I'm thinking of riding the ridgeway over the Easter holidays. I am looking for a ride that I can get to from home (Isle of Wight) without taking the car. The Overton Hill start is about 65 miles from the Lymington ferry so an 80 mile ride from mine. I'm thinking of riding to the start and biving, there seems to be almost a mini camp-site going on at the start on the Google earth street view I'd then ride the double, bivi again and then back to the ferry.

Do any locals have any thoughts what the going might be like in a typical March? Impossible to answer I appreciate but I noticed all the recorded completions on the website have been done between June and September. I won't be troubling anyone on the leader-board but wondered if it's going to be so hard going in March that I'd be better off looking something else?

I am local.

It will likely be a clagfest I am afraid.

I'm not convinced that Overton is the best bivy spot as it gets lots of cars, dog walkers, moonies etc....

If you ride up the Ridgeway for a kilometer or so there is a byway going left to a copse which would be quieter and more sheltered

Thanks Dave

I did think I'd ride up the track and look for a more sheltered spot, it looks like a right enclave on the streetview, all looking for ley lines and the power of the stones no doubt Thanks for the suggestion of a quiet spot.

I feared it might be a clagfest, the description is similar to the south downs way (chalk ridge) and when I rode that in November it was a bit damp in places! I'm looking for a route to get 3 longish days on the bike and some bivis as a test of me and the kit before the Scotland in May. I'm trying to avoid taking a car over as the price varies with the dates so at Easter it will be £80+ for the trip. Under £20 for just me and the bike. Unless the sun comes out for the next 6 weeks I might have to look for alternatives.

Sean

I have a 220'ish mile route via Swindon which comes close to you. Almost all of it should be rideable. I did it in April last year. You can adapt it or bivy in my back garden ;-)


https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1925441737
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1925441495

Thanks for that Dave, I'll have a look at them, sounds much better than a clagfest

The trails here are so bad at the moment that I couldn't face getting plastered at the beginning of the week so my ride home from work I dragged out to 3 hours on the road even though I'm on the ss mtb

One thing I would say Sean is that if you are flexible sometimes it can be all OK in late March. Just drop me a line before hand as I'm up there every week fighting it. Everything was bone dry in mid-April this year.

Was also pondering doing the Ridgeway (from Goring end) then K&A to Baaaath over the Easter break, Dave, so if you are able to post on conditions that’d be greatly appreciated. Having lived at Burderop I know how claggy it can get in the wrong combination of conditions!