Hi all. Just thought I'd let you know about a new long distance off road ITT (independant time trial) route I've drawn up. - the [url= http://ridgewaydouble.net ]Ridgeway Double[/url]
I figured that we need more routes like this in the south in particular, and wanted to devise one that was a comparatively easy entry into the world of long distance ITTs for people who are ITT-curious. Whilst only 30 miles shorter than the South Downs Double, it's a heck of a lot easier - fewer climbs and they're far less steep for the most part.
I've ridden the whole route in chunks and modified it from previous published Ridgeway rides so that it's: 1. Accurate with what's on the ground, 2. 100% legal, 3. Fun! (why miss out on Grim's Ditch, for example). I've also researched and confirmed on the ground the location of public taps along the route.
I'll be putting down an inaugural time on Monday, starting early at around 5am from Avebury. My singlespeed is really not the best tool for the job (in truth, a CX bike would probably be best), but I reckon I should be aiming for sub-15 hours. Of course, the route isn't just for ITT'ing...I hope people will make use of it just for fun/touring as well, in the knowledge that it's all bike-legal and accurate.
The Ridgeway Double should be added to the Self-supported UK leaderboard in the near future, and I've also created a quick & dirty web site to host details of the route...
[url= http://ridgewaydouble.net ]http://ridgewaydouble.net[/url]
Please note - The GPX/TRL download links don't work yet...I'll make them available after my ride.
Cheers 😀
Have a good ride mate 🙂
Cheers Greg 🙂
That's a nice route, good luck with the ride 🙂
Thanks, can't wait! 🙂
I had a great time when I did the ridgeway, me and my mate camped near the white horse, rode to streatley, had lunch at the pub there on the river and then rode back, loved the descent down to streatley and the whole ride, up down up down, was great fun and the weather that day we did it was awesome, lovely sunny day so I have great memories of it. We missed the grims ditch, not sure how but the ridgeway was all signed but the signs miss out the grims ditch it seems.
Good effort putting a site together for it. Have a good one.
Good luck. Fewer gates than the SDW at least!
Looking forward to hearing how you get on - i live in Wallingford so have been up and down the ridgeway countless times, never quite to this extent though so good luck.
Nice work and good luck Mark.
Thanks guys. jimfrandisco - we're in Benson 🙂
jekkyl - the section of Grims Ditch near Wallingford is some of the best singletrack in the area...and bizarrely hasn't been included on previously published "official" Ridgeway cycle routes, even though it is part of the Ridgeway. Anyway, it's on this route 🙂
drofluf - yep, far fewer gates than my previous two gate-tastic ITTs - Pennine Bridleway and SDD...thank God!! In fact, the Ridgeway has only a handful of gates. Yay! 🙂
Thanks Dan! 🙂
May come and cheer you on as I live just below the Ridgeway, you got an ETA to cross the A338?
That would be ace 🙂 Although, assuming I start on time then I'll be passing that point at around 7am on the way out (I'm starting at Avebury end). Tricky to guess what time I'll be coming past!
Download links not working for me? goes to wordpress admin login
Looks interesting. I'd be up for this.
I live near Compton and often end up on the Ridgeway.
Jekkyl- I always end up incorporating that bit on my local route. It's great fun.
Sounds like we've got a fair few locals in the area!
DavidB - as per original post above, download links will be dead until I've completed the ride on Monday :-). I still have a bit of tidying up to do on them.
BM's for laters on..
Best of luck, looks like you'll have some fun.
May be a challenge for next year - baby arrival means that at the moment i'm struggling with 60miles in a day on road...never mind 160 back to back.
What's parking like at the start and finish? I take it people can start at either end?
Be watching with interest.
Aha - very good idea!
I do Wallingford to Avebury and back as a training ride. This is a bit more serious.
Do you have to start at either end or can you start anywhere on it, ride to the end back up to the other end and finish back where you started?
Notice you've dedicated the site to Ivor Read. Is this the same Ivor who used to own Red Planet Cycles? I used to go on the shop rides with him. What on earth happened to him?
Great stuff. I love the Ridgeway route and Grims Ditch is ace. It is included in the Ridgeway route in the rough ride guidebook, but the official guides don't like bikes using (they might spook horses) so thats why they don't have it in them.
Notice you've dedicated the site to Ivor Read. Is this the same Ivor who used to own Red Planet Cycles? I used to go on the shop rides with him. What on earth happened to him?
Sadly Ivor died of a heart attack and is greatly missed
I would be up for this, would probably be spring or summer now but looks great.
This sounds ace - will check your gps on Monday.
Enjoy !
Brilliant route about time
Im a bafoon m8, cant get the GPX zip to downloaded keeps sending me to wordpress?
Read the top post pawsy - links are dead until Mark has finished the ride (Monday)
Good luck Mark, very interested in this as a training for a big one ride!
Really chuffed to hear such interest in the route...that's very much the idea!
As dave says, yes it's dedicated to Ivor of ex-Red Planet Bikes in Swindon. Ivor sadly died a bit over a year ago & is greatly missed.
To avoid confusion, I've removed the links from the GPS downloads until I have them ready 🙂
dknwhy - parking at the Avebury end is right at the start of the trail. Ivinghoe Beacon also has a car park a little up the road. All very easy logistically 🙂
Cool, have a good ride.. Used that as an out-back training route base last year. Will have a closer look, interested in the variations at the chilterns end. The way I did it worked out as a big weekend ride and I snuck a kip in each time ~50 miles from home to get used to the short breaks / cos I was soft 🙂
Cheers James. It seemed to work out well for you 😉
<15hrs would be good going, good luck!
sweet the minute my hand is healed im gonna have a go- at the single version 1st!
questions, is it signed as is or would i need a map?
or once the gpx files are up, what cheap gps to do it? could i use a foreunner?
cheers
Wow, a good target for next Spring for another West Berkshire local 🙂
Lots of locals here...excellent 🙂
adsh - similar to out & backs like the South Downs Double, you're eligible for entry on the leaderboard no matter where your start point is along the route. Obviously this is really helpful for logistics if you live near the route. Having said that, I live three miles from the Ridgeway and I'm choosing to start an hour's drive away in Avebury for this inaugural ride. It just feels "tidier" that way, and I'm curious how long it'll take me to do it one-way as well...you lose that little stat if you start mid-way (but of course that may not bother you at all). Flexible start point also allows you to plan water stops and lights differently...for example, there are more wooded sections to the north/east of the route...much more open down the other end. As light fades on my ride I'll be in the open, exposed area in Wiltshire so have decided to save some weight and take a less powerful light. It's all part of the fun of planning a ride like this :-).
Kimbers - You will probably want a map/GPS track for this. Much of the ride is simple to navigate, particularly the section between Avebury and Streatley. However there are some points where you [i]don't[/i] follow the sign-posted Ridgeway because it turns into footpath. At places like that the route follows other, bike-legal trails, often the Icknield Way or Swans Way once past Goring in particular. GPS-wise, between my wife & I we have a Garmin 800, 200 and a Dakota 20. The 800 and Dakota have OS mapping & good for navigating as a result. The 200 is only a backup for navigation on these long rides as it just has a breadcrumb trail to follow. Unfortunately my Dakota is currently broken so I'll be using the 800 with the 200 as backup (the 800 may run out of battery before the end!)
Notice you've dedicated the site to Ivor Read. Is this the same Ivor who used to own Red Planet Cycles? I used to go on the shop rides with him. What on earth happened to him?Sadly Ivor died of a heart attack and is greatly missed
So sorry to hear that. He was a lovely guy.
Yet another local here, again just near Compton. Sounds like something that I'd be interested in having a go at. I do a few 12 hour races so it would be good training if nothing else. As others have said it'll be next spring now though. @adsh, I'm the Pete you were camped next to at the Torq in your sleep.
Definitely looks like a ride to be trying next spring/summer.
Good luck with it on Monday.
Cheers 🙂
Some last minute fine-tuning of the route today. Found another two taps, and moved the start/finish closer to Ivinghoe Beacon, using a footpath that the National Trust have actually reclassified on their land as a cycle route. Also futzed around a bit at Wendover today...got rid of a road stretch there and put in a lovely (official Ridgeway) climb. I only recently got full 25k OS mapping from Tracklogs and there are some Ridgeway labels that don't appear on my previous 50k maps that I'm only now discovering. I think it's all sorted now though :-).
Looks good. I'm in Didcot and am up for this at some point.
Fair play. Will watch with interest.
Another Grimm's ditch fan 🙂 .
Conditions look pretty great for this, trail fast and dry, what wind there will be should be on your back on the last leg.
Good luck!
He's on his way.
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(Picture via Mrs Pedalhead on Facebook)
