The South Downs Way had been my nemesis since a dreary trudge along its chalky ridge in my mid-teens. Now, some thirty five years later, it was time to put that experience behind me and give this well ridden and much loved route, the respect it deserves.
Day 1 - Winchester to Truleigh Hill
It was a spur of the moment decision to ride the South Downs Way that had me stepping off the train at Winchester at 8:05am on a bright sunny August morning. The official start to the route is marked as the centre of Winchester so, in the same fashion as the King Alfred's Way, I made the imposing statue the start point for another cycling adventure along the South Coast of England. Being a national trail, the route is well signposted throughout. I picked up the first acorn symbol just out of town and within a few minutes I was over the M3 motorway and into the Hampshire countryside. The first twenty five miles to Queen Elizabeth Country Park are a mix of bridleways and quiet backroads, threading a route eastwards through fields, over Cheesefoot Head, Beacon Hill and Old Winchester Hill Fort, with a convenient pass through the village of Exton. The approach to Butser Hill from the west provides an almost roller coaster descent down its well manicured grassy slope to the A3. Despite not being on the ridge propper, this section of the route is still hilly and ending here would make a great first day if you'd chosen to split the route into four days.
The Queen Elizabeth Country Park is, as you would expect, a wooded expanse of downland chalk with ancient trees, well marked circular walking routes and some brilliant mountain biking trails of varying difficulty. It has a good cafe / restaurant, a water point and a bike tool station. The Shipwrights Way passes through here and my route briefly ventured onto it as I continued east and up onto the chalky ridge.
The next twenty miles to Amberley, I would say, were the prettiest. Although the route sits on the ridge, the surrounding landscape is a well manicured patchwork of crop fields and sheep filled greenery. It alternates between open woodland and heath with occasional glimpses of the Weald to the left and the South Coast to the right. The climbs are still steep with big ascents at Cocking Hill and Bignor Hill which is on the Slindon Estate. Both added to the constant undulation but the Cadence Cycle Club Cafe provided a much needed rest and refuel at around half way.
The climb up to Rackham Hill was too steep for tiring legs but the reward for pretty much all of the remaining ten miles was an unmatched horizon-bending view in all directions. Time was pressing and aside from general weariness I felt good and was looking forward to dinner at the YHA. I'd taken the drone and the GoPro to capture this trip and in hindsight spent far to long setting up shots, riding back and forth to capture the moment. Accordingly my overall average speed for the day was around five miles an hour. That lead to being seven miles short of the YHA, which stops serving food at eight o'clock, and only three quarters of an hour to get there. I managed a brief wave at a bunch of mountain bikers out for an evening ride as I flew past at just under twenty miles per hour along the flint strewn path, and unnervingly more on the downhills!
With the sun touching the horizon I propped my bike against YHA Truleigh Hill's minibeast signboard and ran upstairs to order a pizza. It was one minute past eight.
I'd ridden sixty miles from Newbury to Bath earlier in the year in an afternoon. They say two off-road miles are worth one on road so after taking almost twelve hours to do sixty five miles (and 30 gates!), I'd endorse that, one hundred percent.
Day 2 - Truleigh Hill to Eastbourne
After day one's exhaustion and a less than full nights sleep in the communal YHA room, I wasn't in any rush to depart this morning. The impending rain storm was the conversation between residents the night before and I was using it as my own barometer for the day. But at nine AM it hadn't materialised so I strapped on my last bag and pushed off into the clearing hilltop mist.
Looking back, I think the photos capture the second day quite well, or the first part at least. Brooding with a sense of anticipation, quiet urgency and stoic resignation to another day of slow overall progress. I put the progress part down to gear selection. I knew I should have swapped the thirty six tooth front chainring for something smaller but pre-ride bravado relegated that thought to the "nah, it'll be fine" box. The scenery once again was stunning, much the same as the last ten miles of the previous day. Expansive views across the Weald to the left, the English Channel to the right and a rolling strip of green stretching out in front and behind. Apart from the North East coast of the UK, I don't think anywhere else evokes the same emotion.
The storm had been rattling around behind me for the last hour or so and it was only when I looked back from Firle Beacon to the West that I realised its intensity. The sky had turned orange under a thick black cloud and a solid screen of white rain obliterated any further visibility past a mile or so. The pre storm urged me on. With the hair on my arms standing on end and new found leg energy, I sped past hikers hurrying to their parked cars as the storms electricity crackled in the air. I needed to get off the ridge. Images of Eric Langmur's hiker sitting on a coil of rope sheltering from an impending lightning strike, illustrated in his book Mountain Craft & Leadership, flashed through my mind. Pushing twenty five miles per hour down flinty chalk paths is not a wise choice at the best of times, but the Felt is a cross country race bike at heart and when you crank up the speed, it flies. And fly I did. It only took a smattering of rain drops, an off camber corner and a bald section of chalk and I found myself making my way down the hill on my thigh and elbow.
Three hundred metres later I was sheltering under two large chestnut trees on the outskirts of Alfriston licking my wounds, the torrential rain hammering down around me. By some miracle, the bare chalk that caused the front wheel to slide out was devoid of flint and apart from a couple of bloody grazes, I was ok. Elbow and knee wounds tended, I donned waterproofs, switched on my lights and headed out into the rain for the final ten miles.
Two hours later I was standing on Warren Hill overlooking Eastbourne. There had been a brief respite in the rain, enough to dry out my jacket and shorts, and the sun was doing its best to melt a hole through the storm clouds.
I propped my bike against the official trail sign at Helen Garden, wet, cut, bruised and the bike smelling of sheep s****. But, much like the beginning of any new trip, the end of an adventure always has its own special feeling. Achievement, pride, experience and relief. As we journeyed back in the car, the storm in full force again, it occurred to me that it's always the weather that defines my adventures and also why adventuring in the UK is so special.
How to ride the South Downs Way
Route
Just to avoid any confusion, this is the cyclists version of the South Downs Way and not to be confused with the walking route. That said, unlike the North Downs Way, the walking and cycling routes are very similar, which ensures the allure of the original ridgeway route is still captured when you're in the saddle. It's a challenging route, both in terms of fitness and technical trail riding ability. The chalky, flinty surface can get treacherous when wet and the constant climbing and descending requires a good level of fitness and trail riding skills. The route is generally undertaken over two or three days but can be completed in one day if you're exceptionally fit. (Or you could have a go at doing the whole thing twice in 24 hours!)
Clicking on the map title above takes you to the Ride with GPS route used for this adventure. Please feel free to download and modify to suit. There's some really good advice and the official route on the National Trail website (GPX downloads tab - Cycling GPX).
There's also another brilliant resource on the South Downs Way website, in particular how to split the route over two, three or four days.
Route split
I chose to undertake the trip over two days with the first day being longer than the second. My first day included getting from London to Winchester by train and the second day back into London from Eastbourne.
Day 1 - Winchester to Truleigh Hill YHA. 63 miles (101km), 1,950m ascent
Winchester, Exton (13), Meon Tap (17.5), The sustainability Centre + Tap (20), Queen Elizabeth Country Park visitor centre + tap (24), Caydence Cycle Club Cocking + tap (37), Caydence Cycle Club Upwaltham (42), Amberley tap (48), Washington tap (55), Botolphs tap (62), Truleigh Hill YHA + tap (63)
Day 2 - Truleigh Hill YHA to Eastbourne Pier. 37 miles (60km), 1,100m ascent
Truleigh Hill YHA, Saddlescombe tap (4), Pyecombe (5), Housedean Farm Tap (13.5), Southease Tap (20), YHA Southdowns (20), Alfriston (27), Jevington Tap (31), Cadence Cycle Club Eastbourne (Helen Garden) and official route end (36), Eastbourne Pier (37)
Getting to the start
This is a one way route starting at Winchester and ending at Eastbourne. Train links to both are good, particularly out of London. Winchester train station is 1 mile from the King Alfred's statue and the start of the route. Eastbourne Train station is about 1.5 miles from the official end point or just under a mile from the pier.
Leaving cars at either end is, of course, possible but it's a good two and a half hours one way by car so factor in plenty of time if this is your only option.
Terrain
80% Unpaved - 19% paved (1% Unknown) The route was originally designed for mountain bikes and I'd wholeheartedly support this. A full suspension XC bike with 29" wheels would be ideal. A hardtail would equally be at home albeit slightly less comfortable. Go for a 2.3" tyre upwards, with good carcass strength and plenty of offroad grip. Personally, I wouldn't tackle the South Downs Way on a gravel bike, but plenty of people do. Go for the best weather possible, the widest tyre you can fit and the lowest gearing you can. Apart for around 2o miles of tarmac / unsurfaced roads, the surface consist of three main types: short grass single tracks; rough, flinty, chalky tracks, and loose single / double track paths. Apart from the possibility of the flint being razor sharp, the lumps can be quite large, typically golf ball size although it can increase to apple diameter in places. Be prepared for a few sidewall dinks!
The route also has around twenty significant climbs between 3% and 8%, which coupled with the loose surface makes for slow climbing (or sketchy descents!). A wide knobbly tyre really comes into its own on this type of surface. Gearing wise, get as close to 20 gear inches as possible. And if that wasn't enough, there are approximately one hundred gates to open and close along the route, many at the bottom of a long descent, just when you need the momentum to take you up the next incline!
When to go
This is really a ride for taking the views of the Weald and the English Channel on warm, cloudless, summer days with a period of good weather forecast. I think the flora and fauna are at their best at this time of year and so too are the trails. It can be quite bleak when the cloud is down, rain makes the chalk very slippery and the exposed ridge leaves little in the way of shelter when the weather turns worse. Aim for May to August.
Accommodation
I stayed at YHA Truleigh Hill, S Downs Way, Shoreham-by-Sea BN43 5FB. (OS Grid TQ 220 105)
Eating
Food and particularly water, are well catered for along the entire route. The Caydence Cycle Club (CCC) has a number of brilliant cycle cafe's along the latter part of the route and there are around twelve water taps, free for use, located from start to finish. The YHA provides food at Truleigh Hill and at Southease
The Sustainability Centre. Droxford Rd, Petersfield GU32 1HR, United Kingdom
Queen Elizabeth Country Park. S Downs Way, Waterlooville PO8 0QE
YHA's
YHA Truleigh Hill, S Downs Way, Shoreham-by-Sea BN43 5FB. (OS Grid TQ 220 105)
YHA South Downs. YHA South Downs, Itford Farm, Beddingham, Lewes BN8 6JS. (OS Grid TQ 433 055)
YHA Eastbourne. 1 E Dean Rd, Eastbourne BN20 8ES. (OS Grid TV 582 986
Cocking Hill. The Old Dairy, Hilltop, Cocking, Midhurst, West Sussex, GU29 0HTh
Upwaltham. Chichester, West Sussex, GU28 0LX
Eastbourne. The Helen Garden, King Edward’s Parade, Eastbourne BN20 7XL
There are further CCC cafe's at Litlington and Beachy Head, both of which are a few miles off the South Downs Way route.
Water taps
Convenience stuff
As the route is mainly offroad and away from civilisation, any toilets will be located in the villages, cafe's or YHA's en-route. Away from the open ridge there are plenty of wooded areas for a quick stop if you're comfortable with an outdoor view. There are a number of convenience stores in the towns and villages the route passes through, supplying food drink and essentials. The Caydence Cycle cafe's have bike repair stations and so do the YHA's. Cycle shops are few and far between given the route is mainly on top of the South Downs. You'll need to drop into one of the big coastal towns if you're in need of something more than a trail side fix.
Equipment
Given the tough nature of the route, coupled with the well serviced water and food points plus a YHA for overnight accomodation, I opted for the bare minimum of kit. The first day was hot and although I drunk around 6 ltrs of water throughout the journey the regular water points meant I only needed a one litre bottle. You only really need shorts, t-shirt and socks to be comfortable in the YHA and they can also supply towels if required. All my kit fitted neatly into a number of frame and bar bags across the bike.
Felt Edict, full suspension XC mountain bike, running Vittoria Mezcal tyres.
Bikepacking bags (10 ltrs total): Wizard Works Lil Presto bar bag (1.8 ltr), Wizard Works Go-Go top tube bag (0.8 ltr), self-made frame bag (3ltrs), Topeak top tube bag, between top tube and seat post (0.5ltr), Topeak seat pack (0.5 ltr), EVOC waist pack (3ltr) for carrying the drone.
Cycling clothes: Helmet, gloves, glasses, cycling shoes, cycling bibs, merino wool jersey. Arm warmers, neck buff, windproof / water resistant smock.
Spare / overnight clothes: Sports shorts, long sleeve thermal top, grippy toe socks.
Wash kit and first aid items
Mobile phone, GPS, GoPro, Drone, battery(s), charger, cables
Bike tools, innertube, pump, lights, bell
800ml water bottle
Final thoughts
The South Downs Way is a brilliant route, fully serviced with strategically placed water stops along its length, decent signage and trails built for bikes. It's undulating, rough and steep, pretty much all the way along it's 100 mile length. The surrounding countryside views are amazing - expansive and beautiful. Like a hearty soup on a winters night, completing this route is wholesome and satisfying. Save it for when you're feeling fit and the weather and trail conditions are at their best. It won't disappoint.
Happy Adventuring!