South Downs Way Randonee – Countdown – Sat 27th June

I’m signed up for the full 100 mile challenge ride with my neighbour – both first timers. We’ve put the training in and are ready to go. Fingers crossed for the weather now, a range of forcasts on different weather sites at the moment. Start carb-loading tomorrow 🙂

Anyone else doing it or got any advice?

I did it on Saturday.

I’m reasonably fit but I’d only done one ride over 4 hours this year, which really showed after Ditchling Beacon, where I slowed down quite dramatically.

Make the detour into Amberley for the water stop (it’s on the wall of the pub) and get some Rocky Road cake from the Riverside Cafe mmmm.

Have a good one.

Phrob

Congrats and good job 🙂

TM

Keep eating and drinking.
Haribos are good for something just to keep sugar levels up.
Lube up down below, especially if it looks like being hot.
Start as early as you possibly can, and take it steady.
Check your tyres – flints can be tough on em.
Enjoy..
J.

Cheers guys, really looking forward to it, and under no illusions about what the South Downs can be like as I live locally and ride them every weekend. Haribos could be a good call to keep the carb-sugar levels topped up, thanks for that.

Paceman

I’m doing it Paceman……like you for the first time! I am planning to start very slowly..keep the cadence steady, and not to push hard at any point. I think it will be all about energy conservation.

Might be a bit early for carbo loading, but I’ll certainly have plenty with me on the day to keep nibbling on as I ride along.

What bike are you riding?

Oh and take it easy on those early climbs, you’re going to need those legs later….

I’ll be on a Pace RC405, probably with 2.1 Racing Ralphs for low rolling resistance, although if there’s rain about Fri/Sat I may stick more grippy rubber on.

Definately worth spinning out the hills as there are plenty of ’em, pushing too early will mean paying later on, especially as some of the worst hills are in the last 30 miles.

phonbob – how long did it take you? Was thinking of doing it at some stage this summer ad hoc….

13 hrs 20 minutes. I was happy with that given my lack of long ride training.

Started @5:20 am I was doing well until the last 30 miles or so, where I slowed up quite a bit, but didn’t actually bonk.

1 30 minute rest at Amberley (see cake above), a couple of 15 minute sit downs quite a few 5 min stops.

It was good, but hard.

Oh and my tyre recommendation (this is STW after all) is Kenda Small Block 8’s – roll very well and fairly grippy.

There are 10 water stops – details and grid refs at http://www.southdownsdouble.net/routeinfo.html

I’ve just removed my Kevlar lined Panaracers and put some Specialized Pro Fast trak 2.1’s on. I am thinking that even if we do get some rain, it should only be showery stuff and not be enough to create any real mud.

But then what do I know….I’ve never been on the SDW before, so what do you think? I mean it’s mostly straght line stuff after all!

Summer tyres will be fine, the SDW is very dry at the moment and it would take some serious downpours between now and Saturday to make a difference in these temperatures. 😕

“I mean it’s mostly straght line stuff after all!”

… Yeah straight up, then straight down, then straight up again 😉

I’ve learnt the time to brace yourself is whenever you cross a river; obviously these are at the lowest points, so there’s a big climb on the other side. Usually ditto A roads, as they dive through the gaps.

Weathers not looking too shabby either – good luck!

Do they have food at the checkpoints, or is it a case of carrying from the start?

We’re carrying everything and restocking at Devil’s Dyke. I think there are a couple of places en-route to get food, but in my opinion, it will be best to plan your intake and ensure you have a combination of power bars, electrolyte drink, hi carb anything, jelly beans and finally gels for the last stretch.

My rear end is already hurting in anticipation! 🙁

Good luck to anyone doing this, i can’t think of anything more mind numbingly boring than riding the SDW for 12+ hours 🙁 .

If it rains stay off of the green chalk 😯

Top tip – Take an i-pod (other MP3 players are available) 😉

Will there be food available at Devils Dyke checkpoint (other than the awful pub grub at the DD Tavern)?

The rains coming down in Brighton but suppoosed to clear by this afternoon. 8)

bigsi – boring??? Thank god we’re all different! It’s beautiful and the conditions are good.

Rain and thunder last night but that’ll dry off quickly enough. It’s very muggy at present so lots of water needed and energy drink as it’ll sap your strength.

Tim
(Lewes)

Im going to give it a go, but dont actually expect to do the full 100 miles. I reckon after 6 or 7 hours I will have had enough, but it will be interesting to try.

there’s a new tea-shop/caravan opened up in Saddlescombe on the SDW just after Devils Dyke serving sarnies, buns and cakes, which might be a useful fuel stop

handily at the bottom of the Newtimber Hill grunt as well

JoB

Good shout, that’ll be a useful fuel stop. Hope this humidity decreases a bit.

Paceman

It’s probably all been said, but just to reiterate, try not to over do the begining as I once did, the climbs get more difficult the further east you travel.

Conditions were good when I rode yesterday – enjoy!

It’s been raining pretty heavily at the western end for 3 or 4 hours.

Good luck mate – Let us know how it goes. I’m going for the 65m on the second Radonnee in July. What’s the training regime been like?

40-50 miler every weekend since January, 12 mile each way commute 3-4 times a week since March, and some strength training in the gym over the last two months. Carb-loading like mad today!

sorry slight hijack, i’m doing the 65mile on my own on sat, not ridden SDW before, i’m assuming its pretty busy the whole way or does the field spread out quite a lot?

It’ll spread out I imagine after the first few miles.

Good Luck 😉

Well, I can honestly say that’s the toughest ride i’ve ever done. But I did it… 😀

Nice one. It’s certainly tough. How did you get on? Don’t know whether I met you but I was there in black shorts, black T, black gloves, camo lid, on my orange Orange Five. You might have spotted me working on a puncture outside the farm just before Butser.

I eventually finished fourth with a time of 10:35, which means I smashed my personal best from last year by over an hour (pardon the rank self-aggrandisement).

Lovely ride: mist swathing the rolling hills of Wessex for almost the first four hours, then dry, sunny conditions with beautiful views. I saw a badger trotting off down the trail not long after the start, which was a treat. Not so much of a treat to see that dead and decomposing deer on the trail by the main road at Botolphs. I wish I had had the sense to hold my breath when passing: it smelt grim.

There’s nothing quite like the sight of Eastbourne appearing over the brow of the rise after the last climb out of Jevington, eh?

Well done Paceman. I did a loop from Devils/Dyke on Sat & it got bloody hot in the afternoon. Spoke to quite a few people doing the challenge & a lot were doing the full distance.

Did you pass the dead deer at Pyecombe – the stench was horrible.

Do you have to pay to take part? Is there a certain amount of money you have to raise? How well organised was it? Didn’t see any markers like on other events so I imagine a few people got lost.

Oh, was the deer at Pyecombe? It’s a bit of a hazy memory. There’s a £35 sign-up fee then you raise as much sponsorship as you can (no specific target). They provide checkpoints staffed by volunteers, some (not much) additional signage, and a map showing all the water taps. It’s a good day out. It certainly pays to know the route so that you aren’t caught out by difficult-to-spot signposts.

Well that was harder than I expected.

Ow.

I met a guy called Richard on the SDW a few weeks ago when training, and he said he was doing the double: starting at Eastbourne the previous evening, riding through the night to join the 06:00 start of the Randonnée then heading right back to Eastbourne. Looks like there were a few other riders doing the Double on the day as there was an Exposure-sponsored SDW Double vehicle at the checkpoints.

The rider who finished first was an Aussie (or Kiwi?) who said he had done it in 9 hours something. He said he thought he was slacking a bit this year. I wish I could slack it like that. The rider in third place was at least 30 minutes ahead of me, probably more.

There was another guy whose pedal broke at the first checkpoint so he had to ring a friend in Steyning and get him to pick up a new pair at the LBS, which didn’t open until 09:00, thus delaying him by just under 2 hours. He still finished in about 11 hours or thereabouts. Stunning.

Well it took me around 12 hours but I’m pretty chuffed with that, especially as I had a front tyre go on the descent from Harting Hill… sending me over the bars into the field next to the trail!

I was on a white Pace RC405 with a dk brown jersey and black helmet on.

Signposting isn’t great in places, especially towards the latter stages, but by that time I got there I was on local trails. The checkpoints varied from grumpy but efficient, to friendly and supportive, but all were ok. Some bananas or similar at checkpoint would be an improvement.

The dead deer smell stayed with me for a good few minutes after I passed it … not pleasant!

Great achievement though, really chuffed I signed up, feels good today looking back.

Paceman

Paceman, I was taking pics at the descent to the road crossing near Lewes around 3:30; could only find one image with dark helmet/jersey, posted below on the off-chance.

You are lucky/skillful to land in the field – well fast descent off Harting Down, landing on the trail would have hurt for sure.

Signposting is better than it used to be; for some events special marking is put up (and certain lazy organisers don’t tidy theirs away afterwards, leaving it to others to do) but for the BHF I admire the reliance being placed on the riders.

Griffin, ref. those doing it both ways, Richard made it in under 24 hours, there were two other riders Peter Hutson and Roger Easterbrook doing it too, they completed both ways about an hour after Richard, (Peter crossing the line with a flat rear tyre), beating their 28 to 30 hour target. They started about 4:15pm the day before, Richard started at 6pm and overtook them in the night. Then all 3 of them signed on with the BHF for the full 100 miler at Winchester (having doing the extra bit down to the statue and back) and rode back with you guys!

Even without the heat it’s a real test of endurance – what struck me most was all the quiet smiles and silent suffering.

griffin, well done on that time, great job. I had quick chat with you towards the end of ride until my leg cramped up!! Will be on the 100 miles next year for sure.