Question about the South Downs Way

[8mph]

I've been researching the SDW recently, accounts seem to vary quite a bit in regards to bike and tyre suitability, I'd like to hear yours if you've ridden it.

I'll be riding it at the end of August with two friends, their bikes are much more suitable (29er and 650b plus) my choices are, rigid alloy tourer with 40mm Mondials or steel 26er Hardtail with 2.1" Nobby Nics / Continental Travel Contact on the rear if it's dry. I can fit a rigid fork to the hardtail and get the weight down to around 10.5kg

Although often described as a long distance mountain bike route all the pics I see show long stretches of hardpac, similar to The Ridgeway. Obviously the hardtail would be more fun but I'm leaning towards the tourer, in order to cover the distance faster.

Any thoughts on which bike to take? I'm OK at climbing, long distance and sacrificing some comfort, so haven't altogether ruled out the hartail, in either case I want to bring a bike capable of finishing the route.

I should add, both bikes have very low gearing.

 

[newfhouse]

I rode it with a small group of friends in 2019. I would (did) take the hard tail. It’s achievable on either of your bikes but there are a few stretches that will probably need to be walked on your tourer. Depends on your skill level, obviously.

 

[T4tomo]

As per my reply on the other thread (not sure why a new thread was needed ?)
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/south-downs-way.252731/page-3
It is quite rough in places, it not nice gravel /touring bike friendly hard pack, its chalk based and quite rocky and apparently gets very slippy if it rains, with some grassy bits thrown in. I would defo take the hardtail and I would NOT fit a rigid fork. The suspension will be valuable, (hopefully it has a lockout for the climbs). I don't think the tourer will be any faster, there is very little flat on the route, its either up or down, and having the suspension fork will gain you more speed on the down as you will be able to go faster and still be in control / comfort, and the slightly lighter weight won't gain you that much on the ups, some which you may well end up walking parts of anyway on either bike. Any towards the end of the day, the cumulative fatigue of the rough surface on your tourer will be much greater.

Yes you do get people doing it (or stretches of it on gravel bikes) I'm a big fan of my gravel bike, but was very glad I took my heavier hard tail 26"MTB. I wasn't jealous of those on gravel bikes, I did cast the odd envious glance at those on electric 29" MTBs though ....

 

[newfhouse]

I don't think the tourer will be any faster

Depending on when you go, one of the limiting factors is that you are sharing much of the trail with walkers so it’s hard to ride consistently at speed without being antisocial. I have no understanding of how people ride the whole thing both ways in a day without being selfish nobs.

 

[8mph]

As per my reply on the other thread (not sure why a new thread was needed ?)
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/south-downs-way.252731/page-3
It is quite rough in places, it not nice gravel /touring bike friendly hard pack, its chalk based and quite rocky and apparently gets very slippy if it rains, with some grassy bits thrown in. I would defo take the hardtail and I would NOT fit a rigid fork. The suspension will be valuable, (hopefully it has a lockout for the climbs). I don't think the tourer will be any faster, there is very little flat on the route, its either up or down, and having the suspension fork will gain you more speed on the down as you will be able to go faster and still be in control / comfort, and the slightly lighter weight won't gain you that much on the ups, some which you may well end up walking parts of anyway on either bike. Any towards the end of the day, the cumulative fatigue of the rough surface on your tourer will be much greater.

View attachment 653595
Yes you do get people doing it (or stretches of it on gravel bikes) I'm a big fan of my gravel bike, but was very glad I took my heavier hard tail 26"MTB. I wasn't jealous of those on gravel bikes, I did cast the odd envious glance at those on electric 29" MTBs though ....

Hi, thanks again, I didn't want to hijack the other thread with my dilemma, hence this post. It sounds similar to the Ridgeway, doable on a tourer with constant line picking but faster on the hardtail. I was just unsure, as there are so many photos of long, rolling hardpac.

Maybe an opportunity to switch up to 650b with 2" tyres.... I'll keep the suspension forks on the bike.

 

[T4tomo]

, as there are so many photos of long, rolling hardpac.

glossy shots for gravel-bike-packers weekly online editions!! Looks much better than a rutted ascent!

Don't get me wrong there are some smooth-ish bits,.... somewhere I recall a dusty smooth track high up, stunning views with sweeping turns through trees and bushes, but they are fun on a hardtail too!

 

[8mph]

glossy shots for gravel-bike-packers weekly online editions!! Looks much better than a rutted ascent!

Don't get me wrong there are some smooth-ish bits,.... somewhere I recall a dusty smooth track high up, stunning views with sweeping turns through trees and bushes, but they are fun on a hardtail too!

Yeah, in Wiltshire I'm used to passing gravel bikes on the cycle tracks and byways, also found quite knobbly tyres faster over all. There are some fast, rutted clay tracks near Avebury that are hairy enough with 2.1" knobblies.

Thanks for helping me make my mind up, I'm really trying to avoid getting a gravel bike or 29er as most of my riding is on road and all my bikes have a 135mm rear spacing, so parts are interchangeable.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Your hard tail will be faster and you bomb along sections that a tourer would gingerly make their way along.

 

[KnittyNorah]

Depending on when you go, one of the limiting factors is that you are sharing much of the trail with walkers so it’s hard to ride consistently at speed without being antisocial. I have no understanding of how people ride the whole thing both ways in a day without being selfish nobs.

The SDW is a bridleway along most of its length and - at least in some parts - heavily used as such. So there will be the bridle-wearers and their riders to contend with, too.

 

[T4tomo]

The SDW is a bridleway along most of its length and - at least in some parts - heavily used as such. So there will be the bridle-wearers and their riders to contend with, too.

wasn't an issue when i was riding there, relatively few horses and in the main its a very wide and not particularly "close boundried" path, so passing wide & slow isn't a problem.

 

[KnittyNorah]

passing wide & slow isn't a problem.

I'm sure it wasn't a problem for you, and won't be for @8mph - or for the great majority of cyclists, whatever bike they are on.

However it is definitely a problem for the minority who want to do the entire route - and back - in a day, or break some sort of time or speed record over the entire route or stages of it, and buqqer any consideration for all the rest of the users be they on shoes, hooves or wheels!

I rode it some good few years ago, and most of it was superb - but there were a couple of (albeit short) stretches where there were bunches of cyclists who were sticking together as they seemed to be vying with each other - and paying no attention to other users on the trail. Very unpleasant indeed and still the bits I most clearly remember.

 

[8mph]

Your hard tail will be faster and you bomb along sections that a tourer would gingerly make their way along.

Good, just what I wanted to hear, an excuse to dig out the hardtail. I wouldn't usually train for a ride but I will in this case, I'm expecting to spend a lot of time out of the saddle.

 

[8mph]

The SDW is a bridleway along most of its length and - at least in some parts - heavily used as such. So there will be the bridle-wearers and their riders to contend with, too.

Even my hardtail has a bell permanently fitted 😄

 

[Shadow]

I have no understanding of how people ride the whole thing both ways in a day without being selfish nobs.

All of these folk will be riding for many hours when most of us are in bed and most of them will ride midweek, not at w/e when all the leisurists come out to play.