It’s tough!!!

I’ve been planning it for 3 years but the last 2 dates I pencilled in have been scuppered by illness and injury destroying my fitness. This year I just put a date in the diary and was going to do it no matter what!

Not the best weather leading up to it, last week would have been better, was fun sliding around for a while! A bit of rain overnight but with a decent forecast for the day itself. All good. Well, until I met his little hill:

[/url]20170724_070629_Richtone(HDR) by Da_Milky_Bar_Kid, on Flickr[/img]

All the things you hear about the clay soil being like ice is true!! Took me 10 minutes to get up there, by which time the bike had doubled in weight. Cue another few minutes scraping it all off. Thankfully from then on it got gradually drier the further I went otherwise it was going to be an even longer day on the bike than planned!!

Found out the limit of braking traction on chalk and flint later on too when I was too busy looking at the GPS to notice this:

[/url]20170724_111121_Richtone(HDR) by Da_Milky_Bar_Kid, on Flickr[/img]

After halfway the sky cleared and I had gentle sunshine for the rest of the ride with the obligatory lovely views:

[/url]20170724_120241_Richtone(HDR) by Da_Milky_Bar_Kid, on Flickr[/img]

[/url]20170724_181102_Richtone(HDR) by Da_Milky_Bar_Kid, on Flickr[/img]

The only mechanical issues I had in the whole ride was having to tweak the barrel adjuster on the gears a 1/4 turn after washing the clay out of it at Cocking (he first tap I found!) and having to relube the chain at just over halfway, which called for a few sweeties:

[/url]20170724_130427_Richtone(HDR) by Da_Milky_Bar_Kid, on Flickr[/img]

I’d heard rumours about the last hill before Eastbourne being a nasty one so wasn’t looking forward to it. Don’t know what all the fuss is about, the last two hills were just gentle spin-up affairs. The problem is that you’ve gone 100 miles to get to them! Took the rest of the Jelly Babies to get up those. Did mean I was almost at the end, this view was a welcome sight:

[/url]20170724_185547_Richtone(HDR) by Da_Milky_Bar_Kid, on Flickr[/img]

I was nearly broken by this point, had trouble using the brakes on the way down into town!

It was different to what I was expecting. The climbing in the first half was harder than the second, contrary to what other people had told me. The chalk was grippier than I was expecting too, never had an issue getting traction as long as I kept licking my lines. It is scary how fast some of the descents are though, set my top speed on the wet grass heading towards QECP – 36 mph 😯 Massive respect for people that do the double, or even in a faster time than the 13.20 hrs it took me. I lost a lot of time at the beginning due to the wet conditions, could knock that down to just over the 12hr mark by choosing a better date and pacing myself better now I know what to expect.

So that’s my big goal for this year done. To say I slept like a baby last night is an understatement, don’t think I’ll be riding a bike for a few days. Happy I completed it, won’t be doing it again in a hurry though. Maybe as a 2 dayer next time so I can enjoy exploring some of the interesting stuff you pass along the way. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m off to devour everything in the cupboards 😆

Well done!

Maybe as a 2 dayer next time so I can enjoy exploring some of the interesting stuff pubs you pass along the way.

where’s that goop in the 1st shot? early on, out of Winchester? Nice to get past that!

Congrats, that’s an awesome effort!

I know what you mean about that descent into QECP – there’s a lovely ‘bump’ that I managed to hit which gave me the mother of all tank-slappers. It’s flippin quick down there..

Still on the cards for me to do this, this year hopefully. Failed attempt a few years ago has left me a bit wary though..I need to set off earlier than 11am..

Well done! Great work!

Good effort, gotta love it.

I enjoyed reading your write up of the route. One day I might give it a go.

Two GPS… ?

Two GPS… ?

May or may not be the OP’s reasoning, but the Garmin edge series are flakey as anything on long rides, and if it were me, i’d have taken two as I’d be a bit gutted to lose my ride data.

Where’s that goop in the 1st shot? early on, out of Winchester? Nice to get past that!

At the beginning of the climb towards Old Winchester Hill after you go through Exton. That goop added quite a bit of weight to the bike and my kit! Horrible stuff to get through.

I know what you mean about that descent into QECP – there’s a lovely ‘bump’ that I managed to hit which gave me the mother of all tank-slappers. It’s flippin quick down there..

It was soaking do didn’t dare touch the brakes. Arrived at the gate with both wheels locked and both feet out with a huge grin on my face 😆

Yep 2 GPS as I had them and I was at the limit of the battery life on the 810. I could charge the 200 off the light but it didn’t have enough amps to charge the 810 so I used that for navigation and the 200 for recording. Also meant I could split the info across 2 screens and make it easier to look at when tired. The 810 died at the beginning of the last climb!

That Old Winny climb is pretty much always like that, the field run off comes straight down onto it and the reason they gravel sectioned part of it is because the horse riders couldn’t get through the gloop at the bottom of the climb.. ohh did I mention horses use it too ? Well they do, they come off the Meon Trail just before it..

Still, do it in winter when it’s partly frozen and shin deep !! 😆

Just a fyi incase you didn’t know already, but you can improve the battery life of the 800/810 by turning off the backlight, and by only using the map screen when its strictly need it (its cpu intensive rendering the map).

Just plug a back-up battery in, sorted!

Great effort OP, definitely want to do it again, but it won’t be regardless of weather!

Well done!!!!!!!!

.I need to set off earlier than 11am..

We set off @ 04:30 on the 15th, we had absolutely perfect conditions and the added benefit of the BHF signs as well as our GPS. If i were to do it again i’d do it the day before the BHF to take advantage of the signs & not have their riders on the trail (not that they were any issue, but just for added solitude).

I walked the last 40 miles of the SDW as an overnighter recently. Some of those climbs are much easier on foot, there seemed to be lots of draggy grassy undulations that would eat away at the legs

Its tough , makes DrP look more like a machine with sub 10 on s SS rigid.
I love it , but its proper hard. I tell everyone the first and second half efforts are the same , its just that your knackered after Lewis-ish so they seem monumental.
May have a crack at sub12 in Sept , but the reality of replacing riding with alcohol abuse probably means that wont happen.
Sod doing it when its gloopy . 48hrs of zero rain + 20knot westerly wind is they way to do it.

Well done. One of those ‘ I need to do that one day’

Good work OP

I know what you mean about that descent into QECP – there’s a lovely ‘bump’ that I managed to hit which gave me the mother of all tank-slappers. It’s flippin quick down there..

When we did it a couple of years ago, some mates mentioned that big descent so as we approached it I gave it the beans. I remember the bump as well which I went over around 45mph, didn’t know there was a gate halfway down either so was rather thankful that it was open!

I’ve got a back-up battery for it but it’s dead, should have replaced it a while back but I forgot 😳

Its tough , makes DrP look more like a machine with sub 10 on a SS rigid.

That thought crossed my mind as the timer passed 10hrs 😆

I must be mad as I’m sat here with aching legs thinking of doing it again later in the year!

Well done and yes things like this are addictive with the “I could do better” thoughts

[cough] sub 9 hours [/cough] 😉

Well done OP…it’s a great right of passage whatever time one pulle off!

DrP

That’s good going doing it in the wet, certainly makes the descents a bit more lively. well done!

Very well done. I will do this at some point…these threads are helping, or not.

[cough] sub 9 hours [/cough] 😉

😳

Apologies, should have checked my facts!

😆

I was ribbing ol’ Boozy up there… ^^^

DrP

whats the sdw?

Good effort.
I’m aiming for a September attempt.

SDW = South Downs way – uninterrupted bridleway from Winchester to Eastbourne. I’ve done it too, a few years back now, in 11hrs 10. It’s tough, but a great day trip… well done op

SDW – South Downs Way – Winchester to Eastbourne (typically). Good luck to anyone riding it today, raining and miserable up there and it’ll probably need a couple of weeks to dry out. The bottom of Old Winchester Hill is always a slop-fest after rain and is ankle-deep in winter – I’ve seen people pushing to go down, never mind up.

Honestly, if you were going to ride it today, just sack it in…!

It’s minging weather here around the mid section. Horrible.

However, last night was absolutely lovely out!

I blame imegrunts.

DrP

Good ride!
Can’t wait to be up there again soon. I’ve missed the downs over the past two months.
Need to go and scratch that itch again…