Re tyre choices (@Gniffer). I know the SE corner of the route very well (the SDW part) and the Ridgeway. My tuppence: I’d keep your 35c tyres and tubes as they are. This isn’t the roughest section of the SDW but if there’s a bit of moisture the mud can be quite sticky so I’d go for the extra clearance over the extra comfort. And IMO the greatest chance of a puncture is from a flint cut not a thorn so going tubeless isn’t necessarily a great advantage. I’ve ridden the SDW section and others on 35c GravelKing SKs and been fine (if careful).

I thought it was a great route, Reading and about 30km after was a bit hey-ho though. It just gets better as you go clockwise from there and I liked how it linked the trails and had a sense of continuity in general.
I think 35mm tyres would be OK if you’re taking your time, on a loaded bike though imho it’s a 29er job if you want to actually ride the faster sections rather than pick your way down/along. Depends on how long you’re riding for each day I suppose, for me a couple of 10hr days on a 29er is comfortable but the same distance/pace on a gravel bike wouldn’t be possible – one of those routes where the heavier bike is faster overall.

Lovely open country in the western half / 5pm to 1pm part of the loop. Will go back next year to ride a variation on it I think – plenty of singletrack diversion possibility (some I rode as they’re so close to the marked route anyway) and some bits marked as map pins as I rode past. Good work Cycling UK.

Also thinking about this next summer with B&B/hotel stops. Would probably drive over to Devizes or nearby and start clockwise from there. Not sure how to break it up though, just go even split on distance or leave more time for the harder bits? e.g. on paper the south/west looks harder than the north/east parts. Is that the case?

I’d say the SDW is the ‘hardest’ part. There’s some slower-going on the sandy trails of the Goldalming/NDW area and the Ridgeway can be tiring to ride fast. Felt like a fairly even split to me with a section of flat lanes and tracks for ~40km past Reading, that was the easiest bit.

A friend of mine is aiming do do the full loop in under 24hrs, this month. SDW (East-West) this weekend as a tester. Has anyone tried the full loop in one hit and if so, how was it?

Probably looking to do this next year now, but on my gravel bike. Pair of 50mm 650b pirelli cinturato’s incoming just in case I get the opportunity to do it earlier. I live fairly close to Avebury so was tempted to go clockwise from there, though sounds as if best ridden clockwise from Winchester…we’ll see if I succumb to the call for a 29er in the meantime!

…and definitely not in 24hrs…fair play to those that try!

@caspian, I’d be careful what time you hit the Reading river path section if TTing it and food / water needs research but it seems a very doable under 24hrs if you’re capable of the SDW in a day or a Ridgeway double in a reasonable time.

@Gniffer – re tyres, Ive ridden the section between Avebury and Reading on my Whyte Dorset, (disc commute/road bike) with 33mm Racing Ralphs over the summer months. The Ridgeway section is chalky, or grassy, it was super dry when I did it. I was going reverse direction, last section into Avebury beat me up quite a lot!

Not a single puncture, but a lot of razor like flint slices to tyre. I tend to run relative high pressures.

I’d not fancy trying it after several days of rain.

33mm tyres, is that an unloaded bike or with overnight gear on? That makes a big difference ime

Yeah totally, that was an unloaded bike. Just rode that section as a day ride.

EDIT – Might be worth adding. I’m sort of planning to ride same bike to do the loop. Likely split over two weekends though (due to work/availabilty of mates) – Im really not sure how suitable it’ll be for the southern section… but in an effort not to procrastinate over it, I might just give it a go before wetter weather arrives.

I think that’s where CyclingUK’s promotion of the route will catch a few out, they talk about gravel bikes to newer riders and though it’s fine on a cx bike for day rides, overloading them us so easy and might make it a bit of a handful for some.

I was glad I was on a full susp bike. This time I kept the black side down along the Ridgeway.
I ride around the Frensham common loads on club ride; for some reason, that area took a bit of my soul away this time, and the route back to the SDW from Liss was darn tough and indirect and all I wanted was to be done by then.
How anybody can want to do it on a gravel bike is beyond me – its tough enough without self-inflicted misery!

Did the route over 3 days, joining it East of Devizes in Allington. Gentle spin to the start from Bristol along the Bristol Bath railway path and then the Kennet and Avon canal. Lovely route other than the bits I’ll call the ‘sand pit’. Not a fan with 38mm tyres and luggage. Other than that the route is lovely.

Nice photos / nice bike / SS respect

IMO there are better routes from south of Hook to Petersfield based on living in the area for 33 years, exploring and joining up various bits of tracks and bridleways – some of the KAW uses tracks I would deliberately avoid, particularly as some can be a trudge-fest in winter due to being churned up by horses. Bike wise a gravel bike with 40mm+ tyres would be my choice in summer – even a regular MTB will struggle in the sand across Frensham, Hankley and Thursley commons. Tyre-wise, the proliferation of small flints means if running tubes, punctures will almost be inevitable – once rode the SDW with 4 others, the guy with tubes had 5 punctures, the rest of us none.

@hopster – what ratio were you riding with? I was thinking SSing it myself.

@whitestone I ran a 38×18. Usually ride 38×17, but with the luggage I wanted to gear it down, just little. Could have done with the 17 on the road sections as I was spinning lots on occasion, but appreciated the 18 on some of the steeper gradients.

I loved the SS. Planning more SS adventures now.

Nice photos / nice bike / SS respect

👍

Interesting thoughts about the bikes on here.

I’ve got an inkling to do it next year and was initially thinking of using my tourer, which has 700×37 slicks and is fine for a bit of ‘gravel-lite’. Sound like that might be a bit under-biked (or under-tyred) so I may just say balls to it and do it on the MTB (although that is 26″, 3×9 hardtail, so I’ll obviously have a rubbish time on trails that will refuse to come alive and I’ll quite possibly die)

I might have a pop at this next weekend. Was supposed to be doing the Wales Dirt Dash, but, covid.

Rough plan, starting at Farnham, about 3pm Friday – will aim to ride late on the Friday night and sleep when I drop – if I can get through Winchester that would be good, but probably stop beforehand.

Saturday, probably need to get round to the Ridgeway section to have enough time on the Sunday. Train from Reading goes past home, so can bail from there if needed.

I’ll probably ride my 29er hardtail – I have some Thunder Burts, but I think hearing about flintyness on the trail and having put a hole in one before I’ll stick with something chunkier (prob Nobby Nics).

Weather dependent – it’s looking pretty warm and dry (ish) so far, so hopefully can travel light.

I was planning to go for it in a couple of weeks using my Arkose with 43mm gravel kings and bivvy, starting and finishing in Eastbourne.

However a bust rib has put paid to that.

I guess it will be a rubbish route to do later in the year?   I do have a fat bike…..

there was a lad who I met on old winnie hill at the start of my lap and he was considering doing on a gravel bike (starting today I think) – I’d love to hear how he got on….. lived in the Havant/Emsworth area I think.

Just completed it in 3.5 days on a gravel bike with 42mm tyres. All the people I met we’re doing it on gravel bikes, with similar or thinner tyres. Except one guy was doing it on a mountain bike. He was having a great time. Personally, in these conditions, if I had to make a choice, I thought it was a route tailor-made for a gravel bike.

I’ve just ordered the guide book with a view to doing this next summer. Probably a relaxed 4 day ride using B&Bs. I guess from the feedback above my Arkose would be ok for that? Alternatively I have an ancient (but functional) Giant Anthem full suss.

Got it pencilled in for weekend after this, but thinking might push it back to the end of the month based on the current forecast.

Haven’t ridden my Jones for a long term, so will probably use that for a bit more comfort and traction in mud!

Ride the Ridgeway last Saturday on my Scott Spark 900RC – personally I feel this suited the ride well. Spoke to a couple of chaps on gravel bikes and they said they felt ‘under biked’ for comfort and wished they’d taken mountain bikes.

But I guess it all depends on personal preference as Guy Kesterven suggests a gravel bike.

It’s a nice route and I’ll be doing the whole thing over two days next year.

ransos
Free Member
I’ve just ordered the guide book with a view to doing this next summer.

My book arrived a few days back. It’s lovely, going to enjoy going through it.👍

Did it over 3 days this weekend on my Jones with Nobby Nics (2.6/2.54).

Salisbury Plain was sapping into the headwind, lovely B&B at Elderbrook House just outside Avebury, first section of the Ridgeway was v muddy but then pretty fast to Goring, lovely down to Reading then got pissed on all the way to Hook.

Yesterday was a very long day. but easily my favourite section. Loved the bits down from Farnham through Frensham, Thursely, Punchbowl, Durford. Loathe the SDW from QEPark to Winchester, just seems a bit pointless, but I guess it’s the obvious route.

Overall, cracking 3 days.

Some silly sod did it in 24hrs 48min a few days ago…after all the rain etc. Kudos to him as it must have been very tough.

^ There’s always someone : ) It’s a sub-20hr route for a fast rider.

How bad was the mud, as thinking of riding this in November over three/four days, starting in Bristol then Avebury onto the route.

Pinched from the KAW FB group from the last couple of days:

The only bit that was really boggy was the climb up onto the Ridgeway and first few miles from Avebury. That was Saturday, after the rain on Friday and the rest of last week.

Frensham etc yesterday was all absolutely fine, even after the torrential rain on Sat pm.

That said, we met some other guys at Winchester on Friday that had ridden from Farnham the day before in the rain and said it was horrendous.

Thanks Jon and Bob, probably best to wait for a week of dry weather for it to drain.

Thanks for all the info & thoughts.
Did it over 4 days mid October after a few days of rain. Due to mechanicals & time Ended up bailing midway along the Ridgeway however Having not riden anywhere down that way I thought it was a fantastic route.

We started in Reading which worked well and I think added to the experience as the terrain/views/route improve all the way round.

2 of us on gravel bikes and 2 on hardtails. It was all doable on the gravel (went with 43c tubed Panaracers for those that care 😆) and apart from a sloppy couple of hours or so into Avebury & at the start of the Ridgeway they handled it well.
I reckon anytime after this tho until Spring MTB tyres would be preferable but when dry the lanes/minor roads/tracks suit the gravel
Bikes perfectly.
No flats for any of us (all tubed).

Stayed at Liss (DPB), Winchester, Devizes

If it’s the riding you’re there for then 3-4 days seems about right however I reckon 5 ideal if you want to spend any time at the multitude of amazing historic sites (and you like a leisurely breakfast/lunch etc 😀)

It’s interesting how I think cyclingUK sell it as a ‘leisure ride’ albeit they do make some reference to it being a challenge as I feel inexperienced riders would struggle/take a long time on a loaded rigid bike on some of the descents.