South Downs Way 5th 6th April - any takers?
Comments
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Great pictures. I like the last few.... and lost-time thought we had a hardride yesterday in the snow!_______________________________________________
www.kent-trails.co.uk0 -
It's again surprised me how tough the South Downs can be. With weather like that you made the right decision
I'm going to do it again shortly but it's going to be a one hit affair. I going to pursuade the Mrs PJM-84 to provide support and pick up my lifeless body from Eastbourne.Paul0 -
Tiger - yes i remember passing you just by the barn after the river crossing! We stopped just after that at the pub in Arundel. It was truely horrible up on top of the downs the wind just numed the whole side of you face. I had to borrow nicks glasses as i couldnt lead the group as i couldnt open my eye on the cold side of my face. It was a very sensible decison you made to quit before you started, we decided that it was only 5 miles to the next road if we wanted to quit but if one of us have had a mechanical or puncture then we were fully exposed with not many sheltered spots.
The ride itself was a challenge for me, my fitness is at a good level but not good enough as i was slowly running out of strength in my legs. I know exactly the point where you said you had a low, we had one at exactly the same spot. We were all dabbing and making stupid mistakes, this is the point where i was offically assigned "moral officer" and got the spirits up.
Were planning on doing the ride again in June or July, starting from winchester as going back to where we finished would just not be the same. Maybe we could combine forces and tackle it together so it doesnt beat us again!
Paul - I can now truely understand the devotion it must take to do it in one go or one day. Good luck to you, keep us updated on it!
Russ0 -
I've just posted some more pics and a couple of movies on my gallery.
Hats off to the guys this weekend. Bit of a reality-check for me. I've really got lots of work to do on hills and endurance before I do it again. TBH, I was quite pleased when everybody voted to abandon and head to Brighton, 'cos that's what I was gonna do at that point, even if I was on my own.
Nevertheless, I'm still pleased I managed 71miles with a great bunch of guys who never made me feel guilty for holding them back.
Looking back at the photo's has reminded me that most of it was fun, even if we did think we were gonna be washed off the side of a hill or frozen solid.0 -
Tiger6791 wrote:Did this the same days as you guys this weekend, we saw one of your guys at the start on a Trek full sus, who said he was doing 80k and going home...
I think you guys passed us, just after the river by the farm, my SPD cleats we're buggered.
We did 65 miles on the first day and stayed at a pub we'd booked, second day just about to set off after our full english and toast and the snow started. We bailed it on the grounds we didn't have the right gear (only shorts, etc) and rode 5 miles to the nearest train station. Rear block froze up, snow settling on arms handlebars etc, gear cables froze and bike was nearly unrideable (all at sea level). Visibility was shocking so can't see how it could have been done up on the hills (well, not really hills, large mounds to a Yorkshireman)
To be honest I found this ride a lot harder than I thought I would and had some real low points (the climb after crossing the dual carriage way). I thought the terrain was featureless and the tracks really quite boring. Some of the views out to the coast we're good but this is not I ride I will do again apart from the fact that I now have to as I can't stand the thought that I haven't finished it.
I also think I can't just go back and do the last bit I'll have to start over again at Winchester.
Bugger!
So when you doing it again?
I wouldn't say the tracks were boring; ok there was a lot of fireroad but some of the decents more than made up for that. And the scenery was breathtaking as far as i am concerned. For me this was all about riding with some great guy's and the challange of covering so many miles, as neither of us had done more than about 45 in one go before, and to do 70 miles was a massive achievement. I am gutted we couldn't finnish it off though so there is definately some unfinnished buisiness there, although i am glad to be alive, as if we had left as early as we intended we would have been miles from the main road back into Brighton when the worst of the snow hit, and..........buggered! I can't wait to do it again!
Andy.0 -
I second that Andy.
Oh, BTW, my site was taken down due to a little bit more demand for pics and vids than I expected. :roll:
Should be back up some time soon. All I ask is that you right click on the vids and 'save as...'0 -
I think the ride is a tough challenge and it relentlessly throws climbs and descents at you non stop.
I think you guys done well and was a little shocked when you mentioned your longest ride being 45miles ..... ouch. I thought Harry did well and the poor guy was hanging on by his finger tips on the way back hence the run to Petersfield for food. He also crashed twice on one descent due to exhaustion.
The wife has agreed to provide support so I 'm going to try a fast run come Mid May. Going to treat it like a Sportive! Lets hope for the sun! I've also promised I take her shopping in Eastborne afterwards. Yeah right..... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzPaul0 -
pjm-84 wrote:I think the ride is a tough challenge and it relentlessly throws climbs and descents at you non stop.
I think you guys done well and was a little shocked when you mentioned your longest ride being 45miles ..... ouch. I thought Harry did well and the poor guy was hanging on by his finger tips on the way back hence the run to Petersfield for food. He also crashed twice on one descent due to exhaustion.
The wife has agreed to provide support so I 'm going to try a fast run come Mid May. Going to treat it like a Sportive! Lets hope for the sun! I've also promised I take her shopping in Eastborne afterwards. Yeah right..... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
And my longest of 42miles was virtually flat between Whitstable and Margate and back. My longest off road was only 35 miles on a Kent-Trails ride from Deal to Capel le'fern (i know that's spelt wrong :roll: ) and back, so i am well proud of the 63 miles on the first day! I was even more surprised when i got up the next morning with no aches and pains whatsoever, which made the crappy weather even more annoying as i would definately have made it to Eastborne! Oh well, next time
Hope Harry is OK. Twice in one descent....OUCH! What time did you two get home?
Andy.0 -
impished wrote:I second that Andy.
Oh, BTW, my site was taken down due to a little bit more demand for pics and vids than I expected. :roll:
Should be back up some time soon. All I ask is that you right click on the vids and 'save as...'
Good job i saved them all when i did then Some good pictures there Ade. The one of us in Brighton station didn't need a caption. The expression "a picture tells a thousand words" springs to mind! I feel cold just thinking about it!
Andy.0 -
Good luck for May PJM.
Looking forward to your ride-report. Oh, and your Eastbourne buy report
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andyturner28 wrote:I wouldn't say the tracks were boring;
Andy.
I grew up in the Dales, and I have a house in Snowdonia, not what I'm used to that’s all.
The main aspect of this is that I looked at the hills and I thought it would be a piece of wee-wee, at 30 miles I was thinking might try and get the whole thing done in a day. By 45 miles I was just thinking about head down only 15 or so miles to a bed.
I am going to ride this again as it’s a challenge and I hate the fact I've not finished it but it wouldn't be first on my list of ride to do again.0 -
Gutted fellas, must be really dissapointing not to finish when you've done so much on the first day, looks like you enjoyed it though and glad your gonna give it another shot later in the year.
Has also given me more confidence to ride the Downs Link path both directions in a day, slightly further but less hills!! 0 -
What time did you two get home
About 7.45pm at Oliver's Battery. Had a couple of issues on the way back. Harry picked up a puncture and had to use his shock pump to inflate. 4000 pumps later we were just about there. I lost my pivot "bolt" from my Avid brake lever so had to find a suitably sized stick as a replacement.Paul0 -
Great pictures, looks like a good time was had by all 8)
Shame the snow aborted the ride but it must've been a great experience.
Cheers
Chris Racing snakes. It's not big, and it's not clever0 -
Some belated pics of the ride. I'd have put them up sooner but have had laptop troubles
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Love the Pics nick, you captured the pleasure/pain and colod very well!0
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Ive added some comments hehehehe0
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we did the whole route last september, with a similar split stopping at Steyning just below Trueleigh Hill ,
it is a hard relentess slog ...the second day is almost worst with some real long mothers of climbs ..unfortunately punctures and mechanical problems delayed us so the last day was a bit of a race against time howver the sense of satisfaction was great once we finally reached beachy head and some beers in Eastbourne
I dont know if you have decided when to do it again but heat can be almost worse than cold so maybe late summer might be best
anyway good luck the best feeling for me is knowing I havent got to do it again !
a few pics of the team ..I think the lucntime stop pic on the last day tells you all you need to know and that was only just after we crossed the A27 ...still had miles to go !
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/jhjphilli ... ayEndToEnd0 -
Great pics! i wish i could have the same feeling as you, it was very annoying not being able to complete the ride.
We have decided to do it again and the date is extremly close, so close my bag is packed 0 -
Good luck !
I'm assuming its over this weekend then ....which is perfect weather and plenty of light
one thing that sticks out is how many gates there are to go through.. I think someone counted 74 !
have a beer for me in the pub opposite the station at Eastbourne0 -
Thanks Pedro. We felt that those who started and were thwarted last time deserved an attempt to redeem ourselves so kept our second attempt a little quiet Can't wait though - all packed and ready. Just whiling away the last hour or so at work before the journey towards the punishment begins!! 0
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Good luck on your trip this time lads, hopefully there will be no snow storms to thart you this time.0
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WE DID IT!!!!!
2 days - 102 miles - 3759m of climbs - 4 smiles - 8 sore legs - and a brace of sore asses :shock:
piccies on the way.
Watch this space.0 -
Congrats guys, glad the weather didn't hinder you this time
Have only ever walked small sections of it, never realised there was that much climbing involved!!0 -
The climbs are relentless but very rewarding. It really is hill after hill after hill, some of which are very long and steep. The descents make up for all the effort though 0
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Really please we did it this time! What an excellent ride. This sums it up:
Last Time
This Time
Ill post some more pics up in a bit.
Russ0 -
Nicely put Russ. Really was 1 extreme to another. I used suncream and my shoulders are still a bit sore.
My pics are here
(please right-click and 'save to computer' the movie"
Sorry if we offended anyone by not inviting anyone ese, but it was us 4 that were thwarted last time and we needed it to be us 4 that went back and beat it.
BTW, if any of you do it in 2 days, word of advice; don't have a curry and 3 beers at the end if day 1 :roll: 0 -
Great pics Ade and Russ. Really enjoyed re-living all that 0
