South Downs Way Ride
Cycle the South Downs Way National Trail on a self-guided mountain biking holiday. We provide accommodation, luggage transfers, maps and guidebooks.
South Downs Way Ride
https://contourscycle.co.uk/south-downs-way-ride
Cycle the South Downs Way from Winchester to Eastbourne: 100 miles of National Trail.
From £465 per person
From £465 per person
Embark on a mountain biking holiday along the only National Trail open to cyclists from start to finish: the South Downs Way. This off-road route clambers along the chalk downs of Hampshire and Sussex, rising to old beacon viewpoints and charging down hard-packed pathways.
Stretching from Winchester to Eastbourne, the South Downs Way mountain biking route is less than an hour from London, but you’d never know it while you’re out here. High above rolling patchwork fields, the trail tends to avoid towns and tarmac, favouring dirt bridleway through lush countryside. Make it all the way to the coast and the chalk clifftops above the English Channel will reward you with some truly epic views.
Touring along white pathways where the soil has peeled back from the chalk beneath.
Experiencing exhilarating descents from Butser Hill, Harting Down and Chanctonbury Ring, with plenty of smaller plummets between them.
Completing a National Trail by bike, all 100 miles and endless hills of it.
| Code | Tour | Duration | Price per person | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-SDW-MB0 | From Winchester to Eastbourne | 2 days riding | £465 | |
| C-SDW-MB1 | From Winchester to Eastbourne | 3 days riding | £595 | |
| C-SDW-MB2 | From Winchester to Eastbourne | 4 days riding | £705 | |
| C-SDW-MB3 | From Winchester to Eastbourne | 5 days riding | £790 |
Travel to Winchester where your first night's accommodation will be booked
Winchester to Amberley. 49 miles (78.5km) / 5548 ft (1691 m) ascent
Amberley to Eastbourne. 50.5 miles (81km) / 6030 ft (1838 m) ascent
Depart from Eastbourne after breakfast
The daily mileages quoted are average trail miles only and do not include the distance from the trail to your accommodation. We do not expect you to have to travel more than 2.5 miles from the trail to your accommodation.
Below are the additional costs that may apply depending on your requirements. Our standard prices per person are based upon two people sharing a room; if you are on your own, or are part of a group but require a room of your own, then the Solo Traveller or Single Supplements apply respectively:
You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:
Touring along white pathways where the soil has peeled back from the chalk beneath.
Experiencing exhilarating descents from Butser Hill, Harting Down and Chanctonbury Ring, with plenty of smaller plummets between them.
Completing a National Trail by bike, all 100 miles and endless hills of it.
You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:
The first ascent after Winchester rises to Cheesefoot Head, followed by a descent to a series of small hills and a climb to Beacon Hill, where the views are fantastic.
It’s a sharp drop from here, with two more big climbs and falls on the way to Butser Hill, the highest point on the South Downs Way. The descent here is intense, plunging down through Queen Elizabeth Country Park, with an equally steep ascent out into a long stretch of gradual, easy ascents on the way to Harting Down. There’s a climb right afterwards, though, that may well have you off the bike and pushing it.
A downward plunge feeds into another ascent, followed by a stretch of fairly flat riding and another descent. There’s a stiff climb up to Chanctonbury Ring, but a long sweeping downhill should give your legs time to recover on the way down to Botolphs.
The big hill before Firle Beacon may involve some hike-a-bike but can be doable if you really grit your teeth. It pays off with a long swoop down to Alfriston. Summit Willingdon Hill and you can call yourself victorious: the South Downs Way concludes with a fast, open run down into Eastbourne.
The South Downs Way is a proper off-road trail across the downs, avoiding towns and tarmac where possible. This may mean you need to take a detour for a lunch stop if you aren’t carrying one with you.
While the terrain is never particularly technical, expect to be riding on dirt and on mud. In wet conditions, the chalk sections of the route can be particularly slippery.
We recommend you have experience riding off road before attempting the South Downs Way. A mountain bike is by far the best choice of bicycle. A hardtail will be slightly better suited for most riders than a full-suspension bike — not least because they’re that bit lighter for the odd hike-a-bike climb.
To find out more about the weather forecast for your chosen holiday's general location, please see the following websites:
