Thinking maybe i'll attempt all the SDW next year as i live about 10 miles away from the start. Lots of info about the SDW and i'm familiar with some of it but dont hear much about the training for it.

Whats the best most efficient way to train for this between training on the road or training on the SDW itself?
How do the fast guys train for it, how did you train for it?

dobo, you're a NF local aren't you ?

I've only ridden it once – and it's a bloody long way – but I don't think you really need to go there to prepare for it

Unless it's wet (slippy chalk), I'd suggest that SDW is quite like a very big version of riding from Fritham to Frogham (see what a good boy I am? – that's even a legal route 🙂 ). Bit steeper in parts, and longer hills but otherwise…

Everyone says hardest bit is the last third (to be honest I can't remember that bit (at all) apart from the nice final descent)

just long rides really – built up to a point where i knew i was happy riding 50-60 miles in a day (either road or off) then doubling efforts is just a fuelling issue.

that said lots of short rides are just as good (endurance is all about hours in the saddle in a week not necessarily in one go)

but i'm not fast.

dont ride in the new forest much but only 20 min drive away, its not the terrain i'm worried about as i've cycled some of it but its just building up to riding for say 10hrs?
i frequently do 2hr rides and some 3hrs but not much longer
just trying to figure out how long and frequent i have to ride for regularly to build upto that distance/duration and on which bike would be most beneficial

mix the bikes up – makes for more interesting training ime. if you can do a 5hr ride 10 is fuelling – what/ how much to eat is key. build up to doing 12 hrs in a week and you'll be set. 🙂

good training ride is CF to winchester to QE (maybe a lap) and back. depends on the CF to winch bit but somewhere in the region of 60-70 miles.

thanks thom, its funny i wasnt really taking into account the cumalative effect of small rides as being that beneficial but i guess combined with longer ones it all adds up.
going to have to lengthen some of my weekend rides though

I'd guess you need some long & hard rides if you're really expecting to do it in 10hr (I couldn't imagine me doing it in that unless bone dry and following wind, say 50mph)

I did very little training when I rode it – suffered quite a lot & took 14hr. The training I did was mostly on the road as I felt I needed to do lots of pedalling in the time I had but I only did a few 2hr rides in the month or so before and then one 3-4hrs about 7 days before

i like the sound of that, i can cut through twyford and up that **** long hill after morestead? to cheesefoot head
might have to stop before qecp though 🙂

blimey scaredpants, sounds like you did the brute force method.
no idea how long, i just guessed at 10mph average, but doesnt really take into account stops n stuff i suppose

dobo-
i like the sound of that, i can cut through twyford and up that **** long hill after morestead? to cheesefoot head
might have to stop before qecp though

if you go through twyford alond hazely rd when you get to the end where it meets moorstead rd go straight across (fawley ln). after half a mile the road turns into track which takes you straight up to cheesefoot head without having to do the big hill climb on the road.

i've been doing the ride from there to qecp recently.

reckied the route to cheesefoot head last night, just over 9 miles and 257m climbing according to memory map, thats fairly hilly for round here so should make some good training.

lastnight saw some mtb'r cut across hazeley road following the pilgrims trail, anyone here?
was a lovely evening, will have to check that trail out myself some time