[Closed] South Downs Way in a day

Average to decent MTB rider is about 12 hours riding time. So fairly fit!

It's more in the head though imo.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/sdw-in-a-day-tips-please

Prepare for a range of responses from "if you can't do it there and back during daylight hours you need to MTFU" to "it's the hardest thing I've ever done".

For the record I'm more towards the latter!

Full gas from the first pedal stroke. Can't go wrong!

Thanks. I know some of it mainly Winchester across beyond Cocking and then some of the Brighton end. So comfy with the surfaces etc. Just wondering how it feels to ride that distance in one hit.

A chance has come up to do it for charity but it's about 7 weeks away. Normal riding is typically 2-3 hours at a time. I've really wanted some kind of challenge to force me to push myself a bit physically this year but don't want to be a liability by biting off a lot more than i can chew!

I'm sensing it might be an aspirations exceeding fitness scenario!

I've done it, while I was quite fit (for me); there's a lot in the 'mental challenge rather than physical' cliche

That said, try some longer rides first (longer than your 2-3 hours) mostly to make sure you have your position and contact points sorted.

More importantly (to help with the mental side) it really helped me to know I had made escape route plans. I didn't need them, but I found them a support rather than a tempting bail-out!

Good info on water stops easily found, go off easy for a couple of hours and see how you get on. Good luck!

It is tougher than anyone north of Watford thinks, just check the elevation 😯 the peaks may not be high but there is a lot of up and down (not as much fun as in and out). If you really want to do it you will manage and maybe feel it was an epic. Personally I think its about the most tedious riding you could do on the South Downs but I can accept others see it differently

I reckon if you're reasonably comfortable over 35-40 miles it's more about pacing, eating enough and being comfortable enough on the bike. Not saying it's easy but if you can keep going there's not too much type 2 fun, just making the miles!

how it feels to ride that distance

Also think of how it'll feel to ascend 14000' [i]and[/i] ride a century!

I'm hoping to attempt it mid July. If I succeed I'll bathe in the fact that some loons turn round & ride back and one loon does even [i]that[/i] twice!!!!

Pace, food, drink and just ride 10 miles 10 times over Mint Sauces landscape 😉

I did it when not very fit and on a pretty unsuitable bike (heavy long travel bike, big heavy tyres). It was also very muddy up to about QECP after a night of pissing rain.

HOWEVER

I'm sure the strong cross/tail wind helped quite a lot but even so I can't remember the last 15 miles or so really at all (until we crested the last hill) and I was asleep in my mate's car within about 2 minutes of getting in - it's the only time I've ever slept while in a car

SO, hard but doable (oh, and I'd have bailed at the devil's dyke if I hadn't got a supply of sudocrem with me)

i heard there's a shed lid of gates too? Lots of lifting the bike over or getting off and on?

No lifting needed, but lots of stopping. You may get lucky with a few walkers holding gates.

It's definitely doable, going west-east the last two hills are the toughest, and they are tough, keep something back! You can always walk a bit.

Know where the taps are - I wrote the distances on a piece of paper on my top tube which worked and recorded locations on my Garmin. Knowing the distances broke things up a bit, I never thought about more than the next 2 taps.

Sort your fuelling out, you will categorically need to eat and need to know what works for you. I did it essentially solely on gels and bottles of High5, but that would ruin a lot of people.

I want to do it twice more - once to not make mistakes and go faster and once slower to enjoy the views!

I'm doing it from Eastbourne this Sunday... I'll report back on how hard it is and how much climbing there is (I hope its closer to 10,000' than 14,000')

only done it over two days, although it is on my to-do list as well.

Most of what needs saying has been said but my 2p (and this is a very rough and inaccurate approx but good enough for a 'get me through it' effort)

Do a FTP test of some sort - even a 20 min max effort time trial to get your average heart rate over that period and multiply that by 95% = your FTP (close enough for this)

From that find your endurance zone, where your body switches from using carbs and fat for energy to where it eats stored glycogen. As a calc, that'll be about 90-93% of your FTP and given you want to err on caution I'd use 90%

So assume like me your FTP HR is about 155; my endurance zone goes up to about 140. This is the number you want to exceed as little as possible, so on the flats you don't push any harder than this, and on the hills you try to go above it as little as possible and for as short as possible. Every time you go above it, the man with the hammer comes a step closer.

If you do that and keep eating and drinking, that should get you home.

The other one from my experience of a 12hr solo is the kit itself, and if you haven't done rides over say 4 hours that's a bit unknown. Try at least a couple of long ones, because finding your willy goes excrutiatingly numb after 6 hours (I did) is not one for the day. Also I adjusted my position - moved spacers to raise bars and removed peak on helmet so I didn't have to look up as much - made a huge difference to lower back and neck pain, and while the handling was compromised (front end lighter) that was insignificant in comparison, eg: there are no super steep can't keep the front wheel down climbs anyway.

Do not go at it like a bull in a China shop from Winchester on the hottest day of the year before bailing at Amberley due to feeling cold and weird in the blazing sunshine. Pace yourself.

I think Ming has encapsulated in a sentence what i said with science 🙂

It's completely doable, but tough.

You'll be 70 miles in with the realisation "I've still 30 miles to go".
30 miles is still quite far!

I agree with the 'tap distance on top tube'.. It breaks it up mentally, and helps have aims.

Eat.eat more.
I've got plans, but am getting in a tiz over what bag/bum bag will carry enough food and clothing etc..

The gates get tedious, no doubt..

It is a right of passage though, and not too many people can actually achieve it in a day, so go for it!

DrP

I posted here last week asking about tyres after doing it at the weekend over two days. The main theme missing from the above is mechanical.

You'll bleed time if you get as many punctures as I did. They were split equally between pinch and 'normal'. So high volume tyres with a breaker strip, tubeless if you can and take plenty of tubes and patches as backup. Even so, downhill mebbies go a bit slower to ultimately go faster by avoiding snake bites. The going was very firm (concrete) for us which may or may not be typical - ask a local.

We were riding gnarr bikes though not 6" full suss 😉

Pockets DrP, pockets!

FWIW I taped gels to my top tube, and had one every 10 miles. I did have a cheese roll in my pocket, which I ate halfway because the bulk was annoying me, but really didn't fancy. Tubes and multi tool on seat tube. Pre-measured bags of high5 in pockets. Bottle on bike. Job jobbed.

You were all far more positive on my SDW double thread !

I'm not seeing negativity! Merely realism! You'll be reet Weeksy, it's flat 😉

yeah, I kinda get the pockets idea..but once you've stuffed your pockets, and your back is bulging like a lipoma covered camel, you may as well have some sort of bag...no??

Plus...despite my lack of body mass...I eat like machine on the bike! I seriously need to carry more than 10 gels! 10 baguettes perhaps!!

[url= http://www.drpidgeon.co.uk/blog/south-downs-way-in-a-day ]Here's my blog from when I did it (5 years ago, blimey!)[/url]

This was the food I took then:[img] [/img]

I'm a bit hungrier now!

DrP

That was for 1 way DrP ? LOL it's the SDW not a trip around the world. It must have added on an hour just to eat it all.

Hmmm, that's a lot of food. I did last years gravel dash ( same distance, a bit less climbing) on 2 bags jelly beans, 8 rice bars, 1 banana and 3 of slices of cake. I used a rucksac, but reckon it would all fit into a bar-fixed feed bag like an alpkit stem cell.

Edit - blog check and quantities are updated. No it wouldn't all fit into a stem cell. 2 stem cells then!

Yeah, seen a tap along the SDW and thought was a good idea should I ever decide to do it. Good advice to make note of where they are.

Half the distance can take me 10hrs though, but I find a lot of the time is scenic stops taking photos, long lunch rest, or getting distracted by singletrack and exploring. Focusing on just sticking to the route and getting on with it would be tricky.

BHF event in July has the 100 mile option, and allows about 16 hours to do it.

https://www.bhf.org.uk/get-involved/events/bike-rides/south-downs-way-off-road-bike-ride

BHF event in July has the 100 mile option, and allows about 16 hours to do it.

https://www.bhf.org.uk/get-involved/events/bike-rides/south-downs-way-off-road-bike-ride
br />

I'll be there 🙂

Then hopefully riding it back the day after 🙂

I have never ridden it, not yet its on my to-do list. As I am fairly local I will probably start with an attempt to ride it in two days. Having ridden and walked various parts of it I would say little seems flat its all up or down and the surfaces change quite a bit, flinty chalk, claggy ckay/mud, gravel tracks. It's generally well sign posted but a tired mind plays games so a gpx will be useful. My only navigation tip is just outside Winchester after crossing the bridge ignore bike signs and follow footpath (cut thriugh hedge) to avoid pointkess diversion along road and save 30-40m of climbing. West-East is usual direction so the prevailing wind is at your back.

Taps are easy to miss, the one at qecp is by the cafe

Good luck and let us know how it goes

That was for 1 way DrP

Some people can ride on a whiff of 7up - I need an hourly feast!!
Hey, it works for me. Now I've got my fuelling strategy for the enduro (XC) sorted I'm doing much better.

TBH, I'll prob take a lumbar camelback with a bottle in the bag (I prefer bottles for XC rides) and one on the frame, and then food etc in the bag.

I've al alpkit top tube bag, which I may take too...

DrP

Taps are easy to miss, the one at qecp is by the cafe

It's in the wooden fenced bin area, IIRC. Well hidden!

DrP

Its equivalent to a big day in the alps in my experience, so with correct equipment, pacing and fueling, easily attainable for a keen cyclist IMHO. I did it on a whim when i was 20, with little training, too much pizza and beer the night before in Winch and a pint of cider and pub lunch in Amberley. Needless to say by the last climb I was ruined! It took us about 13 hours I recall including the pub lunch. My mate was running yellow Wildgrippers for some stupid reason so he punctured twice. My trusty fire xc's got a gash but no punctures(with tubes)

If I were to do it again I would do it over 2-3 days and instead of blasting past nice single track on what becomes a slightly monotonous SDW, i'd stop off at QECP, Stoughton, Whiteways, Steyning, Stanmer to break it up.

You're going well if you can riding it in an elapsed time of under 12 hours - 10 hours riding and 2 hours for water / food / gates other unscheduled stops.
Best to avoid the weekends around midsummer because there are quite a few 'events'.
Cocking to Amberley section is often the bit were many find they've over-estimated their capabilities. Navigation isn't difficult but having a GPS makes it a lot easier as there are a couple of not clearly signed points.
If riding in a group - don't ride with anyone with tubes! I've done a few overnighters - heavy dew, sheep poo and no mudguards will guarantee you won't be making friends on the train home.
Worth checking the weather - one ride in July involved 20-30mph headwinds and average temperature of 11 degrees

Yeah second that, started form Winch at 0130 on my successful attempt and Uncle Garmin said it was 5C at QECP on the 24th June!

It's in the wooden fenced bin area, IIRC. Well hidden!

DrP

Yep, it is. There's a new one at Exton Farm (IIRC) now too, previously the first one was QECP, which was actually quite a long way in, albeit a fast bit. A couple of the taps aren't that logical, one towards the end isn't actually on the route, you have to deviate slightly. [url= http://www.bikedowns.co.uk/Water%20taps.htm ]This[/url] was the guide I used, I saved them all as waypoints on my Garmin.

You're going well if you can riding it in an elapsed time of under 12 hours - 10 hours riding and 2 hours for water / food / gates other unscheduled stops.

I stopped for less than 30 minutes cumulatively when I did it, definitely easier to just plod on I'd say, eat whilst riding etc. No matter how much better you think you'll feel after a break it's always easier to just keep going IMO.

As above - the bikedowns site is enjoyable (in a retro way!) and useful.

DrP

Tap at the sustainability centre too, a bit before qecp. Cafe too if you've had a late start.

Thanks for all the posts I'll look properly this evening. 😀

I get tired just reading this ! My longest ever ride is 60km with 700m climbing 😐

I've done it 4 times. It's a tough day out but not as full on as something like an Alpine road century with altitude.

Good ground conditions, a tailwind, no stopping much (apart from damn gates) and eating regularly help a lot.

I'm planning to ride it a couple of times this summer in my LEJOG preparations.

Sundays ride was 12,200' of up (Eastbourne to Winch) and just over 100 miles - it includes a bit of backtracking to assist with punctures of other riders from the club.
The trails were in great shape, even after a downpour the chalk was fine to ride on and the only plae we felt it was best to walk was up from the wishing well towards the Harting hill carpark.

One of the lads was on his first SDW and he started to flag around Warnford but he stayed focused, ate loads and got it done. He set his aim on this about 8 weeks back, so it proves anybody with a spot of application will be fine out there!

I found camping out in Friston forest the night before the ride was much more fun than getting a hotel room in Eastbourne.

.I found camping out in Friston forest the night before the ride was much more fun than getting a hotel room in Eastbourne.

And this is why bikes are great, as we're all different.

Word of warning, some of the gates have very heavy bits of dead Tractor on chain to assist with closure and it's not unknown for tired riders to let the weight clang against their rear mech towards the end, resulting in shitty shifting or snapped mech hanger.

I did it in a day a couple of times in my twenties, then on my 30th birthday and on my 40th.
It is my 50th in July and I will (hopefully) do it again in a day. Just started 'training' which means less time messing about in the woods and going on some bigger 'proper' rides. My problem will not be fitness (I think) but arthritis starting in my hands and a buggered neck that makes long rides tricky. However at the moment I don't have a sensible bike and so might by a full suss 29er and then sell it on when I have done it.
I always have a pint at Devil's Dyke and another in Alfriston. I also take on some peanuts for salt and protein just to keep me healthy.
When I started doing it bikes were pretty bumpy and I have done it on a rigid bike but my hands were wrecked, couldn't feel most of my fingers. It is that aspect that I recall as the worst I think.

Done it loads, it's doable if you can crack out a 100k road ride at pace. Just watch the off camber chalk and rooty sections under the trees.

Last year BHF SDW ride was hot, I'm talking really hot. Lot's of folks cramping up due to not enough salt. I gave a NuuN tablet to a chap doubled up on a gate - he looked at it like pure gold. My pennies worth of advice is
1) Take sun cream.
2) Lube up on Bum Butter or similar, even if you normally do not.
3) Pack as lightly as possible. Aim for just rear pockets.
4) Use your exact kit for many weeks before.
5) Full Suss 100mm is plenty of bike, less tread the better.
6) One bottle with whole tube of Nuun tablets or similar.
7) Tubeless with worms tubeless repair kit.
8) Pump, CO2, patches, superglue, tyre boot, rubber glue, multitool, spare links, hanger, Leatherman Squirtx2, Levers (specialized EMT) big but work - always, gear cable down bars, chain freshly Putolined.
9) [u]Do not take mates[/u], you will make them on the way.
10) Take a small MP3 player and enjoy the day out.

The [u]do not take mates[/u] is an odd one, I passed so many groups that were hanging around for Bob who had a puncture or Phil who was struggling and generally moaning and worrying about time. It is such a long way that you really cannot have many issues before you are never going to make it. Go yourself, set a personal challenge and chill. Having a relaxed attitude and pacing yourself is very important. At the start (5am) I was with the lead group, 30 mins in I stopped to take snaps of the amazing sunrise and just breathed the air for a bit, just amazing to be out starting an immense day. Sure everyone else charged on.. I also stopped for 30mins at QE park about 25 miles in at 7.15-7.45 and had was first in line for sausage sandwiches and fresh coffee. Trust me, those saved me in the hours to come.

The funniest thing is Winchester, the town and Pizza place had several obvious MTB'ers decked out in full gear wandering around the night before loading up on pasta. We all got chatting, the red wine flowed a little, nice night.

I am praying for no rain and a gentle tailwind. Wet and headwind and I very much doubt I will make it.