[Closed] Ridgeway double attempt

Pierreponts cafe in Goring, just off the bridge - can't miss it. Loads of cyclists use it

And in fact, on the Google Streetview image of Pierreponts, there is a cyclist parking his bike 🙂

Molly, if you get stuck and want a bed about 4 miles from Goring and 100m off the Ridgeway i can put you up. I have a full set of tools/spares for 27.5/26 and 29er including wheels, tyres, etc

We've also got a village shop that does pretty much all the food you can need/want along with a pub 🙂

The Cafe as discussed is spot on.

throw me a PM or whatever.

If you want someone to ride a chunk of it with you i think i should be about too.

Enjoy it - it's a great route. Watch the chalk in the damp - lethal.

Good luck

I did the full length last year on the CXer, loved it. Got to Lyme Regis and cycled back to Axminster and caught the train home...

Great route, enjoy.

2) Near Ivinghoe Beacon there's a National Trust estate for what looks like the Bridgewater Monument, this seems to have an ideal cafe with outside seating called Brownlow Cafe. Any issues with that?

Seating is outside only. It's not great imo, but perfectly adequate, and there is not much else around. Plenty of bikers use it. Can get very busy with families etc, and take an age to get served at busy times. In the past there have been times I've intended to go in, but couldn't be bothered due to the queue to get served. Overall, I'd say no issues unless you are in a massive rush, or are as impatient as I am.

I will be in a bit of a rush, the clock will be ticking. I'm aiming to post my best time, and I'll have to get a move on just to get back at a sensible time and not run out of lights.

Any backup recommendations for somewhere to eat for lunch? Wendover maybe?

@weeksy thanks - might stop by for a brew on the way home if I am desperate. Get cakes in, but don't let me in the house as I won't want to leave.

Get one or two [url= https://www.alpkit.com/products/stem-cell ]Stem Cells[/url]* for food - much easier to eat from when on the move. You can get around 6-8 energy/chocolate bars in one - I can check for you tonight if you want.

*other makes are available.

Don't really want to spend any more money. My Camelbak has waist pockets that can take three gels on one side and a bag of wine gums or nuts etc on the other. I will stick to that and then stop for real food I think.

Tyres: Racing Ralph

You sure? : ) Flint cuts can cost you a lot of time and they're not the most robust tyres. Both times I've timed myself on the ITT route I've had tyre issues from flints, like a ITT curse, going through thicker rubber than those. A fair few places where speed and loose flint creates a lottery.

I will be in a bit of a rush, the clock will be ticking. I'm aiming to post my best time, and I'll have to get a move on just to get back at a sensible time and not run out of lights.

'The Catherine Wheel' in Goring has a nice garden and you can prop your bike at the door/window while ordering

Hmm can't think of anywhere to get served quickly in Wendover - there is a farm shop near chequers that might fit the bill, can check it out for you if you want.
There is a water stop and cafe at the bunkhouse above Wantage - only a short distance from Ridgeway route.

Budgens would be your best bet for fast service in Wendover - there are plenty of cafes but depending on what day (Sat 1st is some time next year in my calendar) they'll be full of either ladies who lunch or people who walk.

There's a great cafe in wendover woods called,...... the Cafe in the Woods. generally quite busy but you'll be ok. Following the official ridgeway route drops you into Wendover anyway i beleive in which case there's load of options. also there is an option at tring station which you go paste. one of those little coffee van things which should be open on a satruday. Also there will be an icecream van on ivinghoe beacon

To avoid confusion, the icecream van is usually just outside Brownlow cafe by Ashridge monument, rather than on Ivinghoe Beacon? I'd also question the nutritional value of what can be purchased from the icecream van!

Don't use Racing Ralphs. Way too prone to a flint slice or two.

All my weight weenie mates have suffered from this issue. You want to finish the ride, not end up slashed close to the end.

Snakeskin carcass though? I'd heard they were better.

Slashing tyres is not something I think about. Never slashed a tyre in 25 years of MTBing all over. No idea why, tbh.

Re cafes, beginning to think that even a quick cafe stop is half an hour, so that's going to be no good. Something like a coffee van would be ideal though, so may try Tring station for a caffeine hit then a sandwich/sausage roll wherever possible.

I've never had a problem with snakeskin racing Ralph's either (although I don't ride down south as I live in the Peak). I've slashed plenty of conty sidewalls, but never a schwalbe one.

Eat on the go - 17 gels, 6 bars, 5L drink.and a coupe of bannanas.

Even pee breaks and bottles only meant 50minutes stopped!

I must admit that taking gels, choccie bars and whatever else on my back and just not stopping does appeal. Maybe just grabbing water on the way, since it is rather heavy.

Oooh, that looks like a good route...

Might put that on my list of things DrP wants to attemtp and probably never will....

DrP

Best of luck! That route passes very close to Aston Hill.. quick couple of runs down Surface to Air while you're there?

This sort of 'Adventure' really appeals.. however I think I have a mental 'block' when it comes to non-circular routes.. the idea of turning around and riding back half way through some how feels wrong!

Might put that on my list of things DrP wants to attemtp and probably never will....

Current singlespeed record of 13hrs 26mins. Go on,go on,go on!

the idea of turning around and riding back half way through some how feels wrong

Last one I did was 15 hours one-way. Only reason I could do it was that it finished 15 miles from my folks' place so my dad picked me up and took me to a warm comfy bed and homemade cake at 12am.

That was Trans Cambrian way though, which was a lot hillier. The western side of the Ridgway I'm familiar with and it rides pretty quickly and easily, which is the only reason I'm attempting 175 miles 😯

blimey... that's, like, (opens calculator app) 13MPH average...

How hilly is ths compared to the SDW?
Looking at the stats, it's 175miles with 4000m climbing...the SDW is what, 3400m in 100miles?

The issue would be gearing... not too spinny, but not too tough...

Hmm... (I don't know why I say that..I'd not bother changing ratios!!)

I'll see what opportunities I get!

DrP

Edit; I did the SDW in about 11-12mph, so actually that's doable...OK.... hmm..thinks some more......

Hills on the western bit are not steep and the surface is smoother than most tarmac roads in a lot of places, so it's a breeze. I did quite a bit of riding there last year and was surprised at how easy but satisfying it was.
Eastern bit, not sure - it looks like more short sharp climbs, which is energy sapping. However there aren't too many of those it seems.

I reckon the biggest issue you'd have with singlespeeding is not missing a low gear, it'd be missing a high gear to really take advantage of the fast bits.

DrP - see you in Avebury at 5am on the 2nd? 🙂

You've got me worrying about tyres now.

I reckon the biggest issue you'd have with singlespeeding is not missing a low gear, it'd be missing a high gear to really take advantage of the fast bits.

That's often the issue... meh..what can you do..there's simply so fix for these sorts of problems (bar, or course, a [cough] derralier....!!)

DrP - see you in Avebury at 5am on the 2nd?

DrP

Mol, re slashing tyres... how much of your riding is on flinty chalk though? I've slashed tyres a few times on the Wayfarers, sometimes ending up with a 3/4ins gash. okay it isn't the Ridgeway but both are very similar ground. I pulled a piece of flint out of a Bonty XR2 just last weekend, it didn't gash the sidewall but went straight through one of the knobbles, the stuff is sharp 😯

I don't know what you do with tubeless if the tyre slashes but if you run tubes it might be an idea to have something you can wedge inside the tyre if it does happen. Gel and bar wrappers have worked okay for in past but gaffer tape or a proper plastic boot insert is probably better.

Don't use Racing Ralphs. Way too prone to a flint slice or two.

You've got me worrying about tyres now.

I wouldn't worry. I've used Ralphs in the Chilterns for years and never sliced one. On a couple of occasions I've sliced 'tougher' tyres, so it's not something you can anticipate imo. Just take spare tubes and a tyre boot/patch just in case.

there's simply so fix for these sorts of problems

Or v-brakes and a flip-flop hub.

Re tyres.. this seems a thorny one (geddit? 🙂 ). Seems that CRC have been selling various different tyres all under the same listing over the years that have collected lots of reviews. There are some reviews saying they are puncture prone, but they go back quite a while, and some appear to be for OEM tyres which mine aren't (at least, they are boxed). The modern listing says they have a puncture resistant fabric in the weave, as well as snakeskin sidewalls. They are also Pacestar, whatever that means.

Also didn't see any issues riding last year, but like I say I was in Swindon so did the Western end mostly. Oh so I was on Butcher/Purgatory and not Ralphs, but I didn't puncture and wasn't picking bits of flint out of my tyres either.

The tyres will become my normal summer tire I think, so they just have to survive this ride.

Just a heads-up they have been flailing all the hedges around the Swyncombe, Wallingford end of the Chilterns this week, thorns and unexpected broken glass ahoy! Had a good ride ruined by a big old slash this afternoon.

I did this last year and in not too bad a time.

Jameso is right on the food stop as I used exactly that strategy, but wrong on the tyres, you'll be fine on the Ralphs. I ran Conti-X-Kings. Just make sure you go tubeless.

Snakeskin carcass though? I'd heard they were better.

Relatively, compared to the paper-thin std tyres, but still a tyre I'd avoid around here. Still, as said above a good hit from a flint goes through anything, it's equally about luck - I just wouldn't waste all that prep on a lighter-weight XC tyre.

I think I have a mental 'block' when it comes to non-circular routes.. the idea of turning around and riding back half way through some how feels wrong!

The SS record is a good one. Not an easy pace to maintain on a SS, there's a few places where not being able to push on will dent av speed. I'm guessing 13-odd hrs was a no-stop ride.

DavidB I see you sneaked in under the 16 hours 🙂 I think I agree with you both re food. Now I just need to decide what will fill the protein/savoury hole.

I think I will try the caffeine de-sensitising technique. So no caffeine for a week beforehand then wait until I am knackered on the route before having a redbull or two.

Not faffing is the key to doing these rides quickly. Last year I did the YD300 in 31hrs53, this year I did it in 28hrs55, yet my riding time was just one minute quicker. There's only so fast you can ride for these sorts of distances, if you go any quicker you'll just blow up.

Multi-task at stops: if you are at a cafe and have to wait for food/drink then fill your water bottles, sort rubbish out, etc. while waiting. You are doing the right thing finding out about what's available en-route.

Agree.. I did Trans Cambrian Way in 15 hours but three hours was spent stationary.

Thinking about about what to eat - any recommendations for a decent butchers/bakers en route where I can get a good meaty savoury sausage roll that's not all pastry?

Aim for 1 cafe /shop stop out and 1 on the retuen leg
Carry Oat cakes, Malt loaf, flapjacks etc and eat and drink something every 30 mins . You can often set calorie beepers on your Garmin as a reminder .
Time stationary is very hard to make up, better to keep moving.
Would like to do a one way trip as I havent ridden any sections before ,and its not that far from me really.

Did this 3 years ago or so, andpunctured within a few km of the start (racing ralphs), so ended up riding back to the van to stick a tube in and get a spare. Carried all my food, but picked up water at the cafe near the far end, and at the canal (there are taps for the boats to restock) that was 2/3rds of the way back. Good easyish ITT - 175 miles..

Defintely use decent tyres, and acrry food you like. Jam sandwiches are a favourite of mine.....

Good luck with this molgrips and hope the weather is kind now and during ride!

Pierreponts and Catherine Wheel in Goring, others already mentioned and rightly so....both excellent

Well I fitted the Ralphs. Call me a fool.

TBH, they may have changed over the years. They certainly don't feel thin at all. I've ridden far longer on far less rubber. Also they seem rather supportive - I had them down to 20psi messing around in the street and they don't seem to bounce or squirm.

I know of all the taps on the sdw.. What's the tap situation here??

DrP

There's not many, there used to be a few more but they've disappeared.

So Weeksy - could you perhaps take a look at the map in the link in the first post and let me know which taps are no longer there?

Ralphs ! - oh well, some of us did warn you 🙂

Good luck.

So Weeksy - could you perhaps take a look at the map in the link in the first post and let me know which taps are no longer there?

Ooooof, i really wish i could help more than i probably can. The one just up from East Ilsley no longer exists for sure, the one just up from Wantage is still working off the top of my head when i used it 2 months back... I'm very vague on where others are though.

When you get to Goring, about 50m up from the cafe is a mini-market type shop selling anything and everything

Taps - after Goring heading west there's a couple marked that aren't there now, 1st one after Goring that I use / know is there for sure is at Wayland's Smithy.

Prob easier to simply buy bottles from the shops...?

I did quite a bit of riding there last year and was surprised at how easy but satisfying it was.
Eastern bit, not sure - it looks like more short sharp climbs, which is energy sapping. However there aren't too many of those it seems

You will notice them - the climb out of Wendover, the climb up from Whiteleaf (walk if you're sensible), the hideous long drag in the wooded ditch which isn't that steep but has a surface of leaves, loose dust and large rocks/branches, Barbury Castle, the climb up from the curry restaurant etc.

Add in the mileage and the pounding you get from dried hoove prints and I'd suggest you don't enter it too lightly. I'd done a lot of miles, trained specifically for it and was on a short travel FS - it was still hard!

Taps I used were

Aston Rowant - nature reserve
Wendover Church
Sparsholt (I think) it's on the left just at the end of a track with a racing trainer advert
House - just by an A road crossing on the W end

I'm not under any illusions as to the difficulty of the overall route! I do think it'll be easier than rocky Wales though. We'll have to see 🙂

What was your time asdh?

fyi - Buckmore End farmshop is about 250ft from the actual Ridgeway path & visible enough not to need locking bike up, not sure what they sell as they are closed Mon & Tue but do advertise "stopping for lunch" so probably something half decent but at a price & should be good for water fill up too

Sorry if I sounded a killjoy didn't meant to but it took a lot of willpower for me to keep on going. If I hadn't arranged a greeting party from Pedalhead (who runs the site and designed the route) I would have bailed.

Time was 14:49. If things go well and I can get some distance in over the winter/spring I may retry to see if I can improve.

I'm expecting to need willpower yes!

Right, caravan site booked for Friday and Saturday night, 3.6 miles from the start. It's on.

However, rain forecast for Friday and Friday night, so it may end up being off again. Still, a week is a long time in weather forecasting.

I don't suppose any of you are familiar with the byway that goes along the south edge of West Wood just south of the A4 and comes out in East Kennet?

good luck with your attempt molgrips 🙂

i live in devizes which is about 8 miles from avebury and have always wanted to do the whole route one day (have only cycled as far as liddington castle).

am having an operation on tuesday to hopefully cure me of a problem that has stopped me riding my bike for a long time,and once i can ride again i am hell bent on starting riding my bike again and i would also like to have a go at the double one day. i even bought a national trail guide for the route a few years ago as i really wanted to do it.

i do love riding the ridgeway around the marlbrough dowms (on a sunny day you just cannot beat it).

good luck and keep it rubber side down 😀

Mate, good luck with the OP and hope it works. And I agree - it is glorious riding.

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thanks a lot molegrips 😀

i am definitely looking forward to reading your report on the double once you have completed it 😀

Rode a fast 3.5 hours on road yesterday and six steep hours today off road, and I feel pretty good actually. Fingers crossed!

Time to put my feet up and eat, I think.

I don't suppose any of you are familiar with the byway that goes along the south edge of West Wood just south of the A4 and comes out in East Kennet?

Yes, it is mostly OK but sections may still be an utter clagfest. Was up on the Ridgeway today and it is all drying out nicely.

Right. Forecast is now looking decidedly less dry. It's forecast to piss down on Wednesday and be a bit showery on Friday.

How do you locals reckon it will end up? I've seen the western part dry out fast, because it's exposed, but it's more wooded towards the east isn't it?

My most remembered experience of the ridgeway was coming back down the path to Avebury, when it was damp.

Not sure how far away my bike landed

1 day shouldn't cripple it, i can do a check on Thurs for you if you want ? The area around Ilsley/Streatley are some of the claggiest sections, so if they're OK, then the rest will be fine.

The further easy you go it may be wetter, but it's not Ridgeway claggy clay, so helps.

Any info gratefully appreciated Weeksy 🙂

So the chalk is only on the downs on the West? Cos that's what I'm familiar with. What's the Eastern end made of?

Forecast is less rain towards the east, comparing Princes Risborough with Swindon.

From what i've seen, once you get past Streatley it's just generic mud/dirt etc. I've not ridden a large amount over that side once you get about 10 miles past Streatley, but nothing i've seen over there is an issue when wet

Good, thanks.

I don't mind a bit of mud, as long as it's a) rideable and b) doesn't clog my bike up.

Best of luck molgrips! Feel free to email me if you want any specific info...my address is on the ridgewaydouble.net web site ;-). I live near Goring & will pop out & cheer you on if I have an idea when you're passing.

Rode a few hours between Goring and Swindon yesterday. It's very fast at the moment but some rain is forecast for tomorrow.

With regards to the singlespeed record...I went with a 32-18 iirc (29er) and used a pretty high cadence a lot of the time. I suspect some strong legs and a 17 cog might be a good tactic. I went rigid but it's really bumpy in places so front suspension is probably sensible as well...more important than on the South Downs Double imho.

^^ What time did you do singlespeed (or do YOU hold the record??)

DrP

I'm pretty sure I'm the only person to have ridden the double SS, so by default I have the record :-). Also, I put the route together so had the benefit of knowing it really well.

🙂

Top of the podium is still top of the podium!!

I'd like to give the SS record a bash, but would want to ride/know the route a few times first..

I live right on the SDW, so 'know' it's ins and outs, which helps when you're head down several hours in... I wouldn't want to make any 'record attempt' blind...

DrP

Thanks for popping in, pedalhead. If you think it'll be ok given the forecast, that's good enough for me. Although I'll be annoyed if it gets slow and I miss the chance for a quick time.

I'm aiming for a 5am start so I should be what, 8-9am ish in Goring, hopefully. I'll make a public spot tracker page and post it up here.

@molgrips I reckon you'll be ok if the forecast stays the same. A fair amount of rain tomorrow but the ground is really dry so can probably handle it. The rest of the weeks looks ok so yeah, I'd go for it. Good idea doing it on a weekday...fewer people to dodge around at Ashridge. Please post your SPOT link when you have it :-).

@DrP well, at least the SS record was the overall record until June this year 🙂 I think you'll find navigation pretty simple along the Ridgeway, but yes absolutely worth pre-riding it. I definitely lost a big chunk of time on the SDD because I'd never ridden it before. Let me know if you want some SS company on a recce ride sometime.

Ah no it'll be a Saturday. Taking Friday off work so I can drive down with the family, camp and chill out a bit for an early Saturday start then sleep and drive home Sunday.

I don't think I'll have trouble getting up early though. I'm already nervous, which tends to get me up at 4...

Re nav - I plan on only taking a GPS and a phone, don't want to be faffing with maps. I may get my old GPS off SaxonRider and have that as backup second unit.

Out of interest, i did a 7:30 rolling Avebury-Goring-Avebury in the spring. I get the impression that the Goring Ivanhoe is different, does that mean faster slower or just different? Just trying to get a handle on a time to aim at.

I suspect time has run out for me this year and i will be looking at next spring now.

ah ok. Well, watch out for the hoards of people at Ashridge 🙂 . As it's Saturday, I'll definitely be able to pop out and say hello. Of course, if you'd rather keep your head down and stay in the zone without interruptions then you can just tell me to piss off, I'll understand 😆 .

I know what you mean about nerves...I've started long rides at 3am before because I couldn't sleep & just gave up trying!

@mrmo the terrain west of Goring is more classic Ridgeway than to the east, which has (even) more lowland bridleways. There's some nice stuff around Wendover imho, where the hills appear again.

Of course, if you'd rather keep your head down and stay in the zone without interruptions then you can just tell me to piss off, I'll understand

I'll certainly say hi but I won't stop for long! PM me if you like with a location.

I'm working on the assumption that these miles will be easier than say Trans Cambrian way miles, to compensate for the fact there are rather more of them. What do you reckon? Easier or harder than TCW?

Ah don't worry I'll be on my bike & can ride alongside for a bit...wouldn't ask you to stop 🙂 . I'll just ride in the opposite direction and will bump into you at some point (unless you get lost!).

TCW was a navigational nightmare for me, and it was super wet, but even if it wasn't, yeah the Ridgeway miles go by much faster. There really isn't a single climb on the Ridgeway that you reach the base of and think oh sh*t I have to climb that?

Easier

Ah don't worry I'll be on my bike & can ride alongside for a bit...wouldn't ask you to stop . I'll just ride in the opposite direction and will bump into you at some point (unless you get lost!).

That'd be great 🙂 You should see from my spot how I'm doing, I'll be on a sparkly red Salsa El Mariachi with Black carbon forks. And if the form is to be believed I'll be sat at the side of the trail covered in Stan's with the tattered ribbons of a Racing Ralph in my hands.