Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Add Reply
South Downs Way routes; Your suggestions please
Topic Started: Nov 8 2012, 02:04 PM (295 Views)
belugabob
Member Avatar
Mudking
Some of my less regular cycling friends, who enjoyed themselves on our recent Coast to Coast trip, have decided that their next challenge will be to ride the SDW over two days, during the summer of 2013.

Now, considering that most of them have very little off road experience, I've suggested that we do some short (20-ish mile) routes before the summer, in order for them to...

a/ Get some experience of the relentless nature and the roughness of some of the climbs
b/ Come to the conclusion that it was a bad idea

My first thoughts were either...

1/ Devils Dyke to Chanctonbury Ring and back - the descent from Truleigh Hill YMCA towards the Dyke is going to be a wee bit treacherous at the moment
2/ Jack and Jill windmills to Lewes and back (more like 10 miles) - based of the part of this that Jim and I rode on Monday night, It's going to be quite slippery.

So, I suppose my questions are...

1/ Which of these two routes do you think would be best?
2/ Which alternative routes, that give a flavour of the SDW would you suggest?
3/ Should I just wait until spring, and give the poor sods a break? ;)

My motives are somewhat driven by the fact that I'll be able to get them all together on the first weekend in December.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Nero
Mud Lover
Start at Washington car park and up to Chanctonbury Ring for a little leg warmer?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
darth vader
Member Avatar
Mudking
Alfriston to Firle and back [ pub each end of the route]

I would get them to get used to long stints in the saddle and being out all day rather than thrash them up hills[ on the day they will probably have to walk some of the hills any way]
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
TonyS
Bog Monster
Train to Amberley then cycle back along SDW to A23 pick up the NCR back to Crawley?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Ashley1
Moaning Muddy Margaret
Train to amberley and ride to devils dyke! few pints in the pub and roll all the way down the hill to brighton station for train home!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Ming the Merciless
Member Avatar
Overlord of all Known Sheds!
I could take them on a short ride.............
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Rob DuPre
Liberally Covered
It depends on whether or not you want to do this ride.
If you try to drag a group of inexperienced off road riders along the SDW in mid december , even for say 10 miles they will hate it .
It will be slow , wet and slippery . There arent many sections that stand up to being ridden in the winter and alot of it becomes death by chalk.

Why not wait till end of march or april , april is the new summer anyway ( least it has been for the last 3 years ).

Up to you , but you wouldnt catch me doing any distance work up there in december , no sir.


Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
belugabob
Member Avatar
Mudking
Thanks for the feedback, folks.

They're already used to being out on the bike for a large chunk of the day, courtesy of our coast to coast trip
I'm more concerned about the ground conditions and not making the experience so uncomfortable that they are put off the whole thing.

Will consider the options.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Bunnyflop
Mudking
Hi, for a group of newbies to the perils of slippery chalk, I think I'd be inclined to leave it until next Spring. Maybe the Downs Link could be a good option in the meantime.... :-)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
belugabob
Member Avatar
Mudking
Lisa, was just considering the Downs Link myself - great minds think alike.

SDW postponed until spring.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Dave le Trek
Member Avatar
Mud Lover
Bob,
Bearing in mind the ever changing surface conditions of the SDW....i know as i have ridden it, and taking into accout the down hill aswell as the up hill climbs. Would the option of a full loop around tilgate do the trick.

It will offer all that can be found, apart from slippy wet chalk, although tilgate mud would disagree, parking is easier your closer to services should they be needed...and it'll last at least four hours.

DLT... :D
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
belugabob
Member Avatar
Mudking
Dave le Trek,Nov 9 2012
10:51 PM
Bob,
Bearing in mind the ever changing surface conditions of the SDW....i know as i have ridden it, and taking into accout the down hill aswell as the up hill climbs. Would the option of a full loop around tilgate do the trick.

It will offer all that can be found, apart from slippy wet chalk, although tilgate mud would disagree, parking is easier your closer to services should they be needed...and it'll last at least four hours.

DLT... :D

Thanks for the suggestion Dave but, as fun as Tilgate is, it's not really representative of SDW riding, which is more of a long distance cross country route.

At the moment, the Downs Link is looking like the best option, as I feel that it is a bit more weather proof than the chalky trails of the SDW.

Fancy joining us, if it comes together.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
darth vader
Member Avatar
Mudking
Alfriston to Itchenor is mostly grass, Itchenor is not a bad Hill
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
belugabob
Member Avatar
Mudking
darth vader,Nov 10 2012
04:44 PM
Alfriston to Itchenor is mostly grass, Itchenor is not a bad Hill

Hey Darth,

Which way is Itchenor, from Alfriston - west. I presume?
Alfriston, firle, bo peep, itford - can't see itchenor (other than the one by west wittering, which I hope you don't mean ;) )

Map coords, please.

Cheers.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
darth vader
Member Avatar
Mudking
Oops :wub: I think I ment Itford :D Anyway its grass from Itford [southease station ] to Alfriston, Bit safer to ride on highly exposed to wind but has good views in the sunshine and a 200m climb at either end
If you want to dip down to File add another climb. If you rode it there and back it would give you a good test
The climb out of Alfriston is part chalk but it is ok
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
belugabob
Member Avatar
Mudking
darth vader,Nov 11 2012
02:54 PM
Oops :wub: I think I ment Itford :D Anyway its grass from Itford [southease station ] to Alfriston, Bit safer to ride on highly exposed to wind but has good views in the sunshine and a 200m climb at either end
If you want to dip down to File add another climb. If you rode it there and back it would give you a good test
The climb out of Alfriston is part chalk but it is ok

Thanks Darth,

That looks like an option - might just start a bit further West than SouthEase, to give them a warm up before Itford Hill, but use the quite lanes for that section.

Is the climb out of Alfriston (King's Ride) chalky? Can't remember too much about the surface, to be honest, but though it was more rough tarmac.

The climb to the North, which meets up with the SDW at the very top of King's ride is definitely chalky (And I'll clean that climb one day ;) )

Still considering the DownsLink, though.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
darth vader
Member Avatar
Mudking
Hi Kings Ride is a mixture of everything starts off tarmac then goes to concrete brick gravel and chalk then grass bit of everything really but fairly safe for newbies
Maybe do it as a second training run
hope it goes well what ever route you take
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
JimXC27
Member Avatar
Mud Connoisseur
I reckon, you could park up at Woodingdean, near the racecource/falmer (here: http://goo.gl/maps/Zn73w) then from there pootle along to where the SDW comes up and out from the A23 climb, then from there hike across the tops all the way to southease station. This is not hairy and there is a great concrete descent down to a farm just before southease (super uber muddy field prior though). Up the big itford hill and all the way along the tops which would be in rideable conditions as it's mainly grass, to alfriston. They would give you an perfect indication of the long slog which is the SDW.

Couple of bits along here have some chalky descents, but noting major, and with most you can ride the grass down.

Decending into Alfriston would be tricky as it's basically chalk and death all the way down (ming and ricky ate it up during the last imperial tours mind). The climb up and out would give a good indication to the repetitiveness of the climbs encountered. There is a very slippery, peppbly climb through the trees up to the carpark where you cross the road and start the climb up and above long man. This is chalky, but there is a grass path on the right handside on the bank which could be used (this is what i used when ming and ricky destroyed wet chalk descent/nutters). TIP: Instead of following the chalk path all the way up and round, just as it bends to the right half way up, you could hug the fence and go left up a much easier, grassy climb which pops you out at the top. Less steep too.

From there you could munch/plod/curse on over to jevington as again it's mainly grass and rolling slog. More indication of the SDW delights. Fun fast descent into jevington then another chalky long ascent up to the very top for a long rolling grassy spin down through "paradise" into Eastbourne.

Train back to Brighton or better, Falmer then a plod/bus up to the car.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Join the millions that use us for their forum communities. Create your own forum today.
« Previous Topic · Muddyarse · Next Topic »
Add Reply