[Closed] South Downs Way trail conditions

If it doesn't rain much between now and then it will be fine. Was out last night and trails were dusty under the trees on the north side

It was mostly dry Saturday just a few puddles. There is some rain forecast through the week so could be very different come the weekend.

Conditions around the Worthing area were good over the weekend. Bloody cold and windy on Wednesday night but pretty firm going

It was still wet'n'slippy in places on the western half weekend before last and weekend forecast is for further showers so can't see it improving. I was on fat tyres and could cope with the greasy chalk - would be more sketchy on thinner tyres

Slight hijack sorry, but is this route easy to follow ? Or would you say a map is required ? thanks

Any of you local lot want to join our Tuesday evening ride? Rides mostly start in Worthing but occasionally Stanmer, whiteways etc by prior arrangement.

Email in profile, we don't bite!

James

Slight hijack sorry, but is this route easy to follow ? Or would you say a map is required ?

Mostly easy but you need a map for those bits where it isn't 100% obvious which path to take

Any of you local lot want to join our Tuesday evening ride?

Maybe...how hard and fast do you go?

Thanks hive mind. Will play it by ear and see how much of this rain comes.

Maybe...how hard and fast do you go?

20ish miles generally. 10mph average ish. Strava feed here, Tuesday night rides all uploaded

[url= http://www.strava.com/activities/536891978?utm_content=1681741&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ride_share ]Strava[/url]

Meet at the top of Salvington Hill 7:30pm Tuesday nights.

Not tonight but some other Tuesday night for sure. I will be in touch, you may regret the open invitation 🙂

I regret nothing.

DrP of this Parish is normally out unless he's got a particularly muscular crop of prostate patients in and can't escape the office...

It's mainly well-marked but there are a couple of places where it's easy to go wrong, particularly if you are tired and ride straight ahead. The route between Alfriston, Jeavington and Eastbourne is a bit vague in places too. I was riding E-W once and managed to do a complete loop back on myself at Harting Down due to lack of attention & dead GPS

I would want a map or GPS route. Its easy to miss a couple of junctions, esp when tired or going quick.

I might join you pictonroad, think I came along once last year, I know DrP and Hoops anyway. Fancy doing something different as I and the guys I ride with always get drawn to the Steyning trails lately as they're so good

Harvey's (waterproof) map is what you want.

Just had a snowy ride in QECP, was pretty firm in most places but there's still some soft stuff and the chalk was as awesome as usual in the wet!

Just got in, it's dry and grippy. Annoying as I was on the rigid mud pig.

Looked a nice evening for it. Couldn't make it as kids were playing up and wife had work to do. Did some rubbish wheelies up and down the road instead

I'm planning on doing this in July-ish. By that stage, would the trail be best suited for mtb or would a cx bike with knobbly tyres be ok?

CXer with 33C plus and grippy would be fine, just watch for the bone rattling descents and the off camber slippy chalk up near Clactonberry Ring..

Recently did Hove to Eastbourne on the SDW with a mixed group of CX/29ht/26FS bikes.

CX was fine but took a real hammering on the descents and needed constant focus on line choice up and down. I think towards the end of doing the whole thing I'd want something a bit more forgiving if it were me.

Yeah I'd not choose a cross bike I don't think, although it'll be fine. Most of it would be fine on a road bike, just no fun.

Did E-W on Saturday on rigid SS 29er, ideal bikel the descents are still fun after all the hard work. Was glad I didn't ride the CX, esp the usually muddy drop into the Meon valley. Rutted hooved concrete!

Expect the dust has been damped down a bit after the last couple days tho.