South Downs way, end-to-end, TBC

Winchester - Eastbourne is the usual direction in which people do it, I can't speak to the camping part of things but I will have another go at this in 2017, likely in August and may B&B it at around the halfway mark.

Let me know if you need a partner

A short travel full suspension bike would be the perfect bike for the SDW.

I've done it on a cross bike. It might be marginally faster across the terrain but after riding a bike for 10 hours comfort's pretty important.

^ this

I'd wager a cutting edge XC FS bike would be faster and more comfortable full stop tho - what you lose in weight and rolling resistance you get back in traction on the ups and the ability to hammer the down hills with wreckless abandon.

I have a [rigid] cross bike, a hard tail MTB and a massively heavy trail centre bashing full susser.

Sounds like the hard tail is the one to use.

@Dammit come camping with us. Little campfire, a few beers, starry sky. It'll be romantic. We can talk about Porsches.

25/26th August?

This is now officially a thing I am doing.

Sat 25th August

Early train from CBG to Kings X, ride down to Waterloo.
Train from Waterloo to Winchester. Probably about 10am.

Ride for 6 hours or so.
Find somewhere to buy beer and food.
Find somewhere to camp.
Camp and have beer and food.

Sun 26th August

Get up earlyish with a view to moving out about 8-9am.
Ride to the seaside.
Swim in the sea.
Eat chips.
Maybe a bit more beer, but not loads.
Get the train back to LDN.

Get home.
Sleep.

Rode it in a day weekend before last. Set off from Winchester at 5am and managed to get the 8.15pm train from Eastbourne. Was on a full suss trail bike 140mm front and fear. Short travel full suss xc bike would be the dream. Great day out if rather brutal. Was hungry until the following Wednesday.

Good effort!

If you can push on past half way on day one, Storrington to grab beers and food (they have a waitrose...) and camping by Chanctonbury Ring would be my plan. Apparently if you run round it anti-clockwise seven times you summon the devil, which could be cool.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanctonbury_Ring#Legends

Might join you. My folks live in Amberley, about half way, mucho convenient.

You'd be welcome. Only 2 of us so far, more might help with the summoning thing.

Singlespeed, rigid, and in 8 ½ hours O_o

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/phewjust-done-the-south-downs-way

https://www.strava.com/activities/1082012825

Would this be doable on a fixed or ss?
Steamroller with 32mm paselas

Try it fixed and get back to us

Am I reading it wrong? He said 9hrs 20m no?

I'll take that as a no. @hefty I could well be up for coming along pending family commitments if that's ok.

Ah yes, you're right. I was going by his 'moving' time on strava, rather than the elapsed time.

Pfft... what a loser.

25th and 26th is Friday and Saturday btw :)

Ha...yeah...total fail. :)

Oh yeh.

Let's do the 26th and 27th instead. :)

@sacredhart Fo sho, be glad of the company. SS would be challenging enough. Fixed would be a hateful experience.

Ah, won't be able to do the whole thing then, but put me down for Saturday.

:(

Ok pending family and getting my setup a bit more suited to the route (having read back a few pages) I'm in

Hopefully the weather is better for you guys than it was yesterday...
Started off beautifully, before the thunderstorms started and it ended up with milky white chalk rivers running down the trails, making them barely walkable in places, let alone rideable.
Attempt aborted at the halfway mark!
Next time!!! :)