I suppose my first and overriding thought is why rush when you could do it over 2 days. You can then finesse the route to be more interesting and there’s less pressure overall on everything from eating to charging devices.
Nice pub meal on the Saturday evening, comfy bed, back-to-back century rides; what’s not to like.
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Cant remember the out route (southern line) that wasnt mine - it was somewhere near the backend that wasn’t nice. Single carriageway with a lot of heavy traffic.
Route home into Newark was ace - I plotted that one. Tho the last 5 miles on my normal commute was a chore lol
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@gingerbongo - A few notes from mine
Set off early, get some nice cool miles in … average temperature on my ride was 26degs C, which might go towards the cramps.
Avoid hills, doing the Fred Whitton isn’t good for the legs, either.
Don’t be a dick and do >1,000W on the climbs. Not good for the legs.
Don’t try and get 100km/h on any downhills, you might fall off, which would not be good for the legs.
But, overtaking cars is always fun 
oh!!! Have a backup plan, I got rained/snowed/hailed on in my previous three attempts on this distance.
Once, I was so cold, I thought about pissing on my hands to warm them up, so that I could use the brakes/change gear 
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Good point, but 2 reasons really.
One is that we want to do a super long ride. None of us have been over 100 miles before (well I went 112 miles ten years ago! 
).
Secondly, none of us have the time free! . The whole proviso was how we could do something a bit silly with min impact on the families. This way we can all still do bedtimes on the Friday with our kids, and then hopefully, if nothing goes wrong, be back early afternoon the next day. Granted we’ll unlikely be of any use for the rest of the day. But we’d have only been ‘away’ from the family for half a day really.
We’ve got another more enjoyable trip in the Spanish mountains booked for November!
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Get the train to London anyway, as it’s paid for. Go out for a night of debauchery. Come home the next day.
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I’ve only done that kind of distance once, on the Coast to Coast which is 150 miles/3700m.
Did that super fast really (for me), a little over 10 hrs of riding with another hr in feed stations (it would have been 15 mins if I had my way but the others faffed for ages) … we did have very nice weather and a following wind.
15ish mph is about as fast as I’d want to average, I guess a couple of mph under normal riding speed?
Of course it involved a lot of 20pmh+ on flat roads and 1mph on Hardknott so stating an average is not all that helpful.
Just keep moving and avoid long stops, as others have said.
Heading west you’re much more likely to have a headwind as I’m sure you know.
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@wheezy said that, too.
I mean, define “long”? (Rhetorical)
On 200km odd rides, I find 60 minutes total more than enough. (Two quick 20mins bottle stops, the rest is just faffing around)
But I’d want to break up a 300km ride with some hot food and a chance to sit down for at least 30mins 
Too long - If you’re sat down for longer than it takes to order food, go to the loo and eat food
Do all messing about with kit, posting selfies an FB updates etc whilst waiting for food, not after eating.
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AMEN !!!
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My lessons from last weekend…
25km/h or around that is totally do able. Especially with 3 of you! I managed that solo, with some gravel sections, about 5kg extra bags and 5km along a stupid very flooded drove 
Chopping through back roads and off the beaten track saps a suprising amount of both time and energy as your forever stopping at every small junction and then accelerating up to speed again, repeat x100, its starts to wear thin. I’d look to mix up it up with some more major roads as Komoot will probably push you onto the small back roads.
Spin in a super low gear up the hills, no point in blowing your legs, if your taking any luggage, it will suprise you how much you’ll notice the extra weight!
I didn’t bother with any sit down meals, it takes too long. Co-op Pavement Picnic, eat half of it, preferably the stuff harder to eat on the go and pack the rest in a frame bag to munch on the move.
Stretch, move body position regularly, twisting shoulders, arms etc.
Aero bars FTW. Any effort to reduce some drag over that kind of distance adds up over the day. Nice flat long bit of road, drop onto them and turn the peddles slowly. Energy conservation.
Breakfast of that morning. Make some over night oats in a take-away tupperware and bin or carry home.
Get into the habit of eating something every hour. You won’t feel like you want to and you’ll probably ignore this but it will make the whole thing a lot more pleasant!
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First bikepacking trip since 2019 completed, two days from home in Chester to Sheffield.
Having to take shoes and jeans (needed for the Sparks concert on Saturday evening) meant my torpedo was quite a bit heavier than when I cycled round Wales. Even lightweight shoes are really quite heavy and the torpedo swung about much more than I recall.
Not being as fit as normal made some of the climbs pretty slow and the final few hills, navigating across Sheffield, with traffic, were not much fun.
Still, making it up a strava 100 climb with the torpedo has brought a quiet sense of satisfaction, even if it was an underwhelming climb (Jackson Bridge, No42).
Shout out to @Poet for his route across the canals of Manchester. Very leafy of the way in from Timperley then very built up in the city centre and urban decay on the way out with about 20+ uphill locks on rough cobbles.
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Bringing over my thing from the Purchases thread…
…https://forum.tritalk.co.uk/t/boast-about-your-recent-purchases-here/1045/11704
@Sowler said this:
“Fuck the South Downs Way, most people that I’ve spoken to and read about who have done it said it was more of trudge than an enjoyable experience especially on a gravel bike. As an alternative I’d also look at jumping on the Downs Link, Guildford to Shoreham by Sea, you can make your way to Eastbourne or whatever from there. I have ridden the Downs Link.”
@buzz asked what day 3 is?
Schedule:
Day 1: Day 1 Bikepacking: London to Swindon - A bike ride in London, England
5am spin from my home to the station, 2hr train into Euston for 8am. I’ll eat breakfast on the train.
A nice cycle along the Thames Path / EV4 to Reading, where I join the King Alfred’s Way anti-clockwise to Swindon.
Day 2: Day 2 Bikepacking: Swindon to Petersfield - A bike ride in Hodson, England
Swindon to Petersfield, fairly flat, following the KAW.
Couple of 1hr stops to break up the day and enjoy myself.
Day 3: Day 3 Bikepacking: Petersfield to Royal Tunbridge Wells - A bike ride in East Hampshire, England
Ideally, I’d like this day to be a bit shorter and not as hilly
But I could not find anywhere decent to stay?
I’m going north to London for Day 4, so has to be sort of en route.
Day 4: Day 4 Bike Packing: Royal Tunbridge Wells to Euston - A bike ride in Tunbridge Wells, England
Short one at 120km, but it’s my final day!
Fairly flat and I’m happy to hang around in LDN having a beer and something to eat waiting for the 1533 home.
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Feel free to ignore me, but I think you’ve given yourself a very tough day 3 and maybe underestimating how long that is going to take. That much distance off road in August with that many punchy climbs. I mean you do moan about hills! SDW is notoriously not flat. I can just see you coming back and moaning how you had to fix X number of punctures and walk while dying of heatstroke with no water. Can’t find anywhere decent to stay at which end?
I’ve been on the train with my bike a few times with people bailing on trying to do SDW in a day and saying how unpleasant it was. But I haven’t done it (for that reason) so maybe I’m not qualified to comment!
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I’d agree. I’ve only done a little riding on the sdw but wouldn’t look forward to that day 3 at all. I would look forward to the ride report however 
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To defend the SDW, it is very well sign-posted so you don’t lose any time with navigation. I’ve only done the section from Winchester to Petersfield, so can’t comment on Day3, but all the days look ‘ambitious’ . When I did it on my own my longest day was 9 hours actual pedaling for 155km (10.5hrs total).
Given you are doubling back to Crawley on Day4, can’t you end Day3 Uckfield or even stay in Eastbourne?
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I’ve got a mate who mtb’d it in 3 days and he’s not really very fit and also very conservative.
Using that yardstick I’d say 1 day sounds challenging, 1.5 probably comfortable.
The key is to carry as little as possible - recessed cleats and no other shoes, cycling rain jacket to be the only wet weather gear, only one set of cycling clothing (wash overnight) etc
I reckon most people carry far more than they really need. It all adds up on challenging terrain.
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Do I give the impression of ignoring advice?
I don’t mean to 
That’s why I’ve posted, so people can say “that’s ridiculous. Don’t be so stupid” and then I can adjust the plans
Is SDW flint laden then?
I’ve got tyre inserts, tubeless and know how to “worm” fix them 
@sowler - RE: Day 3 somewhere to stay … maybe closer to Eastbourne? Loads there isn’t there. I can practice my early retirement
@buzz - So you reckon just going to Eastbourne, stopping Day3 at 125km, then making the last day to London a bit shorter by having no double backing? I’m keen to keep it off road
@cobbie - yeah. Only one set of cycling kit, but will need some basic civvies for a decent evening meal (slides, socks, technical t-shirt and some underwear) it’s all the charging cables that take up the room.
Lights, better safe than sorry? Or no. It’s dark around 2145 by then, so I might need them, or I might set off early and want to use them 
Garmin, watch and phone. So that’s a USB plug and three cables. Plus a lot of nutrition (gels, bars, Maurten etc)
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Eastbourne might be nice for some Fish & Chips but it could make the final day a bit stressful if you have a train to catch. Hadn’t spotted that Tunbridge Wells to Crawley was mostly off-road, but then Eastbourne to TW is mostly road, if there is a nice route Eastbourne to Crawley I would try that.
Re: starting early, I was surprised how hard it was to get breakfast early. The pubs I stayed at would barely offer anything before 9, and local cafes the same. I guess Premier Inn should be OK. Finishing late, it actually started to get cold when I did it, so didn’t want to go much past 7.
My solo ride was 3 days around King Alfred + extra to get to/from the trail from home. Total 460km in 3 days, which was doable, but about 20-30km (1 hour) less each day would have been ideal. And I didn’t have any mechanicals. Depends if you want to head down and cover the distance or head up and smell the cow sh*t.
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No, you don’t I’m just very aware that plenty of people look for advice and then (rightfully?) ignore all the advice given and do what they originally intended to do anyway!
SDW being flinty, I’m not sure someone else can answer that. Bits of the ridgeway definitely are. I’d definitely look at finishing day 3 earlier than your planning. Airbnbs again more chance of them willing to leave a load of breakfast stuff out for you the night before. Again done that in the past.
I’d sack off carrying so much nutrition and just buy stuff on the go from Co-op etc. Apart from a few gels and bar for emergency.
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This, I love it 
I’ve knocked it back from 200km per day, to 160-180km following some advice previously 
Also moved it from home to Blackpool to Whitby to Home to somewhere I’ve not been, following a certain good looking guys comments on “adventure”
Most places were I am staying (or at least hoping to!) have an M&S petrol station or small supermarket very close by… and @gingerbongo may mock me now… but now I’ve hit 41, I’m finding myself eating yoghurt with oats and a boiled egg with spinach. I know M&S sell both of those things, so I’d be happy with that for brekkie.
Also, I’m acutely aware that I’ll need something nice to eat, that isn’t chips, or a burger, for my smaller meals.
Salads, grains, all that jazz.
RE: Train, I can book a later one, just 1533 is off peak, I can wait until 1900 to get another off-peak train home by 2100 (I’m about 5 mins from the station)
Although, I’d like to be home a bit earlier on Day 4, as I’m straight back on holiday again the following day
@Sowler - That’s interesting about nutrition, do you think there’s enough I can get from there? I do “like” my Maurten and High5 etc. I am not a huge fan of AirBnB, much prefer to stay in a hotel and be solo.
I’m going to research the SDW and look into shortening that day now
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