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hilldodger - do keep us posted on your ride crossing the County line. 🙂
Atmospheric, read spooky? 🙂
cg, yes of course 🙂
Another ride on the Plain today, climbing up to the ridge at a lofty height of 209 metres was, er, interesting! No shelter anywhere, wide open to the elements. Great ride. 8)
Stayed over in Winchester last night, so got to ride one of my favourite singletrack trails from my early years of mountainbiking.
The bit of singletrack that runs parallel to the A272 north of Winchester. Muddy but still running well. Plus the sun was shining.
Lots of roadies at the Good Life shop in Headbourne Worthy. I assume there's a cafe there?
Lots of roadies at the Good Life shop in Headbourne Worthy. I assume there's a cafe there?
yes certainly is, a good coffee and cake stop, i passed there today on the cx, but didnt stop.
A272 singletrack is also a great bit of trail
Any chance of a grid ref please?
the cafe or the singletrack?
😆 the st obviously! Thanks. 🙂
approximately 51.123013, -1.363978 parallel to a272 head SE
does that work for you?
lots of tracks in all directions round there
The Wylye Valley is gorgeous, guess you were riding your cx on the lanes?
nope - two winter single speeds - me on the equilibrium (audax bike?) and one proper race bike (tarmac). I'd promised them tarmac on salisbury plain - turns out my memory isn't as good as i thought! 😕
the '272 singletrack' is [url= http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=444855&y=135801&z=115&sv=444855,135801&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=892&ax=444855&ay=135801&lm=0 ]three maids hill[/url] runs south east from here all the way to the barracks.
No, that's not OS grid! OK the roundabout where the B3420 turns into the A272 - where from there? Thanks.
Sorry, just a thought - do you mean a track that runs between the A272 and the A34? Somewhere near the water tower?
thomthumb - there is the odd bit of tarmac, rode on some today to get to the stone-based stuff. It can appear in random places.
Thanks for that link, I've cycled around there but didn't know that existed. Guess all round there is pretty mucky just now?
the first one i pulled of google
sounds like you know it
SU 44614 36159
you can start further north that thumbs link, all good though, better when dry
Yes better when dry, but still brought back good memories today even though it was a bit sticky in places.
Everything was fairly rideable though.
Was hoping for a harder frost. But no such luck.
I rode down the three maids hill on Friday was surprisingly dry CG
OK thanks. Are there any other 'not too muddy' tracks worth riding in the vicinity or shall I just hold off til Spring?
Anyone out today in the lovely sunshine?
Giggle of the day when I found myself where I shouldn't have been. Asked a horse riderist minus horse if I was on the bridleway, I wasn't but she said I could cut across her paddock!
Tried out the new to me Hampshire County Council Micheldever Station waymarked trail, probably about half off road. Very pleasant indeed. 😀
Yup me, 3'punctures, 2'flint and one proper unexplained blowout. 🙄
More bouncing the Downs, more intervals, more blowing, proper over clothed again so dropped one of my baselayers in a field and picked it up late on in the car (quite normal for me I do this a lot if I over heat)
Lanes still frosty mid to late afternoon,,still some frozen run off so be careful out there.
By this time next year I'm gonna be sick of this training lark 😆
Tried out the new to me Hampshire County Council Micheldever Station waymarked trail, probably about half off road. Very pleasant indeed.
Interesting. One for the grrravel bike, or MTB? Was planning on going for a quick spin after lunch tomorrow.
Bad luck on the flats bb. Wot's wrong with tubeless? 🙂
Cap'n - Grrravel bike would be better in Spring! My first off road bit was a lovely little track just off the A33 leading to Micheldever, was quite muddy and rideable. The byway from Micheldever Station has a signpost missing, basically go up the hill from the station and look for a wide Roman road type track that was fine to ride. Good views from it too.
Wonston to South Wonston was fine apart from a very muddy hooved section at South Wonston Farm. However, rather than following the official route I would turn left at South Wonston Farm which will eventually take you to the drove road. The official route was very slippy and generally a pita. Drove road is fine apart from one puddle that's the width of the track. Perfect track for the grrravel steed. Let us know how you get on. 🙂
Went for a stroll up at Twyford Down, saw 1 guy and two lady MTBers packing up. Some seriously muddy bikes, very gloopy 🙁
Ta, CG. Will see how it goes. Shall look for that road/track from the station.
jambalaya - that's one place I'm avoiding!
Cap'n - have fun!
Bike needs cleaning, not sure I can face the mud again. ss is in pieces so think I'd better put that back together today, would have been ideal yesterday.
Still waiting on new tyres for the Tripster.
Have a fun day all. 🙂
Ride plans cancelled due to sudden heavy rain. Of the brown variety. 🙁
130ks from home up over Harting Down and bumps Chichester way then flat chat it back. No punctures today 😀
No chance going tubeless on the roadie, not a hope in hell.
#B-road bashing 😆
Bad luck Cap'n and hope you'll be on the mend very soon. 🙂
bb - blimey, well done. 8)
great ride today; we took a shorter route to avoid ice, which there wasn't any of. Romsey, wellow, downton - (coffee at borough cafe) back via alderbury & dean road - where the level crossing was closed but the surveyers let us through 😀
Social recovery ride for me today as did Hellrunner yesterday, about 23k loop up test way to chilbolton over cow common to Wherwell, pub stop and back again. Did it on mtb but ideal little loop for the cx on a lovely day.
cg i feel your pain on those muddy trails at south wonston farm, been stuck there before now.
Hopefully ill be running round micheldever and black wood next weekend for a total mudfest.
Dobo what are trails like in black wood, is it worth venturing up from winchester?
Dobo what are trails like in black wood, is it worth venturing up from winchester?
I did a 15k run around there today, its quite muddy in places but holding up well in others, mainly at the top end near a303.
There used to be a mx route in their but its mostly overgrown or covered in leaves and so impossible to find let alone follow. Its now mostly forest tracks and some singletrack but not too exiting really. Its also quite hard going and deceptively hilly. 221m elevation for 15k today.
If you are bored of your current routes check it out but dont go expecting lots of cool singletrack, i prefer to run around it.
Doing some route research around Winchester as a friend has just moved to Olivers Battery (OB), I’m down in Hamble. Advice please.
1) Loops look possible out from OB via Ampfield Woods via Parnholt Wood up towards Kings Sombourne/Stockbridge and then back via Farley Mount. Mix of off and on-road. Any good trails to include / dull places to miss ? I know some tips on Farley Mount have been posted here before (so I'll look those up)
2) Winchester to Hamble. Looking a ride to the coast for when the weather warms up a bit. Finish in Bugle in Hamble or Jolly Sailor in Burseldon for a pint/lunch. STWers welcome to join. Route wise I have the following from looking at maps, any comments please. About 30k so a 9-ish roll-out means lunch by 12. Trains back to Winchester from Hamble (£6.50, one an hour)
Winchester/St Catherines Hill/Twyford Down
Pilgrims Trail/Monarch Way/Lower Upham/Kings Way
The follow Hamble river from Brooklands Farm (trail/disused railway) through Botley then past Manor Farm back to river then to Burseldon (last bit I have ridden a few times)
Then onto Hamble, if desired via the Solent Way/Eastern side of the river, which gives the excuse to add a ferry ride.
Quite scenic at the start with views down to the IOW, not sure about the middle then some nice riding by the river towards the end.
Trial is a euphemism for bridleway/track/path !
Jam,
Thought about using the Itchen Way ? Winney to the top of the Itchen (near the Marina up from the ItchenBridge) then hack down to the coast via a few open wooded sections, along the coast via Woolston into Vic Pk then pick up the NCN2 to Hamble... See you in the K&Q for a pint 😆
Done this loads, great ride along the old Itchen Canal, sort of starts in Winny Cathedral through the parks onto the canal.
Easy ride anytime of year, gets flooded occasionally but fine ATM, all bar a couple of K's it's all off-road.
HTH
You naughty man bikebuoy!
Winchester to Hamble
there are some lovely options on the road bike.....
there isn't much south of upham.
OB via Ampfield Woods via Parnholt Wood up towards Kings Sombourne/Stockbridge and then back via Farley Mount.
sounds like a good loop. i'd avoid the the middle track in parnholt until summer: beacon hill is a great descent. the bottom byway is a fireroad/ rough access road - but not to be avoided. the middle one will be hub deep mud until at least late spring. but lovely in the dry.
EDIT:
Thought about using the Itchen Way ?
timing is crucial. winter too muddy, spring too many nettles, summer too many ****s.
jambalaya - check out these:
@bikebouy, yes I did look at that and following your prior recommendations I'd ridden a bit of that in Netley. It's an alternative.
@thomthumb, thanks. We recently did a walk up at Cheesefoot Head and then drove back to Hamble via country roads/Upham etc so I could see that would be nice on a road bike. It was this walk/drive which got me looking at the map for a ride.
follow Hamble river from Brooklands Farm (trail/disused railway) through Botley
can you do that? doesn't look possible on the map i've got.
I know some proper cheaky, never used (only by me and a couple of mates who know em') routes from the River to Botley.. Also don't forget Botley Woods with its myriad of ST and Fire Roads, then a route down the river either side through Manor Park (full of ST/Tracks) or my side along a path that takes you along the river and then pops out at the Cricket pitch then ride 500mtrs on the road to Green Lane and hack along the river again all the way to Swanwick Bridge... Then... Ohhh pick up the river again at Swanwick Marina and ride through Universal Marina and along the hardpack river path to Warsash (say Hi when you get here) then catch the Pink Ferry to Hamble.
Loads of local knowledge of this area.
I know Bridleway routes all the way from Winny to Warsy with a couple of road sections, ace for MTB's or CX'ers or if it's road your after, well.... Just ask.
Ohh, loads of GPX files too..
@thomthumb - there is a (cough) footpath and also a disused railway line, I am assuming you must be able to ride along that. Then a bit of road into and out of Botley. Details here ...
River section. Top section from looking at map, have ridden bits from Manor Farm.
Pilgrims Trail to SU 538 157 over river and along disused railway line back over river at SU 524 151 bit of path/road to Botley, actually looks like you can go either side of the river passing Nursery at SU 522 144. Then to Manor Farm at SU 509 199 to Dock Copse and along the wider/tidal part of the river to Burseldon carrying over a couple of stiles (You can go straight through the woods on Bridleway but that's a bit boring). Jolly Sailor at SU490 093 or @bikebouy’s route alongside East side of river from SU 495 094 to the pink ferry at SU 488 064
@bikebouy, yes I have used some of your tips from earlier in this thread, in fact we met up with @johnj2000 in Botley woods 😯 - we found some nice singletrack one bit unfortunately blocked by a fallen tree - yes some gpx Winchester to Warsash would good.
The route I devised for the Winchester Forum Ride was pretty good even though I say so myself! It can be started at Cheesefoot Head.
Edit: it included fast singletrack through the woods, a gully and a memorable climb up Stephen's Castle Down with great views.
A brief foray over in to bandit country* for me at the weekend. Had a couple of bridleways picked out to try that I hadn't tried befoRe. Skinny slicks can make even the dullest muddy bridleway fun!
*Berkshire
lol at that pic. 😀 According to HCC Access Forum Minutes, they're trying to create a route between BW and Botley. Mapping shows there to be some bits of footpath.
Am curious - why the need for a railway there? Looks to be a mill at Botley, were goods being transported?
Thanks for that link, interesting stuff. 8)
not trying to piss on your chips.
🙂
Looks like an adventure to me ! Can't make out old railway line from the ariel photos as all you can see are the trees. If it's impassable we can rejoin the path via the B3035/Botley Rd at Treefield Farm and Breach Hill - OS map shows paths crossing the river at both points,
Sounds like some interesting rides being planned, I need to get out there again, got out of the habit of night rides over Christmas and haven't got back into it yet.
@bikebouy and Jam - still haven't really found a 'myriad' of Singletrack in Botley woods. Been there a few times now and even though the fallen trees have now been removed it still seems like a small loop and nothing more. Am I missing something?
@john, tbh I haven't been back after our ride there as I thought there wasn't that much and not worth the hour plus ride there.
Where have you chaps been riding this weekend then?
Regular local bash around Micheldever, Farleigh Wallop, the Candovers, etc.
Nice little spin, despite the chilliness.
QECP again Friday and Sunday. Apologies for the repetitiveness of my riding 🙂
About 50k of gravel and lanes through the southern part of the Forest. 🙂
anyone out today: loads of people in the forest (about 1001 possibly!)
turbo only for me 🙁
I'm looking for any thoughts for Paris roubaix training. cobbles/ farm tracks which are close to pave? particulary flat tracks.
at the moment red lane (upham)/ parholt wood and mill lane (droxford) are top of the list; but i'd like some more cobble like stuff....
some more cobble like stuff....
The best pavé that's close to Hampshire that I know of is here;
https://www.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=great+trinity+lane&gws_rd=ssl&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&ei=ehzhVOuhIYGtUIaygqAB&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ
Great Trinity Lane, EC4.
Might need a few laps, mind you! 😀
Cant think of any cobbles other than at cathedrals 😉 The only thing that springs to mind thats flat and knobly is the test way from Timsbury to Stockbridge, all flat off road and quite bobbly (not quite as bad as top section of parnholt).
Its not cobbles at all but might be worth a shot if you want to test the effect of tyre pressure etc.
i'm sure there were some fairly stony tracks on a loop i did out of swanage, maybe priests way? been a while since was out there.
Timsbury to Stockbridge, all flat off road and quite bobbly
Its not cobbles at all but might be worth a shot if you want to test the effect of tyre pressure etc.
yes. that'll do.
Cheers guys.
Any Winchester locals able to point me in the direction of a garage where I'd be able to wash my bike?
I'm here for the next few weeks, so if anyone is willing to show me round (Mtb) or point me in the direction of some good rides it'd be appreciated.
In the mean time, I'm going to do the first 15 or so miles of the SDW and back for my first ride and start flicking through all 32 pages of this thread!
I'm also trying to do a bit of Paris-Roubaix training. Am currently in Australia on hols and finding that 20-mile gravel descents on road tyres are quite 'involving'. During the washboard sections I'm reminded of Roy & HG's 'battered sav' from their Sydney Olympic's commentary…
Closer to home, I'd recommend some of the rockier sections of the SDW, at speed.
I can recommend most of Hampshires lanes anywhere from Bishops Waltham then north to Alton, west from Dean over east to Steep, keep off the B roads and stick to the lanes and most of it is potholed/gravel/flint covered "cobbles" 😆 Bit like Tuscany but wetter.. 😆
I'm using the New Forest for my gravel training, I'm doing P-R too and have done it 5 times in the past. The only training recommendation I'd offer is ride the lanes hard and fast and perfect bunnyhops and hard braking on rough surfaces.. T'is all I've ever done. And TBH is pretty much all you need skills wise.
It's a different race P-R, you really do have to go hard on the cobbles, don't fanny around nor get stuck behind billybob whose out for a pootle. Watch the on/off sections and the entry/exit of the sections, these are often the worst as the cobbles are normally loose or missing and invariably wet or puddles.
See you there 😀
@Mark88 There's a Newforce club ride ride starting from the John O'Gaunt pub at Horsebridge (6 miles west of Winchester) this Thursday at 6:30. Approx 25 miles in 3 hours
Hampshire's strade bianche, I like it.
Sounds like there a few of us doing P-R - I might start a what tyres thread soon…
My mate who did it in 5hrs or so recommended using the sides of the roads and Schwalbe Marathons.
Ohh start a thread !! 8)
Well P-R is all about the weather. 3 times I've done it and it's been cold and dry, once was pisshing down and proper windy 😐 the last time was just blustery.
Each has their own way of riding it. I've ridden on the edges of the cobbles on the dirt and in the middle and in the grooves and (on some sections) the lined brick edges. But it's just hard whatever. If it's wet I've always ridden the cobbles in the middle or in the groove, yes you slip occasionally but you have more options to escape/save than if you are pinned in on the edges. If it's dry everyone, I mean everyone, rides the dirt edges and you'll find unless you are in a fast group you'll get "encouraged" to get off and ride in the groove or middle of the cobbles..
Small word of warning, crashes. You either will get caught up in one, see one, be involved in one. It's just part of the game and really you shouldn't get angry or pissed off if it happens to you or you get stuck behind one. I broke my elbow in an exit section from cobbles to tarmac 30k's from Roubaix and it created chaos behind me and I was in a fast group.. Jeeze did I get shouted at 🙄
I'm not going to recommend tyres, although I use Clement Strada 25mm LGG's pretty much all the time only changing if it's been super hot and dry for at least 3 weeks.. 😆
We really ought to do a Hampshire Strada Bianche, sure we could come up with a route that would include lanes, gravel sections, flowing roads all over the Downs.. Hmmm... thats got me thinking.. 😀
@Mostly, that's literally just up the road from my parents. If there is any route that can be shared it will be useful as I have a bike there dying to be used.
For Jambalayer here are links to a couple of my Strava routes for the area:
[url= https://www.strava.com/activities/226281083 ]One[/url]
[url= https://www.strava.com/activities/199429626 ]Two[/url]
Mostly Balanced - Thanks, but I'm working evenings and most weekends at the moment. I'll keep an eye on the website, hopefully tag along on a weekend ride some time soon.
I spent this afternoon riding round Crab Wood and West Wood.
Mark88 Avoid QECP just now, It really isnt great . Wait till we get a week of dry weather as its glooptastic everywhere.
@Mark88. Crab and West Woods are good. Did you find the singletrack round the perimeter of West Wood?
It's not just the gloop in QECP it's all the off camber roots and chalk that makes it horrible in the wet.
I rode the blue and a cpl of sections of the red at QECP last week and it was ok. There is one gloopy bit just after the red and blue split but the rest was ok. I imagine the first half of the red has some sticky bits mind.
Where are crab and west woods?
West of Winchester.
Are they legal CG?
John - I was going to link to the HCC routes that go through the woods except they've removed them. 🙁 BOO!! That's an excellent resource lost.
I haven't been off piste so can't comment.
Never had a problem riding around west woods, i walk, run and ride there a fair bit.
Crab wood on the other hand has no cycling signs on some of the entrances and i dont cycle in there and i dont think anyone else should as they have gone to effort to deter it. There are tracks in the area which are fair game though which i wont comment further on.
@mostly balanced - yes I think so, is there a segment called 'crabwise' on it?
@singlettackmind - thanks for the heads up. I've already planned to meet an old friend there in a couple of weeks so fingers crossed we get some decent weather in the meantime.
@dobo - I didn't notice any no cycling signs, and I entered through a couple of different enterances. There was a few other tyre marks as well.
Sorry to hijack, but has anyone who's done Paris Roubaix before got a gpx they'd be willing to share? Searching on Strava seems to come up with some odd results and I can't quite make out which are the actual sportive long route.
Weighing up the pros and cons of P-R v RVV as a 'treat' for a significant birthday next year!
Nah I didn't get my 810 until last year.
I'll check with mates though..
I've got the 2010 route GPX.. mate uploaded it to here... You can DL the file easily.
If I knew how to add it here I would.
Link.
[url= http://www.bikemap.net/en/route/477670-paris-roubaix-sportive-2010/ ]P-R 2010 route guide incl GPX[/url]
I rode the blue and a cpl of sections of the red at QECP last week and it was ok. There is one gloopy bit just after the red and blue split but the rest was ok. I imagine the first half of the red has some sticky bits mind.
Rode most of the red loop this morning and apart from some filth on the early sections it was all rideable (well except the couple of drops that I chickened which are clearly totally impossible ;)). Nice ride and got a semi guided update/some company for the rest of the ride from someone I stopped for a chat with early on.
I had forgotten how great focused / man made trails could be after nearly a year of nothing but natural or in the countryside stuff. The trail builders have done real good.