Matt goes to King Alfreds Way

[redefined_cycles]

Sorry if Matt has already or waa about to pop hia vid in here. Quite enjoyed it so thought to share. Another fast time it seems. Well done Matt

https://youtu.be/DvEVjxo0GrI

[sean_iow]

I'll have to give that a watch tomorrow when I'm at work

It will get them going on the FB page when they find out, they deleted the post about the last fast ride, anything under 4 days is reckess by their reconning

[UnderTheRadars]

Look at him race! Obscene!! He should be banned!! WONT SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN??1!!!*


















(*already caused an outrage on the KAW FB group and the whole thread has been deleted……Well, only one person was being an absolute arse about it, everyone else, quite rightly, admired Matt’s great ride)

[whitestone]

It will get them going on the FB page when they find out, they deleted the post about the last fast ride, anything under 4 days is reckless by their reckoning

Bloody hell! We sauntered around in three days and that was with several long pub stops plus searching out ice cream shops and cafés when we could.

[redefined_cycles]

When I watched it I did wonder that it looked too easy and remembered how I'd been told (by Luke I think) how rock hard it was/is (or possibly just realised it from here).

I think Matt is just so cool and down to earth
Already asked him in his vid what he carried as his bag/mat/bivy as it must've been tiny in his rear pack. Proper inspirational for the Bb200 for me (reminds me I best get the bike wheela sorted).

[Bearlegged]

We sauntered around in three days and that was with several long pub stops plus searching out ice cream shops and cafés when we could.

You monsters.

[mattpage]

Haha, I wasn't going to post it and hope this doesn't get deleted like the post someone put up on the FB Group!!
I think the only person who might have a moan about me riding would be the lady with a dog who I interrupted as she was trying to put sticks across the track. I didn't realise what she was doing until I had waited for her and then rode over about 20 sticks all placed over the track. Bizarrely they were all tiny sticks, so I am not sure what she was really trying to achieve.

I've just answered the Q on YT, but it was an Alpkit Kloke, Thermarest neoair xlite full and PHD autumn race bag.
The seatpack is a fairly small although not crazy light Apidura bag. Overall, maybe around 1.2kg although I didn't weigh it.

It was absolutely bloody boiling and finding enough water was the biggest problem. Luckily I had a 2 litre camelbak and 2 large bottles but used those many times over.

Lots of wrong turns, a few extra stops to refill because of the heat and I didn't prepare for a non-stop, so had to buy extra food. All in all, at least an hour can come off that by me and in my current fitness, which is OK but not as good as April doing Trans Cambrian. A faster riders and someone who knows the route better than me will go sub 16hrs.

It is a nice route though, places I did not expect to enjoy, like around Reading. I don't know the names of lots of it, but the Ridgeway is nice and that is the only section I have ridden before. The bit of the SDW used is a bit... meh. Butser is a killer climb mind.

[redefined_cycles]

Thanks Matt..

[arkay]

It is a nice route though, places I did not expect to enjoy, like around Reading. I don't know the names of lots of it, but the Ridgeway is nice and that is the only section I have ridden before. The bit of the SDW used is a bit... meh. Butser is a killer climb mind.

I think that would be my only criticism of the video - a bit light on information on where you were! But I saw you weren't using a full mapping GPS. I think the first bit when you said "I have no idea where I am" was not far from where I live.

Oh and maybe the bit where you scattered the geese out of the way beside the river might upset the anti-racers...

Where did you encounter the woman putting sticks on the path? Happens a lot round here sadly.

[RIP]

Where did you encounter the woman putting sticks on the path? Happens a lot round here sadly.

I'm intrigued now. What's going on? Some sort of New Age statement? Or a secret message for someone (*)?

(*) Similar to the BB2/300 C L I N T sticks story, or whatever it was, on Here a while ago.

[mattpage]

Oh and maybe the bit where you scattered the geese out of the way beside the river might upset the anti-racers...

Where did you encounter the woman putting sticks on the path? Happens a lot round here sadly.

If it looks like I was going fast through the geese, I can promise I wasn't
They do bloody scare me mind after a few years of being a postman I was more worried about geese than dogs.

All I could tell you about the women is that it was somewhere between Reading and QE. Not much help, sorry!
She was reasonably old and had a small dog with her. At first I thought she was clearing the trail of sticks...

[arkay]

Where did you encounter the woman putting sticks on the path? Happens a lot round here sadly.

I'm intrigued now. What's going on? Some sort of New Age statement? Or a secret message for someone (*)?

Well they're usually a bit bigger than sticks. Dragged onto trails in the woods by dog walkers who have something against bikes - or, in extreme cases propped pointing upwards to cause injury. So not such a secret message

[RIP]

in extreme cases propped pointing upwards to cause injury. So not such a secret message

Ah. Yes, not good

[sean_iow]

She was reasonably old and had a small dog with her.

This describes 50% of people sabotaging trails/paths. The other 50% are also reasonably old and have small dogs but are men

[Richard G]

I reckoned I could do 19 hours, definitely couldn't do 17 hours. Nice ride!

Water was an issue for us as well, shame there aren't more taps around. We could stand to learn from the continent on that one!

[Bearbonesnorm]

I do wonder whether incidents of 'grumpy folk' are likely to increase pro rata with the increase in people riding designated routes. I can now almost guarantee seeing at least 4 loaded bikes any time I drive to Llanidloes ... that's a 4 fold increase

Given that this is the furthest outpost of civilisation, I can only imagine how busy something like KAW might get.

[sean_iow]

From the FB page there would appear to be about 100 people a week riding it? They also seem to want to spend 6 days riding it. If they went at Matt's pace there would actually be 1/6 the number of people on the route at any one time so that would be better

[Lazarus]

You cannot argue with that logic and its why I always cycle Footpaths as fast as I can

[mattpage]

Given that this is the furthest outpost of civilisation, I can only imagine how busy something like KAW might get.

If the route was Mid Wales I would agree, but this is already a populated area and the tracks are well known. The South Downs Way has been something cyclists have done for as long as mountain bikes have existed, or even before and the same is true of the Ridgeway. The areas where Gorrick races happen, which I recognised while riding are also popular with riders. So while it will have had an impact, it isn't like taking a trail from being completely unused to suddenly being overrun - perhaps like the NC500 with vehicles, or so I am told. I shall find out for myself in a few weeks (not a FKT attempt).

And as for numbers, I would guess I passed around 50 bikes in total. I don't think I saw a single biker for the first 100km or so, but that was likely due the time I was riding. Nowhere was "rammed" or busy and not everyone was loaded, so it wasn't just people doing the KAW.

[arkay]

The section between Reading and the Devil's Punch Bowl is pretty well my back yard and it is certainly popular with bikes although most of the mountain bikers prefer the (whisper it) off piste stuff rather than official trails. From reading the KAW Facebook group I think the main flare-up point round here could be the Basingstoke Canal towpath, which is often busy anyway. It's a nice scenic route but in fine weather in summer it can be a bit of a pain to ride as you have to keep negotiating walkers, anglers, suicidal dogs etc etc.

I think it's for that reason that the towpath is an "optional detour" rather than the main route. It would be interesting to know what proportion of KAW riders use it. I assume Matt didn't as even for him it would add quite a bit of time (and mud, at the moment).

Although KAW does seem very popular I doubt if is actually resulting in a huge increase in numbers on many of the trails - perhaps quiter places will notice the difference though. The route actually passes my sister-in-law's front door in a village down Winchester way. I'll have to ask if she has noticed an increase in wheeled tramps passing by.

[faustus]

Great ride Matt! As said by others, there's some pretty popular trails on here so there's plenty of capacity for more riders. As the ridgeway is on my doorstep I must give this a go soon...

BTW - what bike did you use for your ride Matt? There's a lot of chat about gravel vs rigid 29

[Bearbonesnorm]

If the route was Mid Wales I would agree, but this is already a populated area and the tracks are well known.

You're probably right Matt and well done.

[Boab]

BTW - what bike did you use for your ride Matt? There's a lot of chat about gravel vs rigid 29

Watch the last five minutes of the video...

Goes off to work out which kidney to sell, so I can afford some DT Swiss GRC 1400 SPLINE®'s, in 650B flavour, and a Lauf Grit SL...

[faustus]

BTW - what bike did you use for your ride Matt? There's a lot of chat about gravel vs rigid 29

Watch the last five minutes of the video...

Goes off to work out which kidney to sell, so I can afford some DT Swiss GRC 1400 SPLINE®'s, in 650B flavour, and a Lauf Grit SL...

Ah, not watched the vid yet, just saw the pic on instagram of his cycle computer at the end of the ride!

[mattpage]

Goes off to work out which kidney to sell, so I can afford some DT Swiss GRC 1400 SPLINE®'s, in 650B flavour, and a Lauf Grit SL...

The wheels are not GRC 1400, something much cheaper I would imagine.
I had a set of DT 240s hubs on rubbish, narrow rims so had those rebuilt by Jon at Just Riding Along onto his Gecko carbon rims, which are pretty narrow for MTB tyres at 21mm. Laced with Sapim CX-Ray and multi-coloured alloy nipples.

The Fork is a first gen, Lauf "light" model, for up to 80kg riders was the idea. After the first event I used it for I threw it in the bin
As a true MTB fork it is absolutely rubbish. Way too much flex and uncontrolled rebound, but as a gravel fork it is vaguely exciting.

As for gravel or MTB. I would say both are fine, but go with a wide tyre. If you can't fit at least a 42mm, go MTB. I think the type of bike I used is best for a faster attempt, but to just complete the route, even a road bike with a little mud clearance would work.