My son needs to do a Physical Challenge for a Scouts Badge. It needs to be something over and above what he would normally do and something that he hasn’t done before. Is the Downs Link doable for an 11 year old ? I’m assuming that its largely flat as it follows along an old railway line ? Any advice or opinions would be great, thanks

I’d say so. I’ve ridden the route a lot and there are regularly sponsored rides with kids going the distance to Shoreham. Aim for about 7 hours including lunch (there’s a family friendly pub right next to the route just after Christ’s Hospital).

yeah that would be fine. technically is foable.
wide mettled surface, flat and virtually traffic free apart from road crossings.

How far in/where is the pub ? Guildford-Shoreham direction

Yes it’s pretty flat apart from one bit that is short but quite ridiculously steep considering the rest of the terrain. I did a 70 mile round trip on it and felt worse at the end than after 85 miles of the SDW as it’s one of those rides where you really don’t move around much on the bike and my back had seized up by the end. It will be a really good achievement for him though and if you take it easy he’ll manage it.

How much of it, the whole thing? It is indeed very flat and a very good surface – mostly! There’s one surprisingly nasty hill that’s a bit tricky to navigate (where cyclists have to go over the hill while walkers go through the tunnel) somewhere north of Southwater, also the track gets a bit sketchier around Bramber. Surface stays good even if it’s wet (plenty of muddy spray though).

I think there’s a BHF charity ride that does it every year, you might be able to get an idea of the level of the challenge from their website.

The pub is called the Bax Castle, it’s just north of Southwater (n.b there used to be a pub slightly further south right on the Downs link, near Horsham, but that’s closed now).

I rode it from bramley to shoreham and back again for charity the weekend before last. Easily doable for a kid that age.

By far the most boring ride I have done.

Yep there’s the Bax Castle, also used to be the Bridge Inn at Copsale, but I think that’s closed and the Cat & Canary at Henfield. The hill is at Baynards, just north of Rudgwick, it’s short but sharp, wouldn’t be more than a couple of minutes to walk.

It’s an easy ride technically, I’d say it’d be ideal for this. I did Cranleigh-Shoreham and back when I was 13, and rode it one way when I was 11.

I just did that route but starting a bit further up in Weybridge. We stopped at the Partridge Pub, Partridge Green which was really nice. Good ales and nice food. Its approx 26 miles from Guildford.

It is largely flat except two hills I remember of note. The last one (Beeding Hill of the South Downs) can be avoided if you run out of steam at the end by following the River Adur into Shoreham from Bamber.

We aimed to get a good proportion of the cycling out of the way before lunch to break the back of it. Nice knowing when you get back on the bike you’re more than halfway already!

Would the Bax Castle be more or less than halfways? I had a look at the map and couldn’t be entirely sure. Map of the Downs Link wasn’t any clearer. Is the pub obvious or do you need to know where you are ?

Surface stays good even if it’s wet (plenty of muddy spray though)

Does that mean that with mudguards it doesnt really matter what time of year we do it ?

The Bax Castle is pretty much halfway. It is fairly obvious and signposted about half a mile past Christs Hospital school.

It can be muddy in places but it’s mainly surface rather than places to lose your wheel.

The castle is ok but bit funny about some things. No ice cream before 6 last time I was there with my 10 year old nephew a couple of weeks ago. Alternative is the cafe in Southwater park its only a mile further south and just off the path when you get into the park car park.
Overall though should be doable the nephew has no problems with it but we’ve not done the whole length with him yet.

Was on the BHF ride last weekend, very flat with the exception of the hill up to the South Downs Way. My biggest problem on it was boredom 🙂

It crosses the SDW next to the Adur, basically at sea level, you can carry on to Shoreham, or go up onto the Downs if you follow the SDW, the actual Downs Link is flat.

“Surface stays good even if it’s wet (plenty of muddy spray though)”

Does that mean that with mudguards it doesnt really matter what time of year we do it ?

Yup – I ride it a few times a year on a tourer with mudguards (though a couple of field crossings, one near Southwater and one just south of Patridge Green can put you off cycling for life if it’s been wet for a while).

Bax Castle can be hard to spot from the Downs link; work out its rough location, then watch for where the trail goes under a road bridge – the gate is maybe 100ft past the bridge on your left (heading south). Cat and Canary at Henfield is much easier – you go up a short rise into a car park, pub’s on your left!

As others have said, it’s most very flat and not likely to excite experienced riders. Can get quite a few walkers at weekends and in the mornings too.

My middle son did the whole thing aged nine for a charity ride a few years ago with no problem. As said, pretty straight forward but don’t rush.

So you guys are saying a 9-11yr old could ride 35 miles on a bike? Doesn’t seem feasible to me, but I don’t know any 9yr olds.

Bridge Inn at Copsale. Has been a shit-hole for years that place. Used to have lock-ins, 1am fry-ups and various New Years parties there. Had many a good time. Rotties were fun too. Plenty of potential as a country pub but never really delivered sadly.

Depends on your 9-11 year old… I rode 65 miles on my own on the road (on an MTB) aged 11. We used to go to CyB with a 9 year old who’d do all the stuff the adults rode, she often made a better job of the technical sections too!

If you keep them happy, fed and watered then you’ll be alright!