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With the current conditions I would also recommend a dust mask.
Certainly my riding mates reckon that when following my fat bike 🙂
I'll be on my t130s. I'll look out for you. I did winch to old winch hill and back yesterday at midday. Significantly cooler thank **** with a nice northerly.
I would be taking 3 - 4 High 5 Zero Electrolyte tabs as well. Just piling in water will help, but if you are loosing body salts at a high rate then cramp is a real possibilty.
Take it very easy for the first 1/3, then try to push on for the middle 1/3, and then hang in for the last 1/3.
Do not hit every hill intending to smash it, go at each one very slowly at the bottom. Keep control of your effort and breathing. If after 5 mins you are fine spinning an easy gear open it up abit.
If you havent done it before and are not used to riding 100 miles a week I would also take a sachet of bum cream. 12 -14hours attatched to your bike will lead to some discomfort
I'm definitely tempted to try it in these conditions. Some mates did it in 8hrs a couple of weeks ago but they're full-time roadies. The easiest way home for me would be to cycle back - any recommendations for bike-friendly accommodation in Eastbourne?
It is properly fast out there and where there is gravel it is properly drifty (word?). The only downside is the amount of vegetation, but most of that is not a problem unless you go off piste and then some tracks are impassable.
Bum butter packed. I will be riding very light with no backpack. The stations look more regular than last year? and with proper food this time.
I’m doing the BHF on Saturday - Christ knows what I was thinking when I signed up!? I’m going with a mate - we did the SDW in 2.5 days last year, so a big step up for us.
Got bars, gels etc and two water bottles.
Hoping for cooling dry weather with a tail wind.........
Wally you taking arse cream with you? I was just planning on ‘lathering up’ before the off. We are hoping for a sub 14hr time and looking to get off as close to 04.30 as possible.
I lathered up with vasaline at the start 2 years ago and was fine by the end.
I 2nd the comment about the gravel patches. Pretty drifty.
My plan is to take the first half slightly faster as I know it better than the 2nd and it will be cooler then tone it down after the YH just after amberly.
Don't know if I mentioned it before but take a bell. 😀 it really is worth it.
I'll be the one ringing at the start.
Did Winchester to Amberley today, it's dusty and hardpacked. Wear a buff if you're doing it with the BHF as you'll need to cover your nose and mouth on some bits (unless you're out front!).
Also very loose gravelly bits in places so careful on fast corners, its sketchy!
Weather looks like blue skies and a tailwind for Sat.
I will pack the buff.
Good luck anyone riding this at the weekend. Have a great time
Just rode QE to Cocking as part of a loop.
The descent to Coulter’s Dean Farm is mega loose with a deep gravel bed at the bottom. Take care.
Rest was just mega dry & dusty really. All the signs appear to be out for the BHF ride, have fun if you’re doing it!
its the third and fourth legs that are hard, though they are generally on the second day.
I've been long distance kayak racing since Christmas and this weekend is my first back on the bike proper..... may fit in a SDW in the next couple of weeks and remind myself how hard it is on those final hills.
Will report back soon.
I have managed it 4 times now; I would suggest start early, don't faff (keep going) , drink plenty, go in a small group of similar riders and finally.. if you are a racing snake (my son not me!) get a carbon 29er hardtail, get a lift to Winchester and then just do the whole thing in 8:24 flat out no stops 🙂 then get the train home in time for tea.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1680499018
Well that was emotional. Was in the 2nd wave at 0435 and rolled over the finish line at 1655.
Felt like I really struggled this time round but when I checked Strava, I PB'd almost every segment on the first half. Now considering that I've ridden those segments more than 20 times, it made me realise that my pacing was well off. Still bet my previous by 2hrs though.
That is very impressive. Well done .I’m currently in the pub sorting logistics for another attempt....hurrah.
I took a little longer due to food poisoning/heat exhaustion at about 1pm. I rolled over finish line at 8pm.
I lost 4 pounds on the day :-0, mainly through by anus. I honestly felt terrible.
I did it last weekend, it was hard in the heat, I woke up with heavy legs and struggled for the first 70 miles then miraculously got a second wind, will train harder next time. Ti 29er hardtail was a perfect, although a short travel full suss would also be good.
All sounds delightful, well done everyone! Especially Wally, I'm pretty certain I'd have bailed feeling like that.
Are there any taps out of action at the moment?
Yes, the one at the farm before Exton (going east) is bust.
Only tap I noticed that was out of action was at a farm about 5mikes outside Winchester.
Planning on doing the SDW next year with my son over two days. Anyone got any recommendations where to stay overnight, just need somewhere to get a bite to eat, a couple of pints and somewhere secure for the bikes.
Cheers guys.
Truleigh Hill YHA is the default suggestion. 60 miles in if you're going west to east. so you've got less distance on the second day with the bigger hills and tired legs. Right on the trail, so no extra mileage, order a pizza or taxi into Shoreham for said pints and a pub dinner.
Other suggestions are available, but that one takes some beating for convenience
That sounds just the ticket, thanks for the info. Just need to get some dates sorted and jobs a good un!
We've stayed at the Fox Goes Free pub near Singleton before, which worked really well and is in a great setting. Food's good too.
The White Horse in Chilgrove is a similar distance off the SDW to the Fox... and is another really nice pub with rooms. Food is better than the Fox too.
Nice one guys, all appreciated, will look into them all.
Also, keep an eye on this when you get a bit closer. It's nice not to be threading though a few hundred sponsored walkers if you can avoid it!
http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/south-downs-way/calendar
I just read that on one of the websites, will definitely avoid those dates.
Brilliant video that btw!
Ha ha - Naked Rambling Man! Bumped into him quite a few times over the years, most recently a couple of weeks ago.
Holy cow batman! It was quite hard today.! Hotter than I would have preferred;-)
I did it though.....hurrah for me. 🙂
Good effort that man!
Thanks cogglepin.
I just watched seosamh's vid - quite good. But that bloke in it didn't look as knackered as I did at the end! ha.
this is on my bucket list (living close to the Winchester end) but I just don't have the bike fitness at the moment -
I would be relying mainly on Concept 2 rower fitness which definitely helps on 2-3 hour rides but not the full SDW. Maybe I'll try next summer assuming we get some decent weather again...
I heard the SDW Trailwalker event was cancelled this year at short notice due to the heat - it was scheduled for the same weekend as the BHF SDW ride so I guess the powers that be thought MTBers could handle it?
Ha ha – Naked Rambling Man! Bumped into him quite a few times over the years, most recently a couple of weeks ago.
If it was the actual Naked Rambler (the bloke from Eastleigh) he wouldn't have bothered covering his modesty up as Neil Donoghue describes
Which means there's more than one???