I’ve done this in one push (West-East-West) and it took me under 16 hours in good conditions. I can’t stress enough how important good conditions are as it is a very long ride and you need dry conditions. If it has rained recently or is going to rain hard then forget it. I went after a week of no rain and still fought a section of bog in the woods at the Chilterns end.
You’re going to need to be a good climber as the hills add up along the way. You also need to be comfortable riding rutted ground as you will not escape them. This is integral to being efficient, it also looks easy enough on the map but each rut switch buys a bit more fatigue.
Research your stops as there are long sections without resupply and also make sure you know where the taps are.
If you can, do it on a weekday as you never know what is happening weekends, an ultra, a horsey day out, a trailquest or a load of landrovers. All of these will slow you down or make you more tired as you have to change your line. Get to the start before dawn and go as soon as you feel comfortable, maximise your light.
Finally make sure you have sorted out your quit monster. You are going to want to quit at many points, sat at your desk now you think you won’t feel like that but you will. You need to be able to deal with yourself when you enter this state. This is the number one reason why almost everyone quits an ultra. They find excuses, mechanicals, injuries etc… and lack the motivation to deal with them because their head has gone. These rides are 100% about the head. The legs will follow. So train all you want on the bike but know that a less fit rider with a better head will finish when you won’t.
