Pushing my limits: 100km South Downs Way attempt

I’m not a long distance cyclist. And I’m definitely not a long distance mountain biker. I prefer quality over quantity, which is why I’ve never ridden more than 80km off-road. More recently I’ve virtually stopped riding regular bikes – I’m a self-confessed e-biker who’s only ridden an analogue bike once this year. So it’s fair to say the odds were stacked against me for this latest challenge: the quest to ride 100km – further than I’ve ever ridden before.

I chose the South Downs Way for this challenge for several reasons. It’s local, it’s fast-rolling when it’s dry – which should help me save energy –and it’s easy to navigate. It also happens to be 160km in its entirety, giving me plenty of options to find a section suitable for my challenge. And so I started out in early September from Amberley station hoping to ride to Eastbourne entirely under my steam. Did I make it? Watch the video to find out!

The bike I used for the challenge is the latest Santa Cruz Tallboy. It’s a full 29er with a carbon frame and 140mm front / 130mm travel rear. There’s internal frame storage in the down tube – which was invaluable for stashing my snacks – and a lightweight, efficient spec that works well for trail riding and even XC racing. The XT Di2 spec I rode costs £6,999, with options from £5,299 up to £9,999. Find out more here: https://www.santacruzbicycles.com/en-gb/collections/tallboy#see-the-bikes

For further information on the South Downs Way National Long Distance Trail, check out the website here: https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/trails/south-downs-way/

If you choose to download the route from here, be sure to tick the ‘sections suitable for cycling’ box first, as only one of the eastern section options is rideable.

For navigation I used the Hammerhead Karoo: https://www.sram.com/en/bike-computers/karoo

Ride stats are as follows:
95.7km
2,202m climbing
7 hours 26mins moving time

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Chapters ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
00:18 Intro
01:11 Amberley to Steyning
05:03 Devil’s Dyke to Lewes
09:00 Lewes to Friston Forest
18:40 Friston Forest to Eastbourne
22:25 Outro

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