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Going to ride the SDW over three days.
Wild camping. I know you're not supposed to but by camping I mean a sleeping bag on the ground on to of a thermorest. All that will be left is a small patch of flattened grass!
I'm over biked (YT Jeffsy 29er), overweight, overloaded with stuff on my knackered back and not very fit.
It'll be a mini adventure for sure! I've got back into biking with this as a goal for this Summer... And summer isn't around much longer.
Battery power allowing I'll post some updated along the way!
If you see a black Jeffsy on the Way say hi!
EDIT: Got here too late to make a start so camping next to the A31. Lol
Should have brought another light... and more food.... and now mozzy spray. Luckily remembered a small-ish bottle of vodka!
Early start tomorrow!
Night! 😀
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Enjoy!
Good on you mate! Enjoy!
you've not heard about the beast of Arlesford ? 😯
Good effort, if you were slightly further along (QECP) I'd have offered you a floor / garden
Sunrise isn't until six so you might get a good sleep
Ah, no forget that - we're not on the last Saturday of a month are we ?you've not heard about the beast of Arlesford ?
Sod off! . Lol
Anyway, It's ok, I've had my "Blair witch" half hour but now the vodka has kicked in! 😀
Run out of munchies though! 😀
Go find some watercress to munch?
Best of luck - lovely weekend for it.
Good luck! looking forward to the updates 😀
I finish night shift at 7am. I could bring you a coffee and meet at the milburys at 0730. Place your order! Costa only at that time I'm afraid.
Sorry mate, only just packed up gear!
Thanks for the offer though, you're a star!
Just had blackberries for breakfast. Happened to be a load of them next to where I camped. 🙂
Got a fair way before the first water/beer/food stop today. I think there is a pub before the next water tap.
Which is nice. 😉
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Good luck. Enjoy your ride.
Nice one! You've got great weather for this, keep hydrated, hope you know where water and food stops are along the way. I'll say hello if I see you around the Brighton/Eastbourne area.
What a day!
Incredible scenery and amazing people!
Got beasted by a guy on a rigid single speed Jones. Jeez, almost killed myself on a step up Hill trying to hang on to him. Had to admit defeat and walk up. Really nice guy, might be buying a single speed bike off him next week, an Inbred.
Said hello to everyone I met and people responded in kind.... Apart from roadies. Got totally blanked.lol
I am shagged. Not sure I've ever been this knackered. Been drinking loads but only had one pee... Which was Lucozade orange colour. Not good.
And.....
Had a bad stack on a down hill a few miles after the QECP. 🙁
Damage to jeffsy:
Bent rotor, grips ripped up, paint removed from the Pikes, seat ripped,Evoc back pack ripped up badly..... and worryingly an awful noise from front wheel. Got to be loose spokes yet none feel really bad? Makes a "twanging" over bumps or when I bounce the front wheel on the ground. Very disconcerting. Taken the down hills slow and held off the front brake Incase the rim folds! 😯
Any advice guys?
Damage to me:
Need new lid, head hit the ground pretty hard. Saw stars! Lol
Broken pinky on right hand. Strapped up with insulation tape.
Not sure what I've done to my collar bone. Bleedin hurts though.
Blood, lots of blood from arms and legs.
In truth I'm really only concerned annoy the front wheel, any help appreciated guys. I'll finish the Sdw if I have to walk it! Riding is better though. 😀
no pics I'm afraid, taking ages to upload and I need sleep.
In Cocking village now, bedding down on a playing field. Usually would be more discrete but I really don't care tonight.
I want bed!
Will update tomorrow!
Said hello to everyone I met and people responded in kind.... Apart from roadies. Got totally blanked
This usually happens to me. The acknowledgement rate from roadies is about 20%. But roadies are far superior to mountain bikers so it's totally OK right?...
BTW Cool story. Looking forward to the next installment.
Was it on the chalky decent after Harting Down? Where it spits you out into a meadow ? Lots of gulleys and debris in there. Cant think of a different decent thats dangerous tbh , maybe the drop of Beacon hill as its got stepped over the years and the smooth line is on the far right
STM I wondered if it was the next one East.
Been a few months since I rode through there but once you have gone down in to the meadow on that rutted bit, you would then climb up and round to to the right on a wide track and then a very rutted farm track that swings right and drops sharply at the end into a mini valley. The climb up is then almost straight away and really steep.
Blimey! Take care out there. There's a few fast steep bits my way, long concrete road just after Kingston where it's easy to get speed up and then just after Mill Hill there's a steep finish to a short steep hill that ends at a gate so you'll have to stop on the slope or end up in the gate. Good luck.
Having struggled on the SDW a while ago I always follow these posts with interest. Let us know you're doing alright this morning it sounds like a nasty crash. Take care and get yourself looked at, you can always come back and have another crack at it another time - it's not going anywhere!
Anyone heard from poopscoop today? Is he still alive?
Hope you're doing ok Poop, I was going to do the SDW this year too but chieckened out 🙂
Earth to poopscoop. Come in poopscoop.....
How did it all go? Are you ok?!
Send us a sign!
Sooooo, did he make it or is he in a ditch somewhere?
Come in Major poopscoop!
Am worried. Hoping not dead in ditch.
Gnn. Rode some of the sections of this between QECP and Houghton last week and while the terrain isn't hard, it's bloody hilly and there are a few sections where excessive speed would certainly leave you in the ditch. There's loads of chalk to ride on too, and although it was dry when I did it, the couple of damp bits that I slid off suggested that this is no ride to do in the wet!
Hope he's ok. With those symptoms, I'd have detoured to find a GP to check me out I think!
Sheesh, that was an interesting day1.
Ground control to Major Poopscoop have you:
a) been detained in a hospital ?
b) drowned in a ditch ?
c) been arrested for vagrancy ?
d) been attacked by the midge preservation society for killing the little bu**ers with your vodka bottle ?
Please provide situation report.
Should someone go and look for him?
Sorry!
Will update properly when I have time.:-)
Struggled in the next day but I felt utterly s**t. Most concerning is I had nystagmus come on after the crash. I had neurosurgery years ago and that tends to come on after I've "over done it" carrying to much etc etc.... crashing a bike does it too it turns out! 😀
Even though I had to bail (got train from Chichester back to Winchester) I absolutely loved the experience. The weather, the countryside and the people. So, so glad I went for it.
If I hadn't I world have been going into the autumn feeling a bit low to be honest. However I can live with the fact I tried but didn't succeed this time.
Oh, the noise I thought was don't wheel spokes is actually from the [b]Pikes![/b] Sounds expensive but fingers crossed
Will do a little write up soon with some pics. My second time on the South Downs. Truly God's Country! Incredible. 😀
Nice one! Glad you're ok. And the good thing is that the scenery gets even better on the second half.
I do it every year in July over two days. I start counting down the months from January. There's nothing quite like the SDW!
Glad you are ok.
Good to hear you've survived. Looking forward to the write up.
Glad to hear you're OK. I've slipped off on what I think must be either the same hill, or one of the ones close to it - they can be quite surprising.
I've also been dropped by super-fast single speeders.
Nice to hear from you Poopscoop - good effort and thanks for sharing. I have 'unfinished business' with the SDW - I love hearing about other people's assaults on it, helps keep me motivated 🙂
Proper adventure 🙂
Glad you survived 🙂
As a Yorkshire rider, my first visit to the South Downs was accompanied by some surprise ("Good grief, they have hills South of Sheffield!") and the 40-odd miles I did were certainly more taxing than I would have given credit for prior to riding.
I'll definitely be back to do the whole thing.
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REBIRTH!!
SDW ADVENTURE, THE SEQUEL.
The weather is too good to not give the SDW another try later this week.
Will be over 3 days probably, bivvying overnight. All gear taped to bike or in the rucksack...
Fitter than I've been in years but not even close to MTB Fit. Lol
Today I repaired a stuck down Monarch Plus....what's the worst that could happen... And now deciding whether to swap the HR2 for a minion SS.
The eternal SDW tyre debate!
Hopefully won't crash out this time. Look out for an all black jeffsy with a porky rider mincing around later in the week. 😃
I'll update things in this thread as I go.😃
Pic from last year:
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Jealous its stunning up there at the moment. Enjoy
Also very jealous, note the headwind if going the right way - west, though.
Did Steyning-Eastbourne last week, shrouded in sea mist (although it was bright sunshine when I dropped down into Eastbourne!).
Will be heading the other way tomorrow morning. Not sure if I can be arsed to go beyond QE Park though, I mean the original SDW started at Buriton, didn’t it?
Posted 9 months ago
Poopscoop
Subscriber
——————————————————
REBIRTH!!
SDW ADVENTURE, THE SEQUEL.
Aha! that explains the "sun rises at 6" comment! More like ten to 5 at the moment, and probably light enough to ride without lights from 4, unless you're under trees.
Good luck Poopscoop! Was talking on a ride last night about giving this another go. Jealous, especially it being midweek!
Take it easy in the heat - plenty of rehydration stops (apparently beer is isotonic) , and keep up the salt intake (bacon sandwiches, crisps & peanuts)
It’s stunning on the tops, trail ran some of it yesterday morning and it was simply stunning.
Enjoy it.
Some mates did an sdw in a day attempt at the weekend - the heat really slowed their pace so plan for less distance per day if this heat continues.
Wear sunscreen! (and a buff under your helmet)
Agreed, the conditions are superb at the moment.
biggest problems will be sweat and dust !
Keep us updated as to where you will be when.