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What an adventure that was! Am buzzing!
5 of us set off from Eastbourne Station at 1.30pm on Friday and 2 of us rolled wearily back in to Eastbourne at about 7.45pm on Saturday evening. 2 had to quit at Winchester, and one got back to QECP before having to throw in the towel as was dangerously falling asleep while cycling. A quick powernap didn't help him unfortunately. Had a couple of guys with fresh legs join us at Winchester as part of the BHF Ride (I quickly slapped on my number in Winchester, turned around and joined the official ride).
I'm new to this endurance game. Biggest ride before last time was 100 miles. so doubling it was a big unknown. The psychological side was as hard as the physical side, although I went through periods of nausea and not feeling I could eat, energy levels falling off a cliff in an instant - only to feel back to full power after "proper food". I was ready to quit a few times, but my riding buddies pretty much refused to let me. Ended up breaking the return legs into manageable chunks. Amberley at 150 / Devils Dyke where I met my family for a motivational cuddle and a punnet of strawberries / Being swept home by @painey and six of our other local riding buddies for the last part of the ride.
You see some bizarre things at night. Surprising amount of people out doing all manner of things at 3am. The weirdest being 6 guys in tuxedos, absolutely battered in the middle of nowhere (must have been around East Meon) at 4am. Not even close to a road.....just in the woods, drinking (and boy had they been drinking). How did they get there? Where had they come from?!
Great views of the Tower in Pompey, the blood moon and the sunrise over a poppy field just outside of Winchester. I'll try get some photos up after work.
Was congratulated at the end by a STW member, but apologies... didn't quite catch the name as was so exhausted. I think it weas possibly @weeksy? in a Gnarpoon teeshirt, which made me smile.
Certainly would not have made the ride without the tremendous support - so thanks to everyone who popped up along the way in some capacity.
The reason we decided to have a crack at it at all was quite personal. My younger sister was diagnosed with breast cancer at around this time last year - she's doing ok thankfully, but wanted to have a suitably testing event to raise a bit of money for Breast Cancer Care.
Hope it is ok to share the link on here, just in case anyone would like to contribute. Thank you so much if you are able to.
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/thekilnbrewerycc
Well done 🙂
Brilliant effort.
Bravo.
Good job.
Sounds like you stumbled on a weird upper class party too, did they offer you any booze?
T'was me matey yes 🙂
Bloody epic job !
Top effort, well done.
Good work!
Amazing. Well done.
👍
Nice work 👍
Fantastic mate,I can't begin to imagine how tough that must have been!👍
Awesome! Well done. That's some challenge!
Fab effort! Well done
Awesome. 🙂
Well done!!!
Good stuff.
Hoping to get the double in next year, but need at least another single under my belt first before I’m confident enough to give it a go.
Thanks Everyone!
attempting to embed a few images... stay with me... I'm crap at this...
at the start
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The Nightshift...
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Sunrise over Winchester...
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We're halfway there....
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Support Crew for the Final Push...
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I've never been so happy to see Eastbourne...
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Route and Profile....
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I'm impressed. Took me 4 days to do one direction and I was chuffed with that. That is hell of an achievement. Well done. If you get the opportunity to do it slower and in the light, it's also beautiful and good fun. I'm a bit mind blown!
'Epic' doesn't quite do it justice... that's a hugely impressive achievement. Respect!
30hours on a bike. Jeez can you actually sit down or are bits of you still swollen?
Good work though, unsure if rolling along with all the bhf riders would be beneficial. Fresh legs and queues at taps, although the food stops would mean carrying next to nothing on the return leg. Just epo.
I'll be riding it over 3 days in a few weeks. Those pics have really inspired me.
Genuinely, thanks for sharing them. Superb.👍
Yeah, as others, amazing effort...well done! 👍
Oh,op, what bike were you on?
Also what tyres (this is stw after all)!?
awesome.
Epic effort. Can you post up a screenshot of your Strava stats, Id be interested to see them as I'm tempted to do a long ride. Probably half of what you did, but still long 🙂
Well done OP 👍 and some great pics there. Small donation on the way.
Thanks a lot☹️
You have really burst my bubble.
3 of us only did it one way on Saturday and we found it very hard.
Much respect from us!👍
Well done guys - that’s a tough ride !
Ps / I think I saw you at Amberley just before you headed up ‘The Dogleg’ (a girl was waiting for you all by the road crossing?)
I squeezed by you all and I think we all mumbled at each other, apologies if I seemed rude !
Well done again 😉💪🏼
I think that’s me at the gate behind you in ‘The Nightshift’ pic 😂
Epic stuff and a great write up! Nice one!
Seriously tho. How's the @rse?
Interested in what physical problems you've experienced. Blisters, tendons etc.
Brilliant work. Respect.
Nice work!
Thanks everyone for the comments! It was tough but I was doing it for breast cancer care- as my sister was diagnosed last year.... so I wasn’t going to quit unless it was out of my hands (like a snapped frame!) - but believe me I was teetering on the edge a few times. But amazing how you can just keep going.
@pablofantastico - yeah that would’ve been us. We had a girl with us at amberley on the Friday evening! I do remember someone passing!
@poopscoop - deliberated bike choice for weeks before hand. Was a toss up between my cotic Solaris in plus mode or my old on-one Carbon Race 29 - which is 3lbs lighter and has 2 sets of bottle bosses. A chunk of that weight is in the wheels too so opted for that. It’s normally set up for Gorricks but I beefed up the rear tyre to one of the specialized slaughter grids that were half price. With all the extra weight of food and kit, last thing I wanted to be doing was repairing a gashed rocket ron at 3am somewhere. And it’s oretty fast rolling. Just a nobby nic on the front.
I’ll try and post the Strava stats later. It was definitely a casual effort... nothing like the 17 hour attempts some guys have managed!
@chevychase - physically I have pulled through OK. Arse was smeared with Chapeau before leaving and added a bit more chamois cream at around halfway. I've a set of Endura undershorts that seem to rub less than all of my others on longer distances...I'd been testing each pair I own over warm up rides. Went with my lightest shorts too.
My little toe on the left foot rubbed a little and started to get sore at 150 miles, so stuck a plaster on it and it got no worse.
Other than that, My legs just feel like I have done a weights session in the gym other than a slight twinge in the side of my right knee. Oh...and I have been eating like a horse and more tired than usual!
I got away quite lightly unless there is a very delayed reaction! I have felt far worse after much shorter rides.
fantastic ride, chateau 😉
I've ridden 100 miles off-road before including the Fulking Hill/Steyning to Eastbourne section of SDW. No way I could have ridden back again at the end.
Well done OP. Thanks for posting. Quite an achievement. It took me 14 hours to go one way (although in my defense it was 35 degs!).
Top work!
Fantastic effort, big respect!
Just to let everyone know, I've taken over the Double website and given it a refresh, with more to come. Lots of useful info for those of you thinking about giving the double a go and do let me know if you are planning an attempt. (via the website)
https://www.southdownsdouble.co.uk/
Thanks
mccraque
I’ll try and post the Strava stats later. It was definitely a casual effort… nothing like the 17 hour attempts some guys have managed!
I'd love to see the Strava stays too matemate.
As for casual effort?! I hope you are joking. Nothing casual about your ride mate! Stunning stuff.👍
Distance - 201.41 mi
Moving Time - 23:55:42 (this was from Eastbourne Station and ended on the Seafront)
Elavation 22,159ft
Average Power 137W
Energy output 11,783kJ
AvgSpeed 8.4mi/h
MaxSpeed 37.1mi/h
Heart Rate 131bpm Max 179bpm
Calories 12,584
Temperature 75℉
Elapsed Time 30:53:40
Did I miss anything?
Proper units 😏
Calories 12,584
No wonder you've been eating like a horse since you finished! Lol
Overnight Six Pack!
25% elapsed time - stationary ?
Surely not . That would mean 3hrs @ 9mph average , then a 1hr break. repeat x 8 (ish)
I know the hills are so nasty that moving speed is down to 3mph in places so maybe Strava thinks you've stopped.
I was surprised at that, but I started the watch at Eastbourne station before we got going. We then faffed there for some while sorting stuff out.
My mate arranged for a bike change at Ditchling Beacon as he lost a rear brake. Maybe 30 mins.
Probably an hour an a half at Amberley having food and waiting for a straggler
30 mins in Winchester for a cup of tea and a bowl of porridge
20 mins at QECP for a bacon sarnie
45 mins at Amberley for lunch
30 mins at Devils Dyke
and a few smaller stops to grab a handful of food or water fill ups.
soon starts to add up.