Gentle breeze, azure sky and sunny all day in Guildford

You’re surely lying to me? Absolutely teeming it down in Islington, North London… disgusting weather 😡

Am thinking of riding my Boardman FS rather than Inbred as I think it might be a bit more comfortable… does that make sense over the distance?

Personally, I’d go HT, assuming it’s a couple of lbs lighter. You’ll be carrying a fair amount of gear and mud and the hills are relentless. The SDW isn’t rough enough to warrant FS IME. But then I don’t know how comfortable an Inbred is… I ride my Blizzard all over the area and can do a day out comfortably.

Regarding weather, certainly at the northern end it has been persistently wet for a while now. IMO the trail would need a few hot, dry days to tempt me out – it’s not so much the mud (though there will be that) but the slipperiness knocking a few mph off the speed. It’s wet today down here but the weather looks like perking up towards the weekend. Touch and go, but I’m naturally cautious!

Psychle – might be a little white lie there :oops:.

I’ve been in Wembley most of today and on the way back to Guildford it was rather wet. I’m looking outside now and I have a bit of blue sky with plenty of clouds. Blimin weather forecasts, just can’t trust em. I’m (hopefully) going out for a ride this evening so I’ll be interested to see what condition the trails are in.

For those that are planning to do this thing, have you agreed a precise start time/place?

I will have limited web access from tonight so could I request that someone e-mails me once a plan is fixed?

barnabyedwards at mac.com

I’m really keen to have some company/guidance so I do hope some of you decide to give it a try… 🙄

Looking out of my front window for most of the day it’s been grey, overcast, windy with broken sunshine.. And SW’lys, so all you Lunnoners will get what I’ve had in about an hour or so..

As fro the trails, yes it rained again this morning but the bit from Winchester to the other side of East Meon is tacky and probably an 1″ soak compression on the harder trails.. Those that I saw last night are anyhoo’s.. today doesn’t look any different.. except, except the suns out now..

The met office rainfall radar for the SE had rain over the first 1/3 for most of the day . The remainder appeared to have stayed dry for most of the day . Sort of Cocking – East toward B’ton.

I am almost certain we can GO ! It will be damp in parts again tomorrow but te forcast for Fri is almost perfect .

Mivi . Ring Morn Hill campsite Tel: 01962 869877. Its 200 meters from the hotel Piha and Pschycle are staying at . You should be able to park up there for a few days , explain what you are doing , they might want £20 but its the only place i could find without a max 24hr stay .

Now , where and when to meet …

I started last year from Bar End car park . It would be ideal to meet Piha , pscyle , Mivi at the top of Kings Lane / Chilcombe Lane at 0500.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=450636&y=128495&z=120&sv=450636,128495&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=734&ax=450636&ay=128495&lm=0

Ok , so we miss out on 500 meters of road through winch town center .

If you are absolutely desperate to get a photo by the statue of King Alfred then we can meet there , but its a rubbish ride out of town.

If you are driving, Bar End Car park here.- http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=448806&y=128127&z=115&sv=448806,128127&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=734&ax=448806&ay=128127&lm=0

But you must be back before 0800 sat am or you will gat a ticket IIRC £7 a day. Bring Change . Meet 0445. Follow park and ride signs , if you are early and bored there are some huge Dirt Jumps between the cp and roundabout.

Aiming to catch a train C 19.00 from Eastbourne . dont want to be any later than that really .

Thoughts / comments / answers on a postcard to ……

Yep, looks like a go for me. Getting the pre-long ride anxiety now…will the trains be on time, will my tubeless tyres work (only fitted them last week!), will I get mechanical probs etc etc

but its a rubbish ride out of town.

Not sure which route you’re referring but Petersfield Road then footbridge over M3 route is okay if you’re coming from the statue.

I put a comment about conditions this lunchtime on sdw near Brighton on here:

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/sdw-or-any-looong-mtb-ride-flats-or-spds-which-would-you-go-for#post-2693431

wind does seem to have dropped off a bit this evening as well.

Just checking but where is the finish classed as? Is it as per my pic below?

Will meet you at park and ride car
park singletrackmind, aim to be on
that train too!
Met you on the purbecks ride last
year and the surrey hills, mind you
don’t think it will be such a jolly.
Rode amberley to winchester last year
including a few detours!
Looking forward to an epic day.

Nice one Rob, looks like that campsite will give me a downhill roll to the start point…phew. I’ll call them in the morning and should mean i’m game on.
(me n’ Jo rode Robs Bush on Leith at the weekend…wondered if you’d been for a ‘roll around’ in it lately?!)

I would like to do this but there’s no way I can get to Winchester by 5am, so I’ll set off and try and catch you chaps along the way.

Rich

Petersfield’s a good alternative, if that’s doable? Go south and meet them on Harting Down?

Thanks for the advice, but I have a hankering to do the whole thing (for better or for worse).

I’m out 🙁

Nowhere near recovered from a lot of riding last week and have been told I’m going ice skating 😕

Good luck to you all!

Tomorrows the big day then, I think this is the list of starters but feel free to correct this list….

5;00 am starters

Piha
Psychle
Singletrackmind
Barn
Mivi
The Germinator

Leaving later

Nuke
Wynne

Starting earlier!

Ming the Merciless

Not sure

Poldarn

See you there.

I’m driving over from Brighton in the early morning and parking in chesil st multi storey at 4.40am

(24hr max by ticket machine but if you call the parking office and tell them, then use the pay-by-phone method you can stay longer. Found this out from tourist board, it’s what they reccomend as standard to all sdw-in-a-day riders.)

Will roll down to Bar End carpark to see if RDP/anyone is there, then go onto Kings/Chilcolm lane for 5am (it looks to only be 5-10mins?)

If anyone needs a lift and can get alongside a point on the a27 where i can pull over and load you, email me md-at-michaeldonne.co.uk

The last 40 mins in north Brighton have been moderate rain plus 2 x 5 mins v heavy rain which is continuing, but it does looks clearer on the hill, possibly didnt even get any rain.

I’m taking my old (now my wifes) Yeti ASR-sl shod with Trailraker 1.95’s, sound like the right choice to you guys?

Spooky Supertouch cross bike for me. I reckon you’ll get away with some faster rolling tyres – but don’t blame me…

Bonty XDX(F) and XR1(R) after last nights recce from Firle to Alfriston. Slidey BUT fast.

Been a filthy avo in Brighton to the point I drove up dyke to see if downs were escaping it.Not really. This where sdw crosses the dyke rd
Am getting cold feet….

I cycled that bit yesterday mivi and it was a lot better – been a proper monsoon in the area today. Does seem to be clearing a bit now and hopeully wind up top will dry it a bit.

I’m doign a 45 mile ride on the Downs Sunday so hoping as much as anyone that it clears up a bit soon.

Damn the Torpedoes! Full speed ahead!

Good luck, an biggup an nuff respek dat to all those completely insane people doing this tomoz. 😀

Nutters…

MIVI .- Check the overheads if you are bringing the bus? There is an open car park next door, but not sure if there are height restrictions and if you can still pay by phone. If you are overheight then there is a coach park about a mile away on Worthy Lane . 2.1mtr maximum in Chesil multi story.
http://www.winchester.gov.uk/Documents/Parking/Car_Parks_Map.pdf

. Germinater , please meet at the car park approx 0450 .

Pscyle and Piha . Are you going to roll all the way down the hill in the wong direction , to turn round and ride back up it , Or meet at the Kings Lane / Chilcombe Lane intersection ???????????

I dont think Trailwreckers are neccessary . I have refitted the Larsens , so hopefully it will stop raining now ( goddamit)

I’d go for faster tyres, psychle. There aren’t that many truly muddy bits. If there is mud, it’s more thin, slick mud rather than mud-tyre mud, so if you’re sliding, you’re sliding, whether you’re on trailrakers or SB8s. May as well take the SB8s (say) and get the benefit on the dry bits.

I’m not a local expert though, does that approach makes sense to anyone else?

does that apporach makes sense to anyone else?

not me – I’ll be riding my Intense CC/System 5’s like I always do unless it’s really, really dry and I’m using the System 2’s.

It’s as much about trying to get traction on the climbs as being able to make the turns…

heading off for Winchester now, have added my mobile to my profile if anyone wants to call. Not sure what the join up plan is for tomorrow, hopefully Piha has it figured!

See you tomorrow everyone! 😀

large new rucksack purchased (capacity 16 litres of cake) in order to bribe myself to stick with the plan.
see y’all bright and early.

Ming ya dang fewl, kip in a bus shelter and set off with us….i’ll worry about you in the dark (what would the ferrets do…).

I’m bumping this thread up a bit just to wish the Guys all the very best, strained legs, muddy tyres, blistered hands and.. huge smiles.

I know they’re not reading this, but have fun, hope you complete it..

Weather looks good, swines!
Hope it lasts until sat next week, then its my turn….

Sat here in Patching not far from the SDW & the sun is shining. Hope everyone tackling this has a good day 😀

Started about 0100ish, rode for 14hrs 35 mins, 99.85miles, 6300 calories, 2 grumpy knees, a stiff neck and visited some very dark places in my mind on the way. Full write up to follow.

Awesome. Good job. Hope you enjoyed the journey out of the dark places!

It was the sticky dark places that did for me last night. I had to bail at Amberley yesterday having covered some of the worst 50 miles I have ever ridden.

Magnificent effort.

99.85 miles? Whatever state I was in I’d have done the 0.15 miles!

I did to where Mrs Ming was waiting with the car. It was all downhill!

I think 50 on current ground conditions is good going, 100 is brilliant

Bit concerned about the Wiggle 44 mile Downs ride Sunday unless it gets very dry, tbh.

Totally brilliant stuff lads..
Do tell all !!!!

There’s bin no word from the main group.

I’m starting to get worried. 😐

(Scampers off with bike trailer to ‘salvage’ bits of bike which lie next to The Fallen, in a particularly callous and vulturistic manner)