*sucks through teeth* I hope they’re snakeskins. I’ll be on a Salsa Selma 🙂

They are yes. Sodding quick too. I set some PRs on them yesterday on the well ridden road section that usually comes knackered at the end of a road ride.

yeah I’ve had snakeskin RRs on the front for years, good stuff.

I’ll be sat at the side of the trail covered in Stan’s with the tattered ribbons of a Racing Ralph in my hands.

I used a set of light skin? Rocket Rons in April, by the time i got back to Avebury they were covered in sealant. I counted something like 20 cuts to the tread where sealant came through. BUT, i hadn’t lost mich pressure and so no real issue.

Molly, do you actually want some company for part of it or rather solo it? If you want, I can meet near Wantage road and ride to Wallingford?

That would be great! You can take me to the co-op in Goring 🙂 Don’t bring biccies or anything though, it’s against the rules.

Assuming you mean Wantage Rd in Streatley then up along the river for a bit?

By the way, just found an tiny little pocket FM radio that I bought to do my 24 hour solo years ago, and it still works. I never listen to anything when riding normally, but the world service really kept me going that night. I’m rather tempted to put it in the bag in case things get tough.

What do you lot do on these ITTs? Radio, tunes or au naturel?

Au naturel for me. You’ll just catch a bird call or something like that and you try and see it. Some people do take along an iPod or similar and use it from time to time especially if there’s a long boring bit like the Great Glen between Fort Augustus and Fort William when doing the HT550.

Good luck!

Wantage road where it crosses the b4494. To Streatley/goring is about 45-60min.

Yeah generally I don’t bother, but I did listen to some Startalk podcasts on the Highland Trail for a while. Bit surreal in places actually, being in some remote feeling areas listening to podcasts I usually listen to in the car.

So how much rain have you had down there? We only had a little here but I’ve seen a big band on the radar that we missed.

Not as much as forecast. I think it is all going to be fine for you.

Yeah the promised deluge was little more than a dribble round Goring way. Looks like you’re in luck as the forecast for the rest of the week is pretty dry 🙂

Hope so 🙂 Although to the eastern end it looked like there was more.

Not far from the Ridgeway in Reading and only light rain for a couple of hours, so not much to worry about. I’m keeping an eye on this as i’m cycling off road Newbury – Streatley – Avebury – Newbury on Monday. Good luck and enjoy molgrips

Great info, thanks.

Heading to my local Evans tomorrow to get a load of gels and protein bars…

i’m cycling off road Newbury – Streatley – Avebury – Newbury on Monday.

Sunday’s forecast is poor last time I looked.. good luck!

Hoping it will be like today and just light, fingers crossed. Get yourself some Clif bars for some full stodge-power!

I haven’t quite decided what I’m going to buy at shops. I was thinking something from the Ginsters range of energy products, because I’ll need savoury food, but without eating to much. Also Redbull.

I think I may be over-preparing. Just detailed my bike..

Also just spent £20 on gels and protein bars 😯

Also just spent £20 on gels and protein bars 😯

Also just spent £20 on gels and protein bars

You might need some picolax after you’ve finished that lot!!! 😯

Good luck with the ride 🙂

Small bit of light rain at the Western end of the Ridgeway today, but lots of sunshine and a gentle breeze.

Make sure you have some variety (not gel flavours!) as your tastes change during long events

Thanks for the report 🙂 Apparently rained a lot further north in Brum.

Food – my theoretical max carb intake is about 30 scoops’ worth of energy drink, assuming 15 hours – that’s going by 60g absorption per hour. So far I have three caffeinated gels, four normal gels, two protein Mars bars, one protein Bounty and a SIS protein bar.

That’s probably 10 scoops’ worth of carbs. So I could put 20 scoops’ worth of carb powder in. Now I have a 3l camelbak bladder, so I could do two 3l fills with 10 scoops in each – that’s a fairly diluted mix so it should be ok for me to drink long term. However 3l of water is heavy so I might be better off refilling on the way. But is the extra time spent looking for taps offset by taking more water on board? I haven’t reccied it, I don’t know exactly where the taps are.

I drank about 2L in 6 hours on Monday, and it was hotter than forecast today but I was comfortable. So 6L plus occasional drinks bought on the way when necessary would seem reasonable. So I just need to decide if I want to fill up once or twice. And also at which shops to stop.

I will probably want wine gums too and the odd snack, which would further reduce my gel requirements, so I may not end up taking all those.

Thunderstorm this morning with a lot of rain around Didcot but it seems OK up there now, just one short soggy spot.

This is exciting, I’m looking forward to the report..

Maybe a pic or two too ?

Yep 🙂 I’m sure I’ll post on here along the way…

you had better do molegrips 😀

have now had my operation (for the dreaded roids it was with a free colonoscopy thrown in for good measure,man the stuff they knocked us out with was bloody great lol).

so i want a full report on your journey good sir 😀

for what it’s worth the weather here in devizes has been great today no rain whatsoever.

Get well soon 🙂

thanks molegrips 😀

i do have a *new bike reserved that i will be buying/picking up a fortnight thursday in readiness for when i can ride again.

*when i say new new to me but it’s a retro 1994 marin pine mountain that i saw in a swindon salvation army bike shop it’s in very good nick for it’s age though.

i do plan on riding it on the ridgeway e.t.c but nothing like as far as you are going just local. i do have a modern bike also (well a 2011 charge duster).

you will ace the trip man 😀

apologies for droning on btw but am very excited about getting this marin as i love retro bikes.

Molly…. RE the water/carb setup…

When I do longer rides I take 700ml (Ish) camelback bottles, rather than a 3l reserivior…
Nothing worse than being hafway through a 3l bag of syrupy goo, and gagging for water/nuun drink…
Also, as you point out; carrying 3l of water (well, initially 3l) is 3kg of extra weight..
Plus, you can make the bottle stronger/weaker as you see fit…
I.e 2 scoops at the tap..glue a bit, and dilute it down for the riding..

However, you need to know the location of taps for the bottle idea to work.

Personally, for longer distance/enduro type events, personally I’d make the bottles work, even if you carry one in a backpack…

THe variety keeps things enjoyable!

DrP

Nothing worse than being hafway through a 3l bag of syrupy goo, and gagging for water/nuun drink

That’s true, but I am pretty confident – I mix it about half strength, which is the key. I couldn’t stomach it all day at ‘full’ strength. I’ve been using it for many years so I have a feel for it.

However, you need to know the location of taps for the bottle idea to work.

Yes, and I’m concerned about spending 10 minutes hunting around for a tap.. that would annoy me.

Indeed….
Once you know a trail like this, you can take full advantage. Riding ‘blind’ can have issues.

I STILL need GPS for the SDW as when you’re several hours in, you can still get lost despite signeage and knowing the route well!

DrP

The tap locations on the gpx should be accurate (I’m pretty sure I didn’t mess them up). Presuming it’s not a hot day, if you learn the taps you could probably do the route with one bottle. I’d still take two though 🙂

I’m thinking I will plan to stop at Goring and Wendover on the way out and the way back. That gives me four stops. I can memorise where the shops are (Co-Op and Budgens) by using Street View so I can ride straight to them.

I can buy enough water there to fill up. I feel more confident doing that since they are known quantities. Well, Budgens not so much, we don’t have them round by me 🙂

If I can manage to average 20kph (which is fairly optimistic but not unreasonable) that gives me legs of between 2.5 and 3.5 hours. For each leg I can get by with 1.5l of water, realistically, if I neck something at each shop too. So I needn’t carry a full camelbak.

This also means I could use two bottles, but I think that given I don’t own on-bike luggage, and I will need to take clothes (it’ll be 10 degrees in the early AM) I’m better off with the Camelbak.

The cafe on the roundabout in Wendover sells very good brownies!

And the village cafe at Goring does great cakes and baguettes!

@molgrips – I find it helps writing pace notes along the lines of:

distance – total distance – estimated time – facilities

It gives you an idea of if you are going to make it to the next facility without having to remember it. Add as much detail as you require. I do it in a table in whatever word processor I have to hand. As an example (excuse the formatting)

distance – total distance – estimated time – facilities
20km – 55Km – 1hr15 – shop (0800-2000), cafe (0900-1700)
15km – 70Km – 1hr – water tap to rear of shed.

Working out what you can get away with takes a bit of practice, I don’t think you ever get it 100% right.

Youth Hostel at Wantage is only a couple of hundred yards off route if you need water. When you hit the A338, head North and it’s on the first junction on the left.

If heading East rather than retrace your steps take the track heading East directly opposite which takes you back to The Ridgeway – unless, of course, going off-route will break the rules! You can pick up that track on teh way West as well but it’s less obvious

The church at Nuffield has a tap that I’ve always used (not been in a year or two though) and is right on the route, at the top of the excellent Grims Ditch bit.