Hi All,

Recently moved to Andover, looking for some xc loops. Any riders willing to show me around???

Thanks
Rob

It’s all about The Plantations.

😉

There’s not a lot, sadly. Some great track and trail stuff around, though. More gravel bike or light HT territory than gnarpoon shredding huckfests. Well, apart from The Plantations, obviously.

OS map and an evening poring over them with a cold one is in order.

Behind the Bike Shed are good people, failing that, Stonehenge Cycles in Salisbury are simply superb. Abbots Ann less so….

Strava Heatmap is generally your friend

Hampshire Riding Thread ?

Went to school and college in Andover as a random factoid.

Hampshire Riding

Have a search for the route maps for the Test Valley Hot and Cool rides (Gorrick i think). They start from Vernham Dean and are a nice xc ride over rolling countryside.

gpx’s any good for you?

Thanks for the replies. Not looking for gnarly got plenty of spots for that. Just want some xc loops to keep fit.

North of Andover has some nice routes and is hillier – look up the Gorrick routes as suggested

There is a short blast of an XC route which basically involves:

Bridleway from near Farley School in direction of Middle Wallop, a T junction of bridleways turn left to rejoin road (same one you just left to join bridleway), cross road to another bridleway go straight . It then goes left onto a short footpath stretch, then you reach another bridleway – turn left in direction of Fullerton – continue along cross another road – straight on – you come to road just up from Fullerton Mill. Turn left and right so you pass Mill. Turn left onto main orad over hump back bridge. Take first right through to Wherwell but there is a bridleway on your left after a bit (easy to miss). This goes round a field and up and over and back down to the main road. You then cross the road and take bridleway round the field finishing with a ride along the river and coming out in Goodworth Clatford.

Its a quick flat route for a one hour/one hour a bit evening blast no matter how bad you are feeling. Can be a bit rutted in places but only for short stretches.

The Gorrick Hot Challenge is on 21st May, might be worth entering that to do some marked-up exploration of the local trails.

http://www.gorrick.com/testvalley/