King Alfred's Way

[figbat]

Hot salt beef rolls with horseradish for four quid, and beer called Chairman Dave. Panelled bar rooms, sliding glass partitions and ebony handpumps.

Great write-up!

It sounds like you were at The Bell in Aldworth. I was there just last night.

 

[theclaud]

Great write-up!

It sounds like you were at The Bell in Aldworth. I was there just last night.

Well identified! Fantastic boozer.

 

[Cathryn]

@theclaud Fabulous write-up, I loved it. You're a brilliant writer! (I do think the standard of writing on the Touring thread is very high, I wonder there's a correlation between touring and writing?) I wish we'd see you but there was no way we could catch you.

The heather was a highlight for me too - so beautiful.

 

[nickyboy]

Slight thread resurrection as I will be doing KAW later this month with a couple of friends.

Starting near Wantage and clockwise, taking three and a half days with stops in Hook, Clanfield and Amesbury. Not a part of the country I know at all so very much looking forward to it. I wouldn't call us seasoned tourers but we did LEJOG last year which gives us some experience of the rhythm of multi day touring. The other two are on gravel bikes, I'm on a hardtail MTB. Bikepacking and staying in accommodation

Here's hoping the weather stays favourable

 

[figbat]

I live near Wantage and ride the Ridgeway around there a lot. If it‘s wet after a long dry spell there are parts that make ice look grippy - polished chalk tracks. Some tricky ruts on descents that pull you in to going fast and then tip you off. If you‘re riding up from the vale then it’s a stiff climb whichever way you go. But it’s glorious countryside and if it’s sunny it’s a delight.

Further east, after you’ve crossed the river at Streatley, you’ll join a nice singletrack alongside the Thames but there is a dip there which you can probably ride slowly down into but you will not be able to ride up the other side, so just accept this and hike up.

Hope you get the weather and enjoy the ride - it’s on my list of things I’m considering doing!

 

[matticus]

Slight thread resurrection as I will be doing KAW later this month with a couple of friends.

Have fun!

-----------------------------------------------
It's interesting how little discussion there has been - not just here but elsewhere - of the KAW, compared to same time last year. I've no doubt people are still riding it, but it does seem like there was an initial OOH, NEW THING!!!! wave that has now calmed down a bit!

 

[figbat]

I can tell you that it is still very popular - any time I ride E-W on the Ridgeway in day time there’s a regular stream of packed-up gravel and adventure bikes going the other way.

 

[nickyboy]

I live near Wantage and ride the Ridgeway around there a lot. If it‘s wet after a long dry spell there are parts that make ice look grippy - polished chalk tracks. Some tricky ruts on descents that pull you in to going fast and then tip you off. If you‘re riding up from the vale then it’s a stiff climb whichever way you go. But it’s glorious countryside and if it’s sunny it’s a delight.

Further east, after you’ve crossed the river at Streatley, you’ll join a nice singletrack alongside the Thames but there is a dip there which you can probably ride slowly down into but you will not be able to ride up the other side, so just accept this and hike up.

Hope you get the weather and enjoy the ride - it’s on my list of things I’m considering doing!

Yep, we will be riding up from West Hendred so it's a bit of a climb onto the Ridgeway. But we live in the Peak District so climbing is in our DNA

Fingers crossed we don't get a wet spell prior to the ride as it sounds like the off road conditions could be tricky. Maybe ok for me on the hardtail, not so much for the others on their poncy gravel bikes

 

[fossyant]

Yep, we will be riding up from West Hendred so it's a bit of a climb onto the Ridgeway. But we live in the Peak District so climbing is in our DNA

Fingers crossed we don't get a wet spell prior to the ride as it sounds like the off road conditions could be tricky. Maybe ok for me on the hardtail, not so much for the others on their poncy gravel bikes

You've done it now Nick, posting publicly about the MTB. You up for "Dragon's Back" again soon ?

 

[nickyboy]

You've done it now Nick, posting publicly about the MTB. You up for "Dragon's Back" again soon ?

Not a chance. It's one thing doing a fairly benign cross country loop, quite another to do a Black run that I fell off on and wanted to go home

 

[fossyant]

Not a chance. It's one thing doing a fairly benign cross country loop, quite another to do a Black run that I fell off on and wanted to go home

Well you'll be doing Conwy Mountain and Moel Famau routes, or else !

 

[figbat]

Yep, we will be riding up from West Hendred so it's a bit of a climb onto the Ridgeway. But we live in the Peak District so climbing is in our DNA

Three options from there:

Due south, through Ginge and then up the chalk and flint climb.

Take a slight detour via Betterton and up the chalk and flint climb there.

Take a left at Ginge, across the gravel track then right into the road to climb to Scutchamer Knob.

The road is probably ’easiest’ but also boringest. The direct Ginge route is shortest and the climb is only steep for a small section. The going is good up here but can be muddy at the top if wet. The Betterton climb is a bit longer but the going is good all the way to the top. It used to by my bête noir but now I prefer it to the other options.

 

[cisamcgu]

If you're not tired of me banging on about the KAW, I wrote a Crazy Guy journal about our trip. I feel slightly sheepish about doing so, as pretty much every other cyclist we saw was faster than we were and seemed to be finding it much easier than we did...but what's a tour without a journal, eh?

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1mr&doc_id=23829&v=5k

@Cathryn : your journal was the CGOAB featured journal #1090 : Had pride of place on the front page June 26th !!!

Congrats !!!

 

[Cathryn]

@Cathryn : your journal was the CGOAB featured journal #1090 : Had pride of place on the front page June 26th !!!

Congrats !!!

Thanks! I was very excited!

 

[ade towell]

Finished at 11.30 monday night, 3 days fully loaded with wild camping. 93 miles last day hence the late finish - the bit in the dark was probably the most exhilarating, although wish I had proper off road lights. Started from just below Chilton, Oxfordshire. Did it solo, if I was going around with friends I think 4-5 days would be nice to take in a few more of the sites - I was on a bit of a mission with limited time but was still great fun. Toughest bit mentally was probably the slightly monotonous Salisbury plains which got a bit repetitive in the heat of monday afternoons sun. Lots of fields, lots of red flags, maybe some of the expected tanks would have spiced it up... The rest was great, with a nice variety of landscape and rutted gnarly terrain.
Hankley Common was closed because of wildfires but may be open again now, found a simple detour to Devils Punchbowl