King Alfreds Way.

[Richard G]

I'm hitting that Reading section at rush hour, so hopefully not too many people cycling to work!

I get the feeling that doing it on a weekday is going to result in the route being quieter generally than it would be otherwise though.

[whitestone]

I'm hitting that reading section at rush hour, so hopefully not too many people cycling to work!

I get the feeling that doing it on a weekday is going to result in the route being quieter generally than it would be otherwise though.

Sunday and Monday we were seeing riders and walkers every few minutes whereas Tuesday and Wednesday morning we saw a couple of dozen max. Granted the eastern section is right amongst the built up areas bordering London but it was quite stark just how different it was.

Reading, just take your time, part of the route goes through café central you aren't going to be going heads down. You might take forty minutes to cross from one side to another.

[Richard G]

We'll be riding Tuesday / Wednesday, so that works.

...and yeah, I've warned my riding partner that we're going to lose time there to the zombie horde, we can make it up later. As it's basically the first couple of hours of the ride it should serve as a gentle warmup anyway.

[trob6]

Trob6.
Sounds like you.
How long did it take to get to qecp?
I had a wild day getting from Reading to Marlborough then it improved from there. Wales as ever was sublime.

Well we didn't get there that night!
Rode until it was nearly dark that day and camped in some woods, up early and was there in a few hours but we would have never made it the night before.
We made it round in 2 days but the last 5 hours where lashing wind and rain which made it a bit less fun.
With all the rain we had had it made for slow muddy going so I would advise anyone trying it to leave it a week if its been raining and you would have a much easier ride.
I haven't made it back to Wales yet but plan on doing Offas Dyke in a few weeks and cant wait.

[rollindoughnut]

Well it was great to meet you. Gave me a real boost. I did mutter darkly about your comment that it was easy riding to Reading whilst swerving round puddle after puddle on that bridleway running parallel with the main road just before you hit the outskirts of the city.

[Richard G]

On the bright side, I think puddles will be pretty rare on my ride next week...

...however, I'm expecting the ground to be ROCK HARD and I'm betting my back is in pieces by the end of the ride.

[trob6]

Well it was great to meet you. Gave me a real boost. I did mutter darkly about your comment that it was easy riding to Reading whilst swerving round puddle after puddle on that bridleway running parallel with the main road just before you hit the outskirts of the city.

I said there was the occasional horror on the way but you must have blocked that out

[rollindoughnut]

I must have blocked most of it out. On my return leg I thought it would be about a half hour ride from Reading to the BP garage in Farnham. Actually took me about 3hrs! Was completely bonking by the time I got there.

[Asposium]

On the bright side, I think puddles will be pretty rare on my ride next week...

when are you expecting to ride the final section back to winchester?

could come out and meet for a cheeky overnight camp.

off out tonight for a cheeky little camp on the SDW

[Richard G]

On the bright side, I think puddles will be pretty rare on my ride next week...

when are you expecting to ride the final section back to winchester?

could come out and meet for a cheeky overnight camp.

off out tonight for a cheeky little camp on the SDW

Sorry buddy, last days before a trip are hell for me so I didn't see this.

Day one done. 116 miles. Ground is so hard, getting utterly battered. Some very annoying navigation issues too. They should have used some of their million Way points for that.

Is the SDW the hardest section? My buddy is broken after that and I'm worried he won't get through tomorrow.

[whitestone]

SDW was the hilliest section.

Where are you at, Winchester?

Leaving town is the biggest hill for a while then there's a steep climb up from Broughton. Then it's all rolling terrain with a steepish road climb from All Canning over to Avebury and a bit of a pull from there onto the Ridgeway. That's mostly rolling but a couple of big pulls.

[Richard G]

We've done that hill. In Sparsholt. I ran into that concrete ramp that was mentioned and was going to ride it, but my buddy stopped in front of me.

[Richard G]

All done. 2 days, just about 24hrs of riding time Inc stops. Will write more later, but I will say... b*ll*cks to ruts.

[jameso]

Ruts... just a singletrack cross-bred with a maze. Just imagine you're world touring somewhere where jeeps and hi-luxes rule? They're also proof that very slack bikes or tyres with no edge can be a nightmare

[BigdummySteve]

The run into Avebury is a particularly evil section, some of them are deeper than your bottom bracket.

[Richard G]

I was sick to death of them to be honest. Had one off, though thankfully nothing serious.

Rides are up on Strava now. No pics as I'm having some technology problems.

Day 1 (118 miles): https://www.strava.com/activities/5452270101
Day 2 (110 miles): https://www.strava.com/activities/5452289957

[jameso]

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... keting-fad

The Guardian asks the questions that others have been going round in circles over for a decade or so
(KAW and 'what bike?' content)

[Asposium]

A gravel bike with flat bars.

hmmm

isn't that otherwise known as a hybrid?
or a rigid mountain bike?

surely a "gravel bike" requires, at the very least, drop bars?

[Richard G]

That does look a lot like a rigid mountain bike to me... but what do I know?

[jameso]

A gravel bike with flat bars.

hmmm

isn't that otherwise known as a hybrid?
or a rigid mountain bike?

surely a "gravel bike" requires, at the very least, drop bars?

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/comm ... nse-476342

: )

"roamer, wanderer, nomad, vagabond - call me what you will... "

[faustus]

Good article that

I've been a bit shy about putting together a flat bar gravel bike/hybrid/90's mtb...but it makes lots of sense in lots of ways, not least parts availability and cheapness (or in my spares). I'm going to do it. Also, i'm all for getting over the definitions and bike type boundaries and just bloody riding.

Good to see the KAW has really taken off, a great thing to see

[arkay]

I have an early 90s GT in the garage that geometry-wise appears almost identical to these new-fangled "flat-bar hybrids". I used it as a commuter until recently but I think it would make a great XC/tourer with a few modifications. Unfortunately the shifters (original XT Rapidfire Plus) have just about packed in, and I'm not sure how well the rear U brake would cope with Welsh gloop.