First Attempt
My first attempt at the South Downs Way was back in September. This was a 2 day attack and a valiant effort but ultimately we were defeated. Andy G's sub-par Carrera and Dodge's heroic lack of fitness were the culprits. Crappy weather also didn't help.
The Plan
I'd discussed taking on the SDW with Mike. Like me he's an ex-MTBer who's now a born again Roadie. Mike's idea was to do the route in one day. Hmm, 100 miles off-road wouldn't be easy. We agreed on a date - July 4th - and roped in Jorge as well.
The Big Day
Insane Alarm call. Only a couple of hours sleep (grrr). Cycling to Clapham Junction for our 5.20am rendezvous was slightly surreal - plenty of people staggering their way back home from the nightclubs in Brixton and Clapham. The train journey to Winchester takes just over an hour so plenty of time to enjoy some bacon and egg rolls. Worryingly, as we approach Basingstoke the clear skies we'd enjoyed in London become obscured by thick fog.
We set off from Winchester just before 7am and after a mile or so on the road we hit the trail. The route is mostly well marked but there are points that without a good map, or in our case a couple of Garmins, getting waylaid would be easy. I realised that on my previous attempt we'd taken a 5 mile detour and climbed 2 big hills unneccessarily - oops.
Round about 12pm we stopped for lunch having covered 50 miles. Reasonably on track. The weather couldn't have been better. There had been a patch of drizzle earlier but the skies were clearer and most importantly it wasn't too hot. Onwards - the second part of the trail gets a bit steeper and fatigue starts to set in. Mike has several encounters with the 'Man with the Hammer' but we're fairly certain we can make it. After 80 miles or so the coast line appears and we see what we think might be Eastbourne - it isn't - more pedaling to be done. By the time the real Eastbourne rolls in to view the sun is starting to set but it's mostly downhill from here. Infact, the last section into the town is a real hoon and at some point I must have buckled my rear tyre. 100 miles on my cateye and we arrive at Eastbourne and my rear wheel has more wobble than Big Daddy's belly. It's 8.40pm - time to get some fish and chips and a beer to enjoy on the train back to London.
It's been a hard day but our mission has been completed. Demon's laid to rest.
Food Consumed (including brekkie and post ride munchies)
5 Torq gells, 3 Mule bars, 1 Clif Bar, 3 Bananas, 2 bacon & egg rolls, 2 sausage & mustard rolls, 75% of a Soreen malt loaf, 1 Muller rice pudding, Haddock & chips, 1 beer, over 8 litres of water.
My first attempt at the South Downs Way was back in September. This was a 2 day attack and a valiant effort but ultimately we were defeated. Andy G's sub-par Carrera and Dodge's heroic lack of fitness were the culprits. Crappy weather also didn't help.
The Plan
I'd discussed taking on the SDW with Mike. Like me he's an ex-MTBer who's now a born again Roadie. Mike's idea was to do the route in one day. Hmm, 100 miles off-road wouldn't be easy. We agreed on a date - July 4th - and roped in Jorge as well.
The Big Day
Insane Alarm call. Only a couple of hours sleep (grrr). Cycling to Clapham Junction for our 5.20am rendezvous was slightly surreal - plenty of people staggering their way back home from the nightclubs in Brixton and Clapham. The train journey to Winchester takes just over an hour so plenty of time to enjoy some bacon and egg rolls. Worryingly, as we approach Basingstoke the clear skies we'd enjoyed in London become obscured by thick fog.
We set off from Winchester just before 7am and after a mile or so on the road we hit the trail. The route is mostly well marked but there are points that without a good map, or in our case a couple of Garmins, getting waylaid would be easy. I realised that on my previous attempt we'd taken a 5 mile detour and climbed 2 big hills unneccessarily - oops.
Round about 12pm we stopped for lunch having covered 50 miles. Reasonably on track. The weather couldn't have been better. There had been a patch of drizzle earlier but the skies were clearer and most importantly it wasn't too hot. Onwards - the second part of the trail gets a bit steeper and fatigue starts to set in. Mike has several encounters with the 'Man with the Hammer' but we're fairly certain we can make it. After 80 miles or so the coast line appears and we see what we think might be Eastbourne - it isn't - more pedaling to be done. By the time the real Eastbourne rolls in to view the sun is starting to set but it's mostly downhill from here. Infact, the last section into the town is a real hoon and at some point I must have buckled my rear tyre. 100 miles on my cateye and we arrive at Eastbourne and my rear wheel has more wobble than Big Daddy's belly. It's 8.40pm - time to get some fish and chips and a beer to enjoy on the train back to London.
It's been a hard day but our mission has been completed. Demon's laid to rest.
Food Consumed (including brekkie and post ride munchies)
5 Torq gells, 3 Mule bars, 1 Clif Bar, 3 Bananas, 2 bacon & egg rolls, 2 sausage & mustard rolls, 75% of a Soreen malt loaf, 1 Muller rice pudding, Haddock & chips, 1 beer, over 8 litres of water.
No comments:
Post a Comment