[Closed] South Downs Way - Conditions ?

No way, absolutely DO NOT do this. Went out last night with DrP and it is the wettest I’ve ever seen it. The gravel section across the top of Storrington is completely under water.

It would be utter misery, I can’t fathom why anyone would do it.

wait til it’s dry, swoopy fast descents, big blue sky, looking out over the sea.

unless you like pushing bikes through ankle deep mud of course, in which case, crack on... 😉

He's right. Unless you want some kind of epic miserable ordeal now is not the time

Why would you even need to ask? I'd rather thrash myself with nettles than ride the sdw at the moment let alone the whole sodding thing.

I've done Winchester to QE in the last month, the Winchester end is muddy sticky gloop, the bit in the middle around Exton has a section which made the Somme look like summer camp and the QE end has lethal chalky / mud combo - so that's a no 😉

Great ride when the weather is ok even but in summer it's a blast.

James

I'm afraid that's four no's. Thank you for coming. 🙂

Let me add another absolutely not.

As pictonroad says, probably the worst condition I've seen it in for years.

If you start now then you might finish it by Saturday. Or possibly quit MTBing for good.

I will add a couple of things to the no pile:

over 150mm of fain in the last 5 week’s and more to come

It hasn’t been warm either

I live at the start of the SDW and am finding it difficult to find a route I want to bike on (even had to go running instead)

Apart from that the only plus is that Friday looks dry and warmer than recently so you could be breaking trails for the rest of us.

Wow, am I glad I asked, thanks so much everyone. You have saved me a right horrible time of it I reckon.

i have not been the the area before so was in the dark somewhat.

Thanks again, really appreciate your replies.

You’ll die a slow miserable, claggy death should you try it at the moment.  It’s so bad I’ve hardly ridden off road for three months.  Even walking the dog involves a 30 minute clean up of dogs and boots when I get back.

The last non frosty ride I did involved my superfly turning into a 40lb lump of carbon and clay that I had to drag up Windover Hill.

I went for a walk on it earlier, took some photos

i have not been the the area before so was in the dark somewhat.

I think we guessed as much.  You did seem to be mostly concerned with avoiding getting dirty, rather than avoiding, say, thrashing yourself through an epic, miserable ordeal to a slow, miserable, claggy death!

South Downs Way – Conditions?

Condition 1. Ride it when it's dry

Condition 2. See Condition 1

PS - hope people don't think I'm being irreverent in comparing the horrors of Passchendaele to the horrors of a SDW attempt in the current conditions. The two are in no way comparable; Passchendaele only took 4 months for a start.

I thought it was a picture of the dry”er” bit near Folkington.

Is it the bottom field of Old Winchester Hill just after the Meon Railway Path?

I'm running to work rather than cycling at the moment on the South Downs, it's a bloody hard slog and quite fun trying to stay upright. I have the perfect bike for the conditions, rigid with hub gears but by the time I get to work it weighs more than me.

I live 3 miles from it. This time last year it was drying out nicely. Now.... absolutely not. My winter riding has consisted of stripping down the bike and washing it after every ride. I'm so effed of with how bad the conditions are round here that I'm doing laps if QECP until it improves.

I've covered Truleigh to Lewes in the last week. Apart from massive stodgy parts and ankle deep mud at the gates, that part isn't too bad at all. puddles yes. But you can cycle it without too much of a problem other than a wet arse.

Just ran QECP and in the exposed clay sections it's as slippy as a slide and it's deep, covering upto my ankle. In the forests and covered areas it's squidgy and loamy, on the fire trails its hard but either side is water run off..

Alright, alright, I won't go then 😉

Seriously, thanks all. I notice there is a gravel-cross event down that way this weekend - nasty by the sounds of things.

Dry and dusty up at Clayton this morning! Seriously!!

The Clayton windmills?  That stretch is fine, though I didn't notice any dust last night.  Many other parts of the SDW are rather different

It was horrid yesterday from Truleigh Hill to DD .... slippy and muddy.  But I live there.... wouldn’t want to have travelled there for it.  Wait til May

Just been for a walk over Chanctonbury and whilst there are big puddles you can ride round pretty much all of them. The downhill tracks look to be in great nick, grippy and roots drying out. Rain next couple of days will balls it up though

The road climb up Beacon Hill was glorious this morning 🙂

I am signed up for aforementioned Gravel Cross event. Oh dear....

Did you survive?

Went riding Sunday morning, it was filth. OK up top but after dropping to the bottom of the Steyning trails came home covered head to toe. Wasn't claggy at least and much sideways ineptitude was enjoyed but the clean up took a while

How's it looking now?

How long does it normally take to dry out after a soaking?

Friday 21st it was perfect- dry and only a hint of dust. At least, on the Eastbourne- A23 stretch. This saturday it wasn't too bad on the SDW itself above Stanmer although a bit slippery in places! Here's hoping it dries out fast once this week's rain is done.

I was out on the western end yesterday, between Winchester and Old Winchester Hill. It was running well, with a couple of sticky bits in the normal wet spots, but all rideable and the bike only needed a bit of brushing down afterwards. Generally good though. No rain here in Winchester today and only a bit in the forecast (Wednesday morning?) so I'd think it would be in an even better state this weekend.

Was good last week ...

But after today, who knows ...

I will be on it at the weekend

Cool, thanks for the updates!

I rode it last Saturday on the fat bike, E-W, lovely conditions.

The only bit of wet was above and east of QECP.

Will be perfect again for this weekend.

I live about 2 miles from it in Storrington and last year rode all winter. this winter i've been up there 3 times and bailed out after just a few miles. Last weekend was the first time its been vaguely good in the last 6 months i reckon.

That pick above is pretty much how it looked above Sullington

I'll be out tonight.... Likely on the new geared bike to run it in, rather than my usual choice (singlespeed).

Will let you know if I survive or not..

DrP

Did you survive DrP?  What are the conditions like now?  I have th eoption to ride some of the SDW around QECP over the weekend - if the trails are grim then I'll take the road bike instead...

I’ll be up that way tonight, I’ll let you know.

On Monday, Featherbed Lane (just south of the Warren Lane cat4 that joins the A472 by Cheesefoot Head) was a bit sloppy. It was rideable with 2.35 G-Ones on the Wazoo, but given it was my first time exploring there and the mudfest under the tree cover, I took it fairly cautiously.

I'd expect it to be sloppier today, after the rain we had yesterday until ~1200.

With this good forecast I am hoping that maybe a mid-May bimble is a possibility though 🙏

Bit squishy & puddly in places around Harting Down. Stick to the road mainly though as Kingley Vale too bit still mega boggy.

Mrs walked the dogs up at QECP & reports pretty dry & riders seen didn’t look very dirty!