South Downs Way – Advice Needed

I'm thinking about doing the south downs way over a couple of days in the spring. My better half will be coming with me and she won't like anything too technical – is any of it hard from a skills point of view?

Also, any suggestions of somewhere *really* nice to stay around half way?
Finally, if you have done the SDW how did you manage to get back to the start when you've finished? Looking at the train timetables its nearly three hours from Eastbourne to Winchester!

Thanks!!

S

There's nothing too technical, just a bit of a rollercoaster really. A couple of the hills are long and steep (by Southern standards)but the good lady can always walk the tougher ones.
There's a Youth Hostel at Truleigh Hill, but that's not exactly what I would call nice. For that you would probably have to come off the SDW.
There are plenty of nice places, just depends where you want to break it.

Can`t really help on getting back. Living half way trains or lifts have been no problem 😉

Not ridden it yet but I don't believe there are any technical or difficult bits – just an awful lot of climbs!

This might help (although it covers the route from Eastbourne to Winchester, oddly)

If you have two vehicles, you could go to Eastbourne, leave a vehicle and drive yourselves and the bikes to Winchester in the other. Or do the course in stages, leaving the vehicle at the start of the stage, riding to a station and getting the train back to your vehicle.

Ian

Amberly is your mid point. A lovely village that is sure to have a few nice places to stay.

As for the return… no good ideas unless you fancy cycling back

The one technical bit (near the Eastbourne end) was sanitised a few years ago. The off chalky rut/gulley to keep an eye out for and that's it.

Amberley Castle hotel

How fit is your other half? it's not technical but there is a lot of climbing. This link might help. http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/Southdowns/downloads.asp?PageId=43
Did it in 2008 with my other half and we both really enjoyed it. Used train to get back to Winchester don,t think it took 3hrs.Its easier to get lost than you would think, but that just be my crap sense of direction.

As the others have said there is nothing too technical but its a lot of climbing. Do keep an eye out for the deeper ruts however – on my last trip out we were so caught up in the views and 'non-technical' riding one of the party rode down one and exited the bike over the bars rather abruptly. No real harm done luckily.

Amberley is nice for a mid-point stop.

StuE – taunting us with those shots!

was really claggy up there yesterday (where it wasn't frozen solid).

Rode it last summer. Got the train to Eastbourne and rode back to Winchester.

Did it in a very long day.

as others have said its not technical as such however there are plenty of bits that can catch you out.

it can be hard work if your not used to riding that terrrain, 30 miles on the sdw feels like 60 road miles especially if theres wind and rain.

hard work but fun in the snow too 🙂

If you're worried about the long train journey back, consider leave your car midway & get the train over to Winchester. There's plenty of long term parking at Brighton station.

Amberley's a nice place to stop but leaves you with a couple of extra climbs for the long second day. You might be better looking for somewhere around Steyning or Beeding.

Thanks for all the suggestions….I'll look into Amberley for the stopping point. Ride sounds ideal for my better half – her fitness is better than mine!

I would aim for further than Amberly on the first day. Although it is half way the first half is easier than the second. So maybe somewhere nearer to Brighton might be better. Nothing technical just long climbs which you might want to push up and stuff yourself with food, rather than winch up in granny, then stop for 15 mins at the top for food /water. oh and remember where the water stops are, its very open and gets hot quickly.

I would aim for further than Amberly on the first day. Although it is half way the first half is easier than the second. So maybe somewhere nearer to Brighton might be better. Nothing technical just long climbs which you might want to push up and stuff yourself with food, rather than winch up in granny, then stop for 15 mins at the top for food /water. oh and remember where the water stops are, its very open and gets hot quickly.

I did the SDW about ten years ago but in one day. As previously stated the route isn't that technical but if it rains it can get very slippery indeed. As for transportation we caught a train from London to Winchester and then a train back from Eastbourne to London.

I did the South Downs about 10 years ago, over two days and stayed overnight in Steyning. The 2nd Day is harder but its a great ride even better if the sun is shining. I would go further than half way on Day 1 if i was you. Try and drop off an overnight bag it will lighten your load! Start at Winchester not Queen Elizabeth. Enjoy!

I did the SDW over 2 days last year, not mega difficult but a reasonable slog non the less. We stopped at a B&B (Downs View)in Upper Beeding which is about 1 mile of the route, Top place with tea and cake when you get there and a massive full english in the morning, the owner even helped McGyver my front brake lever.

Great ride. Worth doing more the first day, as james said. bigger hills in the second half, and you might be feeling the first day little when you start off on the second.

Well worth getting the Harvey Map (clicky):

even if you've got some or all of the maps already. It's just easier when it's on one sheet. Water taps are marked too. And if you haven't got maps already, definitely get it. most of it's well signposted, but there are a couple of tricky bits, and there's no accounting for singpost pixies.

The Truleigh Hill YHA is perfectly placed at about 60 miles, but just before that is Shoreham, with doubtless a range of places to stay, but that does leave you starting the first day with one of the biggest climbs on the path!

There's a pub in Shoreham-on-Sea that served, and may still serve, 32oz steaks. Can't remember what it was called though!

Ace fun. Make it happen!

Nice pics, The SDW has been in the diary since the end of last summer… Thinkin about May time… Got any more good pics?

Done the SDW the last 2 years, doing it again this year.

From 2006 and intend to do it again this year I also rode it in 2008 but didn't take any pics that time.
The rest can be found here
It really is a ride about the big horizons and if its a sunny day make sure you use sun screen as there is little shade and you will burn on your right side (if going from winchester)

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here is the place to stay if by nice you mean nice (not cheap but nice)

An excuse to put up a piccy … 🙂

Don't know about accommo because I've only done it in a day. Ditto comments about slippery chalk if wet, otherwise not technical and well way-marked, although there are a couple of counter-intuitive points near the start if coming from the Winchester end (and travelling at pace). It's harder at the Eastern end so save a bit for that and overall the climbing numbers are quite big. It's a good adventure though. Have fun.

there are a couple of places in steyning and beeding that you can stay, and loads if you don't mind heading into Brighton. The ones around steyning and beeding are a good place to stop off as it's pretty much on the SDW.
posh n pricey
the tollgate
cheap n cheerful[/url]

there are more if you type steyning accommodation into google it'll bring up a few more B & B's

The bit allthepies mentioned west of Jevington pre-sanitisation

And a couple of others …

All very pleasant spesh if its dry and sunny, good midway stopover is fox goes free @ chalton (just north of chichester) cracking pub and nice rooms and about a mile (offroad slightly downhill) from sdw.

Oh, that map looks good – I'll order one of those.

Thanks Ned.

Bought the Harveys map and found it not that useful,AS it only covers a narrow area either side of the SDW.

Worth checking which way the wind is blowing. Prevailing wind is from the west, which is why most folk do west to east I suspect. The weekend I did it was from the east so we reversed it and did east to west.

Stayed in a cracking pub in Amberley, although cant remember the name!