[Closed] Advice or reasons not to greatly appreciated...South Downs Way...

Normal wind direction make Winchester a better starting point - but it does flip, so check the forecast.

There are a lot of hills, and 100 gates.

If you haven't ridden any of it before, doing it a day might be a big ask

Winchester to Eastbourne has much better views.

Do it - you just need to be reasonably fit, and reasonably determined, in equal measure. You don't need to be megafit or anything.

I usually manage about 12-13 hours, which is nothing special.

Take a GPS. Put the route into it. It is *very* easy to go zooming past a few of the turnings and find yourself at the bottom of some big hill going in the wrong direction. This is quite...frustrating.

Done it quite a bit over the years. As above check the wind direction it makes a big difference, dont do it on a clear hot day. There is very little cover and its quite exposed to the sun for most of the route. Taps are pretty easy to find. If its wet the chalk can be very slippery. Not trying to put you off but if you think you are average in terms of fitness you might fing it hard in a day. Travel light, keep moving, eat on the go...

And yep, coming into Eastbourne is a much nicer finish, the Winchester end is a bit meh..

I've done it loads of times, west to east, east to west, overnighters and even attempted a double of couple of times and all sorts of bikes from CX, CX SS, MTB and fat bike.

Navigation is not that difficult but there are a couple of places where it easy to go wrong as straight-ahead is the wrong option. GPS highly recommended to reduce the faff-factor which stacks up at the end of a long day as does opening gates - worth doing with a faster mate who can hold all the gates open for you too.

There are plenty of taps but not always working, so best to work on a 2-hour refill strategy in case you miss one / not working.

Biggest kit recommendation is tubeless - once rode it with 4 mates, one with tubes who had 5 punctures and the rest of us, none and he used all our spare tubes (thanks Dave!) and we lost over an hour of faffage.

Plenty of places to park free in Winchester - bottom of Petersfield Road - so you can leave at first light and still have a chance to get back to your car by train by mid-night.

@belugabob That’s pretty good to know, I must admit, starting at Eastbourne affords me a couple of things, I have family in Portsmouth and family not far from Winchester, both of which wouldn’t mind a drive if I got into too much bother, plus, somewhere to crash for the night once done at the Winchester end

If starting at Winchester would be considered a much better way around, I’m more than happy to rethink

@oldnpastit Thankyou for the confidence boost especially regarding fitness

I was thinking about 14 hours wouldn’t be too unreasonable

Regrading gps, I did post a question here just recently looking into which units would be a good way to go

@beanieripper Thankyou for the comments too, thinking of doing it sometime in may so it SHOULDN'T be too hot or clear (well normally isn’t anyway ha ha)

Another to recommend starting Winchester is starting to make me think there’s something in it

@dovebiker Thankyou for the comments, already running tubeless so as long as I check sealants etc before I head off, I’m confident that I’ll run into minimal if any tyre issues

As someone who has done it several times in both directions, if you were to recommend start at Winchester or start at Eastbourne, which would you go for?

Loose plan at this point, train to Eastbourne hotel room late afternoon, set off early next morning, plough on and have the mothership meet me at Winchester when I’m done if I didn’t feel like riding the further 30 miles to where she is

An equally simple plan could be made for the start at Winchester way around but would just have fewer (none) options for rescue towards the end if I run into trouble

Load the route onto a GPS for minimum faffage and stoppages navigating.

Get off the bike for 5 min every hour. I wouldn't stop for a long time.

Snack little and often. Nuts, Mars bars and scotch eggs.

Plenty of water taps, but map them out and top up at everyone.

If its a clear day, use suncream.

Winchester to Eastbourne is better because of wind/views.

As for fitness, if you can ride OFF ROAD for 70-75 miles, you'll be fine. For training I built up to 150 miles a week off road and I made it.

If its been raining a lot, I'd seriously consider postponing because wet chalk is like ice.

Go tubeless as said above. The only time I've punctured on it was when I had tubes.

Oh, and the biggest bit of advice about doing the SDW. Take a bell. It may not be "cool" but the walkers appreciate it and get out of your way. They might even open a gate for you.

I've did the BHF SDW in a day twice and live about 3 miles away from it.

Plenty of reserve food and fluid plus battery power packs are really the extras I THINK I would need to add over what I would ordinarily carry, happy to accept any suggestions

Usual items within hip pack
Pump
Spare Tube
Tyre levers
Scabs
Cleats
Quick link
First aid kit
Valve cores
Lights
Multi tool(s)

Its harder than you think it ought to be
The 11.000 ft of climbing does make it a big day out.
I have singled it 4 times, and alsp failed 4 times..
Navigation isn't as easy as you'd like it to be
Some of the taps require a small detour
Its treacherous in the wet and a head wind will have a large impact due to
accelerated airflow over the rising terrain
I use 1 bottle and carry food and clothes in mt backpack
Stopping at the taps kills your average speed
Avoid any running or charity events on tje day
Take a load of food, minty chewing gum, bum cream, high 5 zero tabs, sun tan cream, earphones and some ibiza classics

Are the taps actually working at the moment? Several I passed, admittedly a few months ago, were switched off due to covid.

Don't do it on a windy day!

@cobrakai some very useful points you make there, thankyou

Once again, start at Winchester seems to be favoured so I’m starting to seriously heed this advice

@mudeverywhere ooh sir! Very good shout!

@singletrackmind again, some excellent considerations and thoughts regarding what to pack

But unfortunately I have to disagree, the Ibiza classics just don’t do it for me I’m sorry to say ha ha

I’ll second (third, seventh?) the Eastbourne end being the better finish. There are some big climbs but they’re measurable and you get a big drop the other side, so you can tick off the last few miles. The Winchester end drags a bit by comparison whereas it flys at the start. You also do butser hill the right way going west-east.

Oh, and the wind and the views....

If you get a hot day beware, there’s basically no shelter after, oooh, chanctonbury? And not a lot in the 10 miles before. I did a late start at night a couple of years ago and made good progress until the sun came up on the hottest day of the year. It was roasting by 7am. After devil's dyke I had to stop in each valley and sit in the shade until I felt a bit less likely to die. Looking back, there was some pretty bad dehydration going on!

It’s one still one of my favourite days out on the bike, even after 4 or 5 times and a couple of ‘most of it’. Enjoy.

stopping at taps might damage your average speed, but not as much as severe dehydration or starting with 10kgs of water.

def get a GPS, borrow one at the very least.

Don't get all excited when you first see Eastbourne after climbing up from Jevington, you've got miles of travelling round Eastbourne before you start getting closer to it. I've seen 2 major failures of sense of humour on that section!

If you want to read more:

https://www.southdownsdouble.co.uk/

http://www.bikedowns.co.uk/

the "double" page looks like it's been updated more recently. Has GPS tracks to download which I bet are reliable.

I did it as a last minute thing on one of the hottest days last year after reading poopscoops thread.

The Eastbourne end is sort of epic with the drop down to the sea, whereas Winchester had mellow rolling countryside, which is nicer to start out on... everyone is right, start from Winchester.

I punctured just the once on a sharp flint that sliced my tyre, that was tubeless aswell.

Make sure the weather is good and has been dry, it would be a bad day out in the wet.

Of course you could just do the Original South Downs Way - Between Buriton (just South of Petersfield and the beginning of the proper ridge riding Downs) to Eastbourne - This misses out the least enjoyable part of the current SDW between Winchester and Buriton (a section added to the SDW in 1987) - We do this once a year and it's still an epic day out. Sometimes head over the QE 2 park and do a lap or two before heading off east or sometimes start at Petersfield and head over towards Butser Hill for the views and a nice descent into QE2 park. Have done the full SDW but can't quite get too excited about doing it anymore.

I did post a question here just recently looking into which units would be a good way to go

One that lasts 12 hours or more...!

If its wet the chalk can be very slippery.

Very much this. I personally would bail in that case.

I've stayed in the YHA in Eastbourne, which is quite easy, and I've also just taken the train from Eastbourne back to Winchester (via Victoria, it was a couple of hours IIRC).

I'm planning to do it again this year with a few friends.

Good luck, it is absolutely epic.

*The taps were off last week*

I don't know how long they're off for but do not think about doing this if the taps are off unless you have a very good backup plan.

Maybe contact the National Park authority and ask when they'll be switched back on?

@donslow

Do it, do it, do it!!

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/so-the-multi-day-sdw-adventure-begins-tonight-next-to-the-a31/

Heres my three year old thread which will be updated again this year when I ride it in a day again (hopefully) and possibly try the double.

Some of my best biking memories are from riding the SDW. Not just the riding or (incredible) scenery but the people I meet (and occasionally get threatened by!)

It's an incredible feeling to roll into Eastbourne absolutely shattered but also feeling on cloud 9.😁

I LOVE the SDW everyone should ride it at least once.

Oh, just watch out for the "rut of death". I crashed in the same rut 2 years running. You'll notice it now as it's not white chalk anymore but rust red from the blood of my arms and legs.😉

Seriously though, do it!👍

Try and do it on a cloudy day as above it is brutal on a sunny day.

The taps are hard to find I only found 2 taps.

Unless you go off route you don’t really go through anywhere with food apart from towards the end so take a lot!

It’s 11,000ft of climbing

It is a brilliant day out but it’s not an easy one.

Video of when I did it a few years ago.

I've done it over 2 days, staying at the YHA, as an event.

This meant we parked up in Winchester and dropped our bags with the organisers. They moved the bags to the YHA and then to Eastbourne for the finish. They also transported us back to Winchester with our bikes at the end. They also had a couple of food/water stops each day.

It was a very enjoyable two days, and as others have said, far harder (more climbing) than we expected. We also had glorious weather, not too hot and no rain.

Doing it in one go? Not for me. But I'd happily do it again over two days.

It's a fabulous day out if the weather and conditions are right, we did it completely blind the first time, literally, it was at night. Neither me or my mate had ever ridden it before.

As some have said, it's not a question of fitness in some ways, but a question of determination and outright stubborness. I failed it once in 5 attempts as my legs simply said no... I was fried by Brighton. I bailed onto the road and jumped the train. But was it just my legs that quit that day or my brain, i'd say 50-50.

if the BHF do an event this year it's worth jumping on theirs, it makes it a great day out.

Water info here: http://www.bikedowns.co.uk/Water%20taps.htm

It's a big day out for sure, pace, eating & drinking are key.

If you do it as a booked "event" your at the mercy of the weather, both the wet & significant heat would be a no for me.

Another one here to highly recommend it - I’ve done it several times and love it, it’s a cracking day out, but long! Do start at Winchester rather than Eastbourne. Take plenty of food - my issues were about not eating enough or often enough. We did it in 30 degrees a couple of years ago and that does make it tougher!

I’d also second the using a gps that lasts the distance, or take a power pack - mine ran out of juice soon after Brighton which was very annoying...

Do it, you’ll enjoy it and be so chuffed with yourself at the end. The. Tells us all about it....

If you get to where you're feeling fit and the weather's good, and you fancy it, but it's actually too hot as per warnings above, a night ride is a genuinely sensible option. And amazing.

Sunset, sunrise, the hills to yourself, full moon (if you time it right), LOADS of wildlife. did this a couple of years ago with pictonroad off here. dovebiker up there^ (hi!) joined us for the first 25ish. It's only really dark for a few hours in midsummer, I only took an exposure joystick, on the head with a clip on the bars for the odd bit of road. Had it switched off, riding by the moon quite a bit, too. you need to take another sandwich as you can't load up at Alfriston Deli, but otherwise, you're as self sufficient as you need to be during the day.

pics towards the end of this: https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/sdw-overnight-brilliant-or-stupid/page/2/

This is exactly why I love this STW forum, so much advice and help right off the bat,

I’ve been reading all of the comments and am overwhelmed by the help and advice, rather than reply to each one individually (as I tend to try and do) I’ve made som points and thoughts below, feel free to pick holes where necessary

-Winchester is definitely the best place to start
-in regards to water stops, will definitely ask the authorities regarding when they’ll be back on, not sure I’d do it if there’s little chance of refilling bottles so thanks for the headsup @pictonroad and @mudeverywhere

@qwerty Thankyou for the link, I also found a filter on OS Maps for highlighting the water stops along the route as well

@weeksy Thankyou for the advice, think the brain is raring to go, @cobrakai good suggestion regarding off the bike for 5 minutes every hour, I was personally thinking a few minutes every couple of hours but I guess it’ll come down to judging it better on the day

@nedrapier Thankyou for the advice and the links, will get onto reading through them

@jonnybike I’d seen that video previously, some things to consider with your comments and the video together

Regarding a gps unit, I’m currently eyeing up a garmin edge explore and getting a separate battery power pack/charging thingy, anyone using these, from my reading, it’ll do what I want it to with minimal fuss

Advice heeded for checking the previous weather prior to starting

I’ll continue to read through the comments and reply but thankyou all so far, really great advice and comments, I’m feeling a little more confident/encouraged to take this on now

Please do keep it all coming

Of course you could just do the Original South Downs Way – Between Buriton (just South of Petersfield and the beginning of the proper ridge riding Downs) to Eastbourne

Very much this. Unless you particularly want to do the whole thing.

The section between Winchester and QEPark is really dull, even more so with the current road diversions, which seem to change constantly.

I can see a case for the bit between Winch and QE being “dull” relative to some other bits of the SDW, but as bike rides go, it beats a lot of others.

Some good climbs and fun descents and wonderful views over Winchester from Cheesefoot head, the Meon Valley from the top of Old Winchester and especially the Solent and the IoW from Butser.

Still, it’s a convenient excuse if you cba to do it properly

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A TAIL WIND!

It's very windy on the south coast, and you'll be high up a lot of the time, making it worse.
Often a gentle breeze on the coast feels like a gale on top of the downs.

99% of the time this means Winchester -> Eastbourne make most sense.

You don’t need to be megafit or anything.
I usually manage about 12-13 hours, which is nothing special.

I very strongly disagree with this. The very fact you've done the 100 mile route multiple times suggests you are quite fit. It's a hard slog.

Still, it’s a convenient excuse if you cba to do it properly

LOL!

Go West to East, you need it to be a dry day with a tailwind for the best experience. Drop supplies off or have some support if possible. Do it in June or July and start early, very early. Do all of it but don't fall off going down Butser Hill at speed and watch out for Giant Hogweed dropping down to the River Ouse. Don't stop more than absolutely necessary, you might need to stop quite a bit and it can really eat into your total time, be strict about this. Coffee stops in the sun are nice but this won't be the right day to do that, stop, eat, drink and go. It's as much a mental challenge as a physical one so keep pedalling and make sure you get to The Pilot Inn while they're still doing food. Good luck and enjoy it!

Did it in a day a few years ago, planning on doing it again this year as I want to get under 12hrs!

A few things I picked up before and during my first go at it:

Before the ride make sure your bike is in great mechanical condition and that your riding position is as comfortable as it can be.
Get your kit choice sorted a few rides beforehand, don't use box-fresh kit on the ride itself!
Take a mixture of foods, savoury and sweet. Also make sure they all agree with your digestive system, there aren't many places to dive into a hedge and empty out!
Get a good night's sleep beforehand.
Start as early as you can, it's a great morale boost seeing so many miles done by 10am, midday, 2pm etc.
Carry as much as you can on the bike, makes it far easier on your joints and back. I went for 1 water bottle on the bike and 1ltr in the bladder as I had only room for a 500ml bottle on the frame and had to carry a pack.
Winchester to Eastbourne is definitely the best way, as long as the wind is favourable!
Keep stop time to a minimum. Take photo's while coasting, time drink and food stops with gates etc.
Don't let the east start from Winchester fool you, the hills get longer the further you go.
Use a GPS for route finding and also to keep track of your pace. A 12hr ride is 8.4mph average so keep that in mind. As a guide an average over the first 40 miles of 9mph will bring you in under the 12hrs as the average slows a bit as you get further in due to tiredness and the bigger hills.
The last two hills before the end are tough on weary legs, I blew up on them due to getting my pace wrong!
Have a bail-out plan, even if it's just a credit card and the phone numbers of local taxi firms.

The most important thing though is enjoy it. It's more a mental challenge than physical provided you have a reasonable amount of fitness.

Easterly this weekend, so start Eastbourne!

I live there and much prefer this way. It gets (a bit) easier as you go west.

Taps at Southease YHA and Jevington Church have worked throughout lockdown.

I had one failed attempt (dodgy knee) and the rest of the group got in to Eastbourne about midnight, 18 hours with a couple of big breaks. I then did it successfully but still took a long time, I was not fit enough and didn't have enough low gears on my bike (1x Alfine 8) so walked a few hills. Not sure if I could have done it unsupported, hot pizza 2/3rds of the way was a lifesaver!

Fitter now so I'd hope to do better!

If aiming for 12 hours, you really need a 10mph moving average speed as it's very easy to lose an hour+ just due to gates / navigation / filling bottles / whizzing / faffing. As you'll inevitably slow down during the day, it means that if you can't get to QECP (40km) in under 2 hours, you're unlikely to get to Eastbourne on schedule. Don't let that put you off, but I've seen people in despair on the climb up from Cocking when they realise its a lot tougher than they expected.

@reluctantjumper Thankyou for the time and effort, some valuable information / points you bring up in your post, a lot to be heeded for sure. Was thinking about as much on the bike as possible, was thinking about my usual hip pack plus something like this (6ltr version) for everything else plus maybe a small saddle pack, happy to consider any tried and tested alternatives...

https://www.topeak.com/global/en/products/288-Bikepacking-Series/967-MIDLOADER

@spooky_b329 Thankyou for that, I’ve fired and email off to the SDW website contact page so will see what they say

@dovebiker I’ve seen a lot of people getting the 12 hour mark give or take, personally, I’m allowing 14 anything less than that is a bonus, anything more is an “ah well”

I agree with much of what has been said, and I can confirm that you shouldn't do it if its wet. In 2017 I binned the bike twice because of wet chalk. It really is like ice. The 2nd time I knocked the mech out of alignment so wasted some more time (and 2 or 3 more stops until I figured it out properly).

I think it *is* hard. 100 miles, and 11,500ft how can it not be, but the fact that I've done it 3 times now (over 3 days, and twice in 1 day) and I'm contemplating doing it again says a lot for what a lovely ride it is.

I "double-bag" (padded liners under padded shorts) use liberal chamois cream, and sun-cream if its warm.

As others have said, don't wear, eat, or carry anything, that you haven't tried out in practice (for miles). I can point you at my strava for 2017 and 2019 if you are interested.

Do it, its brilliant.

LR

Honestly though,
1 day is a bit of a brutal chore
2 days is one of the most enjoyable trips around
I'm planning a 3 day double some time, I think that might be alright esp with stashing opportunities if using the same overnight spot for both nights. Easier logistics than 1 way.

Also, those last three hills into Eastbourne will give you a good future reference point for mental and physical misery.

👀

If aiming for 12 hours, you really need a 10mph moving average speed as it’s very easy to lose an hour+ just due to gates / navigation / filling bottles / whizzing / faffing

Ah yes, forgot to say the total average including stops should be 8.4+. I have the total average without auto pause on my Garmin for this exact reason, saves me thinking I'm doing better than I really am!

@littlerob that’d be fantastic Thankyou, always nice to look at previous efforts if only for comparison sake

@pictonroad I don’t doubt that at all, I’ll take misery as my company ha ha

@reluctantjumper I’d call that a starting point to aim for that sort of speed for a 12 hour time

I did it a long time ago solo, but in two days. I am not fit enough to do it in one, and I certainly was not back then. It was my second attempt, the first time was a group effort and we did that over two days - rain stopped play on the second day and the chalk was lethal. We knocked it on the head and headed into Lewes to get a train home.

Successful attempt was my second attempt: Win - East. 60 miles first day. It was good fun - cheap pub accommodation, too much beer and a nice warm meal. Left at 6am next day (could hardly walk) and had some encouragement from a STW Mr Motivator - was in Eastbourne by lunch.

My advice.

Be fitter than I was.
Don't eat three breakfasts by QE2 park.
Don't try and ride it on a Giant Trance.
Really enjoy it - two days or one, it is a good laugh and great achievement. Try and match fitness levels with anyone you ride with.

I've done it twice over two days (supported event) and once in one day. I wouldn't consider doing it again in a single day (and for reference my fitness level was good at the time)

Both the supported events I did were around 15 years ago and I did it in one day a couple of years ago

My experience from the one day version...
1. We found the water points pretty easy to find
2. Start early (and I mean really early) - we did it in early July and started at 6:30am, this was not early enough as we finished after dark
3. Assuming you go Winchester to Eastbourne, then remember that there is a significant amount of climbing in the last third or so of the journey. I was told that there is as much climbing in the first 63 miles as the final 37 - the YHA roughly marks the 63 mile marker
4. You will need plenty of sustenance - according to my smar****ch I burnt 7000 calories that day
5. There aren't lots of places to buy snacks/food en route

@donslow this is me doing it (solo) in 2017 https://www.strava.com/activities/1105992251 and this is me with my brother-in-law in 2019 https://www.strava.com/activities/2450057825 also I recced a bit in 2019 (I was going to Portsmouth on business, so stopped at QE2 park https://www.strava.com/activities/2425388862 which is a good idea if you are unfamiliar with the terrain)

I did it over 3 days in 2013 (with my lad who was only 13 at the time) but didn't have strava back them. Hope the route/pictures are useful. One day I'd like to do it in good conditions!

FWIW, I've never bought anything on the route, it doesn't really lend itself to that (other than in 2013) so I carried bars/gels etc, and for "proper" food 2 rounds of cheese and pickle sandwiches. Other flavours are available 😉

I carry 2 bottles, one with high-5 sports drink, and one water. The High-5 is available in sachets so I was able to refill on the way.

Hope this is useful

Rob

@gribble ha ha I’m not sure I could do three breakfasts on a good day ha ha can I ask why not rude it on a giant trance, I don’t have one, just curious...

@purple_moose thanks for the pointers, starting to get pretty good ideas of what to expect and roughly where. Currently plan to set off around 5am, I know everyone is different but knowing 7000 calories burnt is also a good guideline, for want of a better term, in regards to what food to pack (makes sense in my head)

@littlerob wow! Thankyou! Really nice of you to let me have a look at your ride stats and for the extra info, hugely appreciated

Starting to actually really look forward to doing this now ha ha

@littlerob next time your up this way (Essex end of the world) gis a shout as you pass by Maldon ha ha

@donslow I am in Essex, but the other side. Check out today’s ride 😉

@littlerob ah ha!!! Nice one sir!

Have done it in 12 hrs. I initially did a few recce trips , as in a few weekends to just do a segment of it at a time to familiarise self with the route (point to point between train stations ) , then did whole thing as I sussed out where I was going a d where the shops/stand pipes were . I’ve never used a gps - always OS print outs . Like others I recommend west to east. Avoid bad weather as it’s grim and avoid anytime it’s muddy as the claggy chalkmud is impossible to ride in - just accumulates and doesn’t shed. British heart foundation used to do an annual ride in a day.

Another taster to wet your appetite from my ride in 2017...

Also, those last three hills into Eastbourne will give you a good future reference point for mental and physical misery.

Those three hills make up the majority of my local rides...good singlespeed training! I'd want gears for them with 80 miles behind me though 🙂

@spooky_b329 looks fantastic! Luckily got 11 gears to help me out a little bit, by the sounds of it, I’m gonna need them ha ha

@wcolt another great suggestion to check the previous weeks weather carefully before heading out, I have seen that BHF used to do an annual thing, currently trying to get sponsorship together for prostate cancer research, figured that is another very worthy cause

fill your boots

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/south-downs-way-in-a-day-oh-my-bottom/

Hi @donsolow - at the time I had an XC bike as well - a light hardtail. However, it was not in great repair at the time, I decided to do the SDW on a whim (I had a free weekend as the Mrs was away) and that is why I chose the Giant. I put lighter tyres on, but if doing it again would definitely try and get a light hardtail/full suss XC bike. I think plenty of people tackle it on a gravel bike, which makes sense.

I've only done it over 2 days but still have an ambition for a single dayer at some point. Need to get a bit lighter and fitter first!

Some more practical advice from when I trained up to do some other long rides, is to get a heart rate (or power) monitor and find out where your zones are, then you need to stay out of the higher zones as much as possible; these are the ones that eat glycogen from your muscles and when that's gone, it's game over...the wall, the bonk, the knock, etc. If you can stay in the aerobically fuelled zones then as long as food and drink are going in, you can keep going almost indefinitely.

In practical terms, unless you are a god of riding, some of the hills will put you in the red anyway just to keep going. Which means even more that the ones that don't, and the flats on the top you need to just bimble along keeping to Z2/3 so that the glycogen is saved for the places where you need it. There will be times you feel you can / should go faster....you must resist! Trust the science!

I've done all of it in a day and some friends did the double last summer. It's a great day out and as has already been said, fuelling and how you conserve energy are the main factors. Providing you're sensible and do it in decent weather of course.

For instance, when I did the whole route I basically stuck it in the granny gear at the bottom of every hill. When I got to the end I felt fresh as a daisy. Last summer I joined my friends who were doing the double and rode the last 50 miles with them. This time I rode faster up the hills and consequently by Eastbourne I was bloody knackered.

@singletrackmind Thankyou, made for some good reading, that

@gribble makes sense I guess

@painey and @theotherjonv Thankyou for bringing that up, planning on plenty of food in the bag, happy to amble along and take my time on the climbs, don’t really plan on treating it like a race against time, more a leisurely cycle through the countryside (with a hope to make it back by bedtime ha ha)

Last year I did this once in a day and once in 2 days for an event I organized. Is previously done it in 2 days in another organized event for work. Let me tell you, the one day sub 10hr ride was tough! And not nearly as enjoyable! I did it East to West due to logistical reasons. I reckon actually this way is better if you are to do it in a day at pace, as you get the biggest climbs out of the way first. We fortunately had a slight trail wind which is unusual.
My 2 day events have been so much more fun and enjoyable. Both times, started at yha trueleigh. 2 days gives you plenty of time to fix mechanicals, admire views, chat and appreciate the countryside. It's still a couple of big days in the saddle though.

My tips.
Petersfield rd was changing to parking restrictions when I last rode it (sept 20).
Punctures can happen to tubeless too. Me and a mate had 5 on our 1 dayer. Yet we only got 2 in a group of 7 with mix of tubes and tubeless.
I suffered from stomach cramps on single day challenge. Probably down to too many energy bars, and energy tab drinks. A bacon sandwich somewhere like Ambereley would have been wise.
Taps are plenty, but try and find which are running. You only need 1 water bottle, just make sure you drink all your remaining and refill at each working tap (ensure its working first lol!).

I got dysentery about 50 miles in to a BHF day event due to a chicken and mayo wrap from a van on top of a hill on a very hot July day watered down with 1 1/2 litres of coke. But I made it.
So my tip is - bring your own food, small pack of wet wipes and NuuN tablets - do not forget the salt tablets what ever you do.

@superfli I ordinarily carry a spare tube (or two) and a pack of tyre boots with me so hopefully, any punctures won’t be so bad that I can fix up trail side if I need to, Thankyou for reminder though

@wally plan to take all my own snacks/food and a tube of rehydration/salt tablets with me for my spare bottle so fingers crossed, SHOULD be ok

So Thankyou all for the help and advice/tips so far, please do keep it coming, some invaluable points have been made for me to consider

Starting to plan this adventure properly now, does anyone know of any super cheap hotels/b&b’s at the Winchester and Eastbourne end(s) that has decent/secure bike storage (or even somewhere that’ll let me haul my bike into my room as I don’t REALLY want to carry heavy bike locks with me unless I absolutely HAVE to) as I’m going to need a place to crash the night before and (probably) once I’m done

Premier inn is about 300m from the start of the SDW mate.

Ah the Premier Inn. I stayed there the night before we did the BHF one day ride. We used a 3 course meal and about 6 pints as prep. Seemed to do the job.

I don't know if it's been mentioned but a good place to refuel is the garage at Pyecombe. The SDW pretty much goes past it and it's one of the few places that are that close to the trail. The plough pub there is also very good. There's also the riverside cafe in Amberley. Although you have to climb Amberley mount straight after and that's a bit of a slog.

Regarding the taps. I only noticed the one at Saddlescombe the other day and I must have ridden past it way over a hundred times!

@weeksy cheers bud, will have a look into it and ask the “can I take my bike to my room?” Question too

@painey always nice to reaffirm where the potential stops and water points are so Thankyou for the heads up

Where to stay? I have been here twice Nice family and bike is secure inside whilst you sleep soundly and it's at the very start of the trail. My best time was when the son had just done a Hog Roast and I carried two door stops with the finest hog roast stuffed inside in a pocket, it was like eating Heaven in a sandwich half way round.

@wally that place looks great, not much more expensive than the premier inn, will earmark that, thankyou

Thoughts:

Training. Above 50 miles it's a totally different game, need to be happy doing lots of 70, 80 milers. It's 102 total.

Food. Take a variety, not just carbs, I took too much sugary stuff and felt sick.

Luggage. Put it on your bike, your back, hands and arms just as likely to give up as your legs.

@ajt123 some great points you make there

In regards to varied foodstuffs, I do have a shortlist of my own but just out of interest for comparisons sake, what would you take?

I did it as part of a 3 day bikepacking trip, went on to the Pilgrims Way.
I did it in 13 hours and moving 11 hours. Had two major setbacks, at 27 miles my cassette locking nut came undo, I had to managed to get the cassette back on the hub but I’d lost the use of any of the smaller cogs, was fine for the climbs but not so good for anything else.
Secondly my Garmin power wouldn’t last without being charged on the go, I couldn’t get the usb cable in and make the Garmin fit solid in the mount, it bounced out on a fast downhill with long grass, took an age to find it!
I did it in July, it was damn hot and windy on the higher more exposed areas. I’d recommend taking more than one bottle, think I had 4. (I did it on a Marin Pine Mountain, 2.8 nobby nics, no flats.
I stayed in a campsite outside of Eastbourne. Was pretty decent.

Well, horses for courses but I'd get a fair bit of oat based stuff.

Like flapjacks, but don't forget the protein and fats. Beef jerky? Biltong?

Although it's extra weight, maybe something a bit moist, boiled wrapped in foil?

@ajt123 pretty much what I had planned, something for the sugars, fats, protein and fluids

@w00dster sounds like you had fun despite the setbacks, camping sounds ideal but I’m gonna be doing it on my own and live quite a way from both Winchester and Eastbourne so the thought of lugging a tent too is daunting to say the least ha ha

I tend to use a mix of 2.3 magic Mary and Hans dampf tyres on my bike and have never had any issues with either, nice mixture of grip and rolling resistance (or lack of) for me personally, on another note...I COULD do it myself but to save the hassle and possibility of not doing it 100% right, I’m gonna send my bike in for a full strip, check, rebuild and top up fluids/sealants service with a mechanic I know and trust, probably a week before the ride, that way I think I’ll feel a bit more confident that the chances of any failures would, at least, be minimised, it also gives me a week to fine tune anything if needed

My bike setup for the SDW in a day last year.

Forgive all the junk in the background. I taped most of the food to the bike along with some spares. Flapjacks were great along with energy gels for a bit if a boost.

The "water bottle" is actually a tools holder and held tools plus CO2 cartridges as well.

You may want to rethink tyres but that’s up to you.

I absolutely would not do too much work on the bike so close to a big ride/ race. Do it a bit further out to give you time to deal with unexpected surprises and get some short test rides in.