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Was a bit wet on Friday wasn't it 🙁 Although Saturday was even worse!
Well done on doing it after such a lot of rain. Personally I would have postponed... I prefer the SDW dusty and in warm golden sunshine!
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.
a) agree
b) I would always take a couple of tubes and a tyre boot / tubeless repair kit because the flints are savage. I don't think smaller water bottles saves much weight and on a warm day I'd rather not run out. The most important thing for me is keeping weight off my back, so I use a saddlebag instead of a backpack.
c) we got a little lost around Brighton where the signposting seems confusing.
Holy thread resurrection batman!
Due to this weekend's camping trip being cancelled & the fact I have leave booked,I going to give this a go on Thursday. I've been saying I'm going to do it in a day for a few years now & what with one thing and another it hasn't happened. I have the tickets booked so I'm running out of excuses. I've been watching the weather apps hourly for the past 7 days and I thought I was going to get a tail wind , now looks like a light head wind ,pish. I have to go w-e as the camping canceller lives near Eastbourne and can rescue me post ride!
Anyhow ,If anyone see's a grimacing , barrel shaped chap on a black cx bike say hello. 🙂
Btw I'm taking a mix of NJee's(spelling) & Dr P's refuelling solutions - v helpful ta. 🙂
Good luck - It's dry under tyre currently despite the recent rain 🙂
Good luck, i think you'll have the conditions about right...
It will be tough, long, hard, hilly.... Just remember to keep pacing yourself ! Don't go too nuts.
Thanks. spin to win for me.
I was riding around Friston at the weekend - all looked good.
I know it fairly well from devils dyke but plan to take extra care during the first half not to get lost!
Like last time. 🙁
I'm due to ride this with the BHF on Saturday 14th July , so praying for nice weather conditions. I'm feeling horribly undertrained for it really but a mate and I are riding from Birmingham to Milton Keynes on Saturday via the Canal which is about 75 miles.
I'm also signed up for the BHF Milton Keynes 50 miler off road the week before on 7th July so hoping what with riding fairly regularly will be enough although I'm a bit of a porker, so probably bitten off more than I can chew.
Btw I’m taking a mix of NJee’s(spelling) & Dr P’s refuelling solutions – v helpful ta.
Bon chance, should be great for it this week! As an aside, NJEE are my initials, so it's not en-jee, just N-J-E-E 🙂
Hi Hockropper,
Good luck with the ride.....just to re-iterate the main point, its hilly. Quite different than a canal ride. Here's a view of my ride from last year (day 2 of a 3 day bike packing trip). There's an awful lot of climbing. If you open Strava on a PC you'll get a good picture of the route and the profile. I started at Winchester train station and finished at a beach in Eastbourne. If you live in Milton Keynes then unfortunately there is little hill training to help you prepare - best training would be hill repeats of puke hill and a couple of laps of Woburn Red Loop.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1076524750
Took me 11 hours 20 moving time, that's on a rigid 27.5+ bike with my bikepacking equipment. Also it did include an accidental detour right at the end, just what I needed! For the last 10 miles I was done in, out of food and water and just wanted to head to Eastbourne as quickly as possible, being tired I made a mess of my navigating and added a few extra and unwanted miles!
If I was doing it again it would be on a lightweight hardtail. I'd also heavily recommend going tubeless and taking a tubeless repair kit (including a tyre boot). There was a lot of people stopped along the route fixing flats. Lastly, just ensure you have enough water, you'll need more than you think. When you are at a rest station, ensure you fill up every bottle/reservoir you are carrying.
Thanks w00dster , for the advise, I used to live in Worthing so I'm aware of how lumpy it is.
I've been trying to do longer rides and commutes during the week to get the fitness up and double spin classes and sweetspot training to try to improve the hill climbing so I can just spin up the hills and not wreck myself on every one.
You're right about puke hill it's horrible either up Church street or off-road but has got to be done, XD
Lastly, just ensure you have enough water, you’ll need more than you think. When you are at a rest station, ensure you fill up every bottle/reservoir you are carrying.
Aye, worth highlighting this. I forget the numbers but somewhere in the middle there are two taps quite close together, maybe 7 miles apart. I decided to skip the first one of them, but then spent ages agonising on the decision and thinking "I really should have stopped", as I recall it was a very slow 7 miles, and that's potentially an hour without additional water.
All good advice above and I can't reiterate enough the need for fuel and hydration, think little and often. Decent food too, not too much sugary stuff. Take it easy on the climbs to preserve energy and admire the view. Enjoy!
My buddy and I did it E-W last week and he was fair done in by the time we got near Harting - the whole ride was rescued by a supply of simple ham sarnies..... and we finished in 11.5 hours so 3 cheers for simple food.
Good luck. It's such a good day's riding. I'm doing it again in July. Ninth year of the trot I think. It's the highlight of my summer's riding I think.
Aaaggghhh. I failed to do it in a day! Not fit enough plus 3 mistakes .
1 .I missed a water refill at Lewes - totally forgot - & then thought I 'd be ok to Southease(6mile) with what I had. I wasn't - see 2.
2.Somehow due to lack of concentration/fatigue, I dropped off the top down a very rutted & steep chalk descent, which was "interesting" on a cx ,into Kingston ,wtAf!
I had to walk back up to the top. No water. hottest part of day. Morale was low here.
3. I pumped up my tyres before I set off from home , telling myself I'd let 4/5 psi out when I started the sdw. I forgot - until Pycombe!!!! I was already sore then. stupid boy.
The delay meant my lift would be hanging around for me for another 90 mins , so I bailed down to Seaford. I finished it yesterday morning. only took 1.5 hour to get from my bail point to Eastbourne so total riding time of 14 hours. 🙁
On a positive note it was a lovely ride - drizzle at the start ,cloudy for the 1st half, plus, I was almost charged by a cow that had just given birth. It was licking and trying to revive the calf & understandably started being aggressive as I slowly rode up towards it .Not sure who was most relieved when it did a baby moo. I congratulated the mother of course. 🙂
I reckon without the errors, a tail wind and now knowing the route ,I can crack 12 hours. I'd also set off an hour earlier and take more food. Is there still 12 hours of light in August? 😉
How anyone does the double is beyond me - mucho respect.
Good to hear that you finished it without any major issues.
Always good to set the bar for next time.
Well done !