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Doing the SDW - Winch to Eastbourne end of May.
Does anyone have the route I can download to my Garmin please?
LOL at DrP's idea that he took a lot of food. That's just a few snacks. Not done the SDW, but guess the WHW is about the same effort. This is what I ate on the ride itself:
coffee
scone and jam
two cheese ham and picked onion sandwiches
2 chocolate pancakes
honey roast cashews/peanuts
jelly babies
toasted pitta bread
Baton de Berger Salami
tin of Soup
Squeezy fruit purees
1 litre Apple Juice
1 litre grape juice
4 cans of Pepsi
1 can of Irn Bru
8 bananas
Packet of fig rolls
2 Ambrosia rice pudding
couple of slices of smoked ham
packet of wine gums
lots of water
oh and a couple of boiled eggs
four, yes, will look at that tomorrow for you.
Wally thank you - I've found a few on Google but the accuracy appears a bit 'off'.
Found it four, - message sent for email details.
Sod carrying too much. When i soloed it last year I stopped at Amberley for a proper lunch and QECP for cake. Too early for the ice cream van at Ditchling though. Peanuts, pork pies and the taps saw me through in just under 12h.
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.
🙂
I'm planning to do it for the first time this year too, was planing to do it last week but wasn't fully prepared so now aiming for the last week in July. Using this as a GPX for the route, anyone confirm it's a good one?
[url= https://www.strava.com/segments/907660 ]Strava SDW Segment[/url]
I'll be doing just over 110 miles as I'm doing it solo with no real support. Planning to stay at the Winchester Travelodge the night before and set off at 5am, the car will be left in Eastbourne somewhere so I have a target to aim for. A friend who has done it a few times said I'd be fine if I can do a few 30 milers in a week without feeling like crap, did 145 miles last week all round Welsh trail centres so my fitness is there now. I'm just going to focus on keeping moving at a steady pace and keeping fed and watered at regular intervals while not focusing on the miles to go! I've done the L-Brighton the last 2 years without any issues at all so long days in the saddle isn't the issue. Last week's riding taught me that I can keep going at a lower pace for hours and hours so I should be fine as long as I keep to my pacing goal.
Hope everyone who's doing it this year has a good one 😀
Dear god, I feel sick just looking at the list of thegeneralist's food!
Down to do this on 15th July (22nd if weather postpones), I'm accompanying a friend whose riding it raising sponsorship funds for the Multiple Sclerosis Trust.
Great thread, picking up tips, keep em coming 🙂
If it's wet, be very careful on the faster sections of flint/chalk road. I was bombing along the Graffham Common section thinking I was making really good time when the front wheel went from under me and I crashed hard, ripping my shorts, damaging a boa on my shoe, and mangling the rear mech and hanger. Sad times.
Take sime tyre patches cut out of an old toothpaste tube. Had this happen a couple of times in the last few months on the South Downs flint.
[URL= http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o42/Citroenxsara/FBBF8C59-D5C3-4619-B54E-B5122BF50CEC.jp g" target="_blank">
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o42/Citroenxsara/FBBF8C59-D5C3-4619-B54E-B5122BF50CEC.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL]
That reminds me to pack a little bottle of sealant and those large tubeless patches with superglue. Last year I found the worms and tool kit saved me, but it was just a large hole, not a tear.
I've only tried it once so far and failed after about 80 miles. This despite having happily ridden far further for far longer on road bikes many times. Some pointers from my experience of that ride (and many other shorter rides on the SDW). This obviously isn't aimed at the sort of people who are likely to knock it out in 10 hours, this is for the losers like me 🙂
- Logistics can be the biggest issue. If you're able to sleep at one end or can get someone to collect you by car then great, but if you're relying on trains it's a three hour journey from one end to the other. I chose to get the earliest train from Winchester to Eastbourne on a Friday, which resulted me setting off at 8am. If I was doing it again I'd start in the small hours and get the train at the end.
- In mid summer the ground is hard, with baked-in impressions of horses' hooves and tractor tyres in places, and if you're on a rigid bike the terrain will beat you up. YMMV: some people do it on cross bikes, of course.
- The weather can make or break it. The day I did it was as humid as any I've ridden in, with a big thunderstorm that broke in the evening. I'd have taken a miserable winter's day over that, without a doubt.
- As with any big ride, don't come into it with a big sleep deficit (this also scuppered my attempt).
- Note the position of the taps: if it's hot and/or humid you'll need them. Also note the locations of food close to the trail (unless you're the sort who can exist all day on gels and Haribo). If you don't know these spots and find yourself randomly looking for food or water at any point then finding it elsewhere normally involves a significant detour which won't help your endeavour and will normally necessitate a climb back up to the Way.
- The above advice about tyre boots is sound. Flint cuts are a real risk.
- If you have a GPS, use it. For the most part the signposting is good but there are a few points which can really trip you up. Load up a tried and tested GPX file and set an off-course warning: if you do that, you don't need to watch the GPS for navigation but you'll avoid wasting time and energy on accidental diversions.
- Don't assume it's going to be fun. The views are nice but it's the sort of trail that when you're just chewing on it for a whole day you'll probably start to see all its bad points and not its good points. But if you finish, it'll all be good 😉
Did it last Sunday (7th)
8am Winchester - 5:45pm Eastbourne
forgot how hard those last few hills are
has anyone got a GPX or link to the BHF route please? I live fairly close so thinking about going and doing a couple of rides 40-60 miles ish to assess the likelihood of me doing the whole thing (in a day - definitely want to do it over 2/3 days as well at some point) 🙂
[b]amt27[/b]
Think we spoke briefly on Kingston Ridge above Lewes just before Southease.
You were certainly going well for someone with 80miles in there legs at that point.
How are people getting from Eastbourne to Winchester if leaving a car in Eastbourne?
wilburt - Member
How are people getting from Eastbourne to Winchester if leaving a car in Eastbourne?
Cycling 😉
lol 😆
I see it got sub 24hr doubled at the weekend on a CX bike, my wrists hurt at thought
[url= https://cordal.cc/ ]https://cordal.cc/[/url]
Train via Clapham Junction is the easiest route from one end to the other.
Ive done it 3 times, failed on 2 attempts as well. 1 x mechanical and 1 x serious bonk at Truleigh hill.
T'is a grand day out but so weather dependant.
I use a single bottle now as there are more taps than before and they are every 8 miles apart , give or take, so come up quickly.
Its also got more sanitized over the years too. There is also a BW detour that saves a few mtrs above Cocking.
Beware some of the gates used to have barbed wire around them or across the bottom , so riding into them hoping they might magically open could result in a puncture.
Did this last weekend (3rd June) probably one of the best days i've had on the bike, probably aided by perfect conditions.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1019227665
I'll get a blog post done, but a few tips:
- A 29er with front sus was ideal. A CX bike would have hurt.
- Make a note of the water taps/stops. I ran out and forget where they were, but did manage to find one not too far away
- The route is all signed, and very well too, I still took 3/4 wrong turns, so best to have a gpx file as well
- Savory food was a god send. Boiled eggs are the future.
- I took basic spares, but plenty of food, all held in an Alpkit bag on the bars
- As Njee said, there are loads and loads of gates, averages out at 1 a mile I think...
- The second half (Winchester to Eastbourne) is harder... Those hills...
It's a brilliant route and i'll go back in a few weeks and do it again.
I did it on an 80mm singlespeed hardtail. Fitted it with a thudbuster for the run though.
BHF 15th July, boring train question. Had hoped for lift back but unlikely to happen now.
What are the chances of me getting on a train back to Winchester that evening? Are they accommodating or will they tell me where to go? Don't mind getting the last train at 10 ish; may not be there much before! (Plan would be to kip in van both evenings)
Would it be any better in the morning? Could bivi Eastbourne Sat night.
(Looks like might be industrial action on trains to make it more fun.)
Cheers
I believe you'll be fine,if they are running. I've gone back on the evening and the morning after before with no problem.
Trains run quite late into the evening, past 11pm and you can still get back to Winchester. I'd be more worried about Southern Trains industrial action. Bad planning is getting to Eastbourne after the chip-shop closes
Ha - I'm 8th on the SDW strava leaderboard!
As if!!
DrP
Link us up Dr P. I've got 12 days until my attempt.
I'm hoping for <12 hours.
Lol must remeber chips shop. But you think I be okay even with the BHF event?
GHS, me and a mate have booked the Seaview guesthouse locally and staying over.
I'm doing it on the 15th* too. A friend is doing it to raise funds for a MS charity & I'm riding it alongside him. We have our own support vehicle to ease logistics. We're in the Premier Inn in Winchester Friday, Eastbourne Saturday. We'll be the unlikely duo on a white Specialized Enduro carbon & a tiny 650b green hardtail, say "hi" if you see us.
*22nd if weather is pants.
Will do qwerty, we'll be on a green Spearfish and likely a Whyte t130 in sky blue.
Some great advice here. I have tried it twice, completed once.
First time was with a group of mates, stopped halfway at Amberley and had beers and a good meal. Rained off at Lewes on day 2, chalk was lethal and we decided to go home.
Second time went about 65 miles day one solo, pub dinner and then on at 6am next morning. Kind fellow from STW joined and helped motivate me to Eastbourne. He also shared a gpx file, which was a massive help.
I had a 5in full susse, overbiked but nice to have suspension all round. I was not very fit but it is a great sense of accomplishment.
I did faff a lot and ate three breakfasts on the way, so I am sure I could have been more efficient!
I'm aiming my attempt for 28th July (with alternates on 27/29). Winchester-Eastbourne is much more convenient for me but I'm curious:
a) How wet would it need to be (on the day, or in the days leading up) for you to cancel?
b) How much Easterly would there need to be for you to reverse the direction and start in Eastbourne?
I know these are "how long is a piece of string" questions, but I'd like to hear people's opinions.
Rob
a) Ideally we'd want a dry spell in the run up, if it rained a bit on that hopefully it'd soak it up. We don't want rain on already sodden ground, or continuous rain on the day. A light shower / drizzle might help cool us down if hot. No real rule, but we'll make a judgement call in the days prior. For us, if we have to postpone we'll loose our support vehicle...
b) no idea, its supposed to work in our favor going from Winch - Eastb, but if the weather was showing gales in the opposite direction we'd swap our hotel reservations over and do it from Eastb - Winch.
A. It would be horrific if wet, it's the wrong type of mud for wet. However, it has been VERY dry lately so would need a fair bit of rain to be an issue.
B. Don't care about the wind.
I've spent longer doing doing 60 miles to Truleigh Hill in the wet than riding the whole thing in the dry.
It's pretty dry at the mo, but if you do encounter torrential rain, you'll find out that the co-efficient of friction between rubber and wet chalk is virtually zero.
Once encountered 30-40mph easterly headwinds in mid-summer when the average temperature was 10 degrees - the climb up Southease was particularly tough as I was riding a SS CX.
The only good thing about the wet in winter was coming all the way down Old Winchester Hill towards Exton on my fatbike with my wheels locked, foot-out and sliding past those pushing their bikes through ankle-deep slop!
Starting to get a bit worried about my attempt of Friday. The weather on the day is looking good, but not sure about the rain on Wednesday/Thursday.
It's drying really quickly at the moment and it's not been wet enough for long enough for green chalk to be an issue.
It's actually better on the non bare chalk bits when the ground is slightly softer, tbh.
I find a day or two of rain is OK on the south downs if it's been dry for a spell before hand as it just soaks away very quickly. It's prolonged (a few days or week of rain and reduced temperatures) which make it messy.
PS: you can get chips at Eastbourne pier !
Well that's done. Riding time 13:15, with a total time of 15:15. I left Winchester just after 5:00, so needed lights for the first part. Even as the sun was coming up it was very dark under the trees for the first hour or so.
I'd been very apprehensive about this in the days leading up to it, and if I'm honest wasn't looking forward to it. It had become a bit of a "just get the damn thing done" in my head. However, within about 30 minutes of setting off I remembered just what a nice route the SDW is, and that riding on enclosed bridleways and byways is basically what I like to do on my bike, so all was fine.
I think in hindsight though that I should have cancelled. The route was wet (lots of standing water) and I fell off twice, in really innocuous places, because the wet chalk was like ice. I also had a couple of minor mechanicals cause, I think, by the build up of mud on the bike.
These things being what they are, I'm already thinking how much faster I could be if I:
a) Picked a better day (drier, and perhaps a month earlier).
b) Took less stuff. I was able to re-fill water in several locations, so could have had smaller bottles. I carried 2 tubes, but had no flats.
c) Navigated better. I find QECP particularly tricky, and also went wrong in a couple of other places (nothing major but they all add up). I had intended to do a few recce's beforehand, but didn't find the time.
7/10 would do again.
Rob