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  • South Downs ride this Saturday, where to start ?
  • matty456
    Free Member

    Thinking of riding the SD this Saturday, never been before, driving from Kent (North Downs). Anyone know a good place to park up / start from ? Looking to do a 50 mile loop. GPX file would be handy if anyone has one. Your recommendations please gents. 🙂 Thanks.

    KevinPP
    Free Member

    Don’t have any GPX files unfortunately and if no one else comes up with any you are probably best sticking to the SDW for the first time. Pick a spot and do an out and back.
    It’s a shame because a lot of the better more interesting riding is off the SDW but you will get a taster. Easterly this weekend so maybe head east first.
    I would probably start from somewhere like Devils Dyke which is not far at all from the A23/A27.

    matty456
    Free Member

    Thanks KevinPP I’ll have a look.

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    RoterStern
    Free Member

    I always used to start in Stanmer Park in Brighton. Plenty of parking opportunities and a ride up the hill and your on the SDW.

    scottfitz
    Free Member

    Isn’t Friston the best place to start if coming from Kent?

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    tricky doing a loop on the sdw itself – rides tend to either be out and back or lots of ‘drop down the escarpment and winch back up’ little loops along the spine with a straight run back.

    You could drive to Eastbourne, ride to Brighton and have a bit of a play at Stanmer and get train back?

    It’s the Shakedown Festival at Stanmer on Saturday so you’d have musical accompaniment.

    [edit] was out last night and it’s dry and really good to ride at the moment 🙂

    muddyground
    Free Member

    Friston gets my vote. Nice little town, forest around the corner which can be included in your circular, plus the SDW itself isn’t that interesting.

    birdage
    Full Member

    Friston – Alfriston – Firle(coachroad) -Lewes(Blackcap)-SDW (Southease-Friston). Lots of loops around these areas or you could take in Friston and Stanmer and come back along the coast,or train part of the way to Seaford if you’re at Friston?

    bartimaeus
    Free Member

    If you come much further west towards Petersfield you can ride QE Park and then any sort of loop you like out from QE via Kingley Vale and the South Downs Way, and maybe over towards Goodwood. I would take OS-120 if you’ve not been here before, though!

    e.g. some of this (ignoring the initial leg up from Southbourne to QE), and while you are at Kingley Vale there’s plenty of ‘diversions’ – including the DH and enduro runs at Stoughton (see Lambdown on this map)…

    The Wiggle South Downs Epic started in Fontwell, East of Chichester and was a great loop.

    Painey
    Free Member

    Judging by BBC breakfast weather there’s going to be a brisk easterly wind this weekend. This would have an impact on where I ride on the South Downs this weekend (I live 3 miles from Ditchling Beacon).

    If it were me and I wanted to do 50 miles or so I’d ride from Eastbourne to Ditchling Beacon (which from experience is 37 miles or so). Then I’d take a left at Ditchling Beacon, go down the road for a mile and then into the top of Stanmer Park. Have a play around in there (either side of the valley) and afterwards get the train back from Brighton to Eastbourne (quick and easy).

    Either way I wouldn’t want to be spending too long on the tops of the hills heading into the wind. It’s very open and you can never away from it, but when it’s behind you it’s happy days.

    scottfitz
    Free Member

    e.g. some of this (ignoring the initial leg up from Southbourne to QE), and while you are at Kingley Vale there’s plenty of ‘diversions’ – including the DH and enduro runs at Stoughton (see Lambdown on this map)…

    This a great ride.

    matty456
    Free Member

    Thanks for all your replies. Sorting it out at the moment. The Wiggle Epic looks good, as its a first ride there
    may start at Friston and explore ! 😀

    rewski
    Free Member

    You can’t go wrong with friston end of sdw, some nice natural singletrack in the forest and decent hills around jevington and windover hill. I might be over here tomorrow afternoon.

    alan-sierracycling
    Free Member

    Bringing back some great memories. The “Seven Sisters” between Brighton and Eastbourne offered some great riding not to mention some of the best pubs in the country.

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