so the road made more sense.

How about the Pennine Bridleway? There are various English/Scottish/Welsh coast to coast routes that could be worth a look too.

Purley to Eastbourne Off Road. NDW from Woldingham to Newlands Corner/St Martha’s Hill, pick up Downs Link to Shoreham-by-Sea, SDW to Eastbourne. 100+ miles I reckon, I did most of it the other week, bailed out after 11 hours at Black Cap near Lewes, will do it next time. I don’t have gps but the route is very well signposted, I have some OS screenshots from bing.

Camino de Santiago, about 900km, not sure if there’s a record for it or not. Maybe I should set one! 🙂

Purley to Eastbourne Off Road. NDW from Woldingham to Newlands Corner/St Martha’s Hill, pick up Downs Link to Shoreham-by-Sea, SDW to Eastbourne. 100+ miles I reckon, I did most of it the other week, bailed out after 11 hours at Black Cap near Lewes, will do it next time. I don’t have gps but the route is very well signposted, I have some OS screenshots from bing.

Like the sound of that though shame National Trail haven’t seen fit to map out which bits of the NDW you can pedal on.

Mind you, isn’t the Downs Link a bit soul destroying, in a riding on a flat ex railway kind of a way?

I started a similar thread a while ago, which I can’t be bothered to search for now.
A couple of my ideas were the Stourport Ring and Avon Ring, 80 or 110 miles, mostly on canal tow paths, as much of Sustrans Route 45 as I felt I could ride out and back in a day, or the Eppynt Way, about 90 miles.

Have a look on the GPSies site, you can pick what length route you’re looking for. It should turn a few rides up for you.

National Trail haven’t seen fit to map out which bits of the NDW you can pedal on.

You could do it the cheeky way, or there are bridleways around Boxhill and Ranmore that link up, some decent chaps on here gave me some pointers I can share.

isn’t the Downs Link a bit soul destroying, in a riding on a flat ex railway kind of a way?

Yes, but a means to an end, head down and pedal, your legs get a bit of a wake up when you hit the SDW.

EDIT: I also hit a fair amount of sandy trails around the St Martha’s Hill area, jeez dry sand is hard work.

isn’t the Downs Link a bit soul destroying, in a riding on a flat ex railway kind of a way?

Yes. Done it twice. 2nd was in the hope that the 1st time was soul destroying on account of it being at the end of Winchester to Shoreham on the SDW plus a big plate of spaghetti bolognese and 3 1/2 pints of bitter in the Red Lion.

Turned out to be partly true, but I’d much rather have some variety. 40 miles of green corridor on the flat is boooring. (there is one hill). There’s something about coming round a slight bend after 4 miles of straight flat, to see another 4 miles of straight flat ahead of you…

Yes, but a means to an end, head down and pedal, your legs get a bit of a wake up when you hit the SDW.

True, but I’d rather do it on the road. Even on the mtb, on knobblies, in the traffic. At the very least you have something different to look at every now and then.

A definitive list of long range rides? i.e. the SDW

A web site containing exactly this ^ will be along shortly. Can’t say much more about it just yet but I’m sure there’ll be something about it HERE 😉

There’s supposed to be a designated cycle route from London to Paris, called the Route Verte, that’s the brainchild of a Sussex councillor to enable people to ride from Paris to London (via Newhaven & Dieppe) for the Olympics. I’m not sure how well marked or how complete it is, though.

you want a definitive list of the SDW? Oh, you meant e.g……

How is your valve/logo alignment? 😀

SUP – Southern Upland Way – as its Scotland, all legal.

thanks for the links i’ll have a look through, the Southern Upload way looks epic!!

squeekybrakes – Member
There is also a round the island loop of over 70 miles which is almost all off road and includes a lot of climbing. Recommended.

Did it in a day last year, 75 miles with approx 6,500ft of climbing. GPX file available if you want to see my route. (does include a stop at my mums for 90mins for bacon and egg sarnies). Techincally this is 75% cheeky as the IOW Coastal path is a footpath, but you only get grief between Shanklin old Village and Bonchurch usually (if at all), everywhere else is fine. The bit from Chale to Compton is a bit dull and if there’s a south-westerly wind blowing its pretty slow.

How about the Jack Mytton way? ~100 miles, goes near some cracking riding too: link to pdfs etc.

I’m having a go at the Wales Coast to Coast (offroad) in August

bigyinn please could you email me a gpx? Ta. 😀

i rode the wessex ridgeway a few months back crewkerne-tollard royal; & then joined the ox drove to salisbury then clarendon way to winchester.

if you wanted to append the SDW you could!!

thanks for the links i’ll have a look through, the Southern Upload way looks epic!!

I’ve done sections from St Marys through to just past Duns – a lot of high-level and exposed riding 🙂

Email me if you do it, as I’m Borders based.

http://www.sustransshop.co.uk/products/5462-coast-to-coast-mountain-bike-route-pack
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scotland-Trail-Mountain-routes-companion/dp/190289104X

Caringorms Loop? http://www.cairngormsloop.net/

Bearbones 200 is a nice 24 hour challenge either as an event or solo as an anytime challenge.

For years I have been looking at linking the 2 highest pubs in England but a lot of this would now be along the PBW.

Hobbits Tale:

http://www.davebuchanan.co.uk/

For years I have been looking at linking the 2 highest pubs in England but a lot of this would now be along the PBW.

I often ride past Tan Hill. I keep meaning to do a ride that takes in the Black Sheep brewery at Masham and the pub at Tan Hill, with a pint at each obviously. In fact, I always thought that would make a good Gentlemens’ Race with the finish being another pint at the bar of a decent pub in Darlington, or elsewhere.

Purley to Eastbourne Off Road. NDW from Woldingham to Newlands Corner/St Martha’s Hill, pick up Downs Link to Shoreham-by-Sea, SDW to Eastbourne. 100+ miles I reckon,

Did Denbies (Dorking) to Eastbourne last April which was 85 miles. Wonder if from Reigate Hill would make it 100 particularly now the end of SDW is slightly longer?

:edit: only adds about 10 from Reigate Hill 😕