South Downs Way on a hybrid?

isthisonetakenthen
isthisonetakenthen Posts: 5
edited August 2008 in MTB general
Anyone got any thoughts on the following:

Am going to be doing the South Downs Way Mid September.

I currently have a Marin Point Reyes Hybrid & was wondering if anyone could advice if this would be suitable for the job?

I would love to get whole new Mountain Bike but don't really have the cash at the moment.

Can anyone help?

Thanks

Comments

  • pittpony
    pittpony Posts: 1,057
    The descents are pretty rocky and extremely slippery in wet weather. It's doable on a hybrid but I wouldn't fancy it myself as you'd really been holding back on the downhills. I did it on a hardtail and it was quite punishing. Great fun though!

    That said i've heard of people doing it on ridid and singlespeed bikes so maybe i'm just a bit soft :lol:

    Have you thought about hiring a MTB?
    Giant Trance & XTC Composite
    South East MTB
  • RussAlf
    RussAlf Posts: 706
    If the weather is bone dry and you put some good CX tyres on there you will be ok but will have to take it slow and carefull in places.

    If it rains or is wet coming up to the ride you will be screwed, its chalky and flinty which gets very slippery and will quickly clog a hybrid up. Your skinny CX tyres would not be ablt to cope on many of the uphills.

    I have done it pretty much twice, first attempt we had to bail due to snow 70miles in but on the second attempt we had the most perfect weather. Both were attempted over 2 days!

    You can see pics of the terrain here:


    http://public.fotki.com/russalford/mountain-biking/south-downs-way-pay-back/
  • impished
    impished Posts: 1,092
    RUSSALF wrote:
    You can see pics of the terrain here:
    and pics of strawberry yogurt :wink:

    SketchyMTB
    My Pics
  • amt27
    amt27 Posts: 320
    ride on the down quite a bit around brighton

    saw a cpl yesterday with the lady on a hybrid, she seemed to be coping and chatted to a cyclocross rider up there a few weeks back, he said it was more fun to ride
  • Rich Hcp
    Rich Hcp Posts: 1,355
    I did it last year on a rigid from Winchester to Beachy Head

    It rained most of the time....

    It's very difficult to control the front going down the hills and I had to push sometimes because there was no grip at all

    It's do-able on a hybrid, for sure

    I've changed to a hardtail and want to give it another go 8)

    I decided to do it on a bike I knew rather than try to get used to a new one on the route.
    Richard

    Giving it Large
  • isthisonetakenthen
    isthisonetakenthen Posts: 5
    thanks all

    Thats been a great help - I guess I now have a great excuse to by a half decent hardtail:-)

    Cheers

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