I do a ride out towards odiham where there are oilfields. on a hot day it stinks.

Perhaps some reminder signs up might help but some people won’t care no matter what you do.

Been a few years now since I last did one, but I’m pretty sure there were always words to this effect on the sign on sheets and/or maps. But as you quite correctly say you just can’t legislate for eejits (see the sportive vs. road race video).

I do a ride out towards odiham where there are oilfields. on a hot day it stinks.

Know exactly where you mean, used to ride in those woods and enjoyed the descent from the minor road to WP.

Anyone familiar with South Wonston? Local history q. 🙂

No Hampshire riding for me this weekend, me and my whippet mate are up at the farm in Harrogate and have been riding both stages of the Tour. The weathers been quite atrocious, but these Yorkshire folk think were just pansies, suppose they have a point. Yesterday it belted it down all day, our stage one shenanigans started soaked and ended soaked, hacking up and over Kidstones with rivers of water teaming down towards us was hilarious, the stint down to Masham was blinded by spray. I got cold and ended up with a dicky tummy from it, so today’s stage started off tentative but ended really well with only a couple of sharp showers to content with.
It’s been nice to have a mate to ride with up here, two Hampshire Downers hacking the Moors and Dales of a very verdant Yorkshire and they’ve taken the Tour to their hearts with loads of painted bikes and many campsites gearing up for early July.
Were off to the pub to drink copious Black Sheep and stand by the open fire to dry off our sodden skin.
😆

Copy of the email sent to bikebuoy a week ago (real names removed):

Many thanks for your email and drawing our attention to this matter. Please excuse the delay in replying, but we always spend some time doing some investigations of our own if we receive any reports of problems.

Anyway, briefly, we are in complete agreement with what you say that such behaviour whilst passing horse riders is unacceptable. To be honest we were surprised, as these events are small scale and spread over a large area and are generally done by regulars who know better. It is clearly stated on the web site and entry form that riders need to ride with respect for others, but we intend henceforth to mention this verbally at future events and put up large signs to that effect too.

Kind regards,
Gorrick

So … where are you all riding this weekend? 🙂

I might get out on the bike on sunday am, been off the bike for a couple of weeks whilst the new ink on my arm dried! please can someone recommend me a not too far ride in the Basingstoke/Winchester area?

Do you not know that area well? I can probably suggest some tracks but you’ll probably know them!

Not sure where I’m going, last ride was exploring an ancient trackway and takings pics. 🙂 😳

Thanks for the reply the Gorrick Team. Much appreciated but not really required, just pointing out an observation.
Anyway, I’ve entered one of your events and am really looking forward to it now. It was recommended on here and I did a couple a few years ago so thought I ought to have a play.

All good 😀

As for riding this weekend, well last weekend I did stage 1&2 of the Tour up in that Yorkshire, Saturday was horrible rain all day, Sunday was much nicer, Monday was a gentle tap over the moors to loosen the legs up.

This weekend I’m off on Saturdays Rapha rideout, I’m in London see and need to ride in a group otherwise I’ll just hack to the cafe, Sunday I may head South of the river and explore Biggen Hill way…

Have fun in Gods own County 8)

CG I’ve a microscopic knowlege of basingstoke but my knowlege of the surrounding area is merely microscopic 😀 I am getting better tho as the use of my garmin is helping in that I can plan before I go and dont have to look at a map every crosspath…. I’d like to go round winchester way but not sure where to star

I’ll take a pootle over to Head Down on Sunday to watch the DH race.

I’d love to do more, but I’m nursing a 14″ (and growing) bruise on my abdomen courtesy of the final descent at QE!

Ouch! Mork, that sounds painful. That final downhill bit on the red I find very tricky to go at any decent speed. I tend to get my front wheel turned to far in to the corners and start to lose it. Never managed a good run down it and I can see how easy it would be to come off.

Daftvader if you want an off-road ride around Winchester then head out onto the SDW, head up to cheese foot head and then just keep pedalling. Watch out for the cows that hog the gate before a field about a mile from cheesefoot, scary buggers.

Cpl of hours on the XC bike for me tomorrow then the same on Sunday morning, Sunday evening I will get up to QECP if I can find some bloody bolts to fit the new single ring I bought, would be nice if they were supplied wouldn’t it 🙁

daftvader – will report back later with ideas for Winchester routes, will all by XC stylee. Gpx’s any good for you?

daftvader – Alresford is a good start point especially for the trails on the Southern side of the A31 where you could incorporate a bit of the SDW around Cheesefoot Head. Or you could use that as a starting point.

Years ago we had a Forum ride starting from Alresford and, even if I say so myself, it was a bloomin’ good route with plenty of hills and descents.

Hants Council do some routes around Winchester. To the NW of Winchester there’s some easy trails around South Wonston, Sutton Scotney, Barton Stacey.

To the West of Winch you have Farley Mount Country Park, there’s a nice rooty descent off Beacon Hill but haven’t been there for donkey’s. You can use Parnholt Wood which will take you to Kings Somborne and at Horsebridge you can pick up the Test Way.

It’s all good old xc riding in a lovely County.

hi CG will have a look on the map later, mrsvader wants to come along and take the dog for a walk with minivader whilst I am off playing so it may have to be Alton or qep start and be around the 10 mile mark. a gpx file would be great if poss. will have to figure out how to put it on the Garmin but doubt it’ll be that hard

Well it ended up with Slackalice and I goinf or a small jaunt around the countryside surrounding qecp…. till 1 mile in the seat camp on Slackalice’s bike broke. Que a quick return to qecp and Mr Alice flying off to Waterlooville halfords for a new clamp. After this excitement we decided to just do the red route at the park, and spent the majority of the time gassing! Still was a pleasant afternoon and we managed to get some riding done 😀
I am also thinking of trying to organise a “midweek mincers ride at afan” anyone interested? Possibly looking at either the 1st or 9th of july

And what fine conversations we had DV! 😀 Interspersed with moments of control, balance and the cycling equivalent of flailing on the greasy chalk in amongst the trees 😆 At least the roots were dry! Many thanks for your patience whilst I dashed off to Halfords for a (temporary 😉 ) replacement! Do Thomson do green ones? 😉 Or maybe two orange coloured bikes with green bits is a bit too much? 😉

Ive never broken a seat clamp before, but it is light. Here’s a pic of the broken one for those that may care to cast a mettalurgist’s eye…

As for your STW “Midweek Mincers at Afan”, I’m up for this and now having consulted the family calendar, I could do the 9th. I’ll be in Norfolk on the 1st, introducing the boy to his next school in preparation for our relocation later this summer.

Blimey! Hope you’re OK alice. 🙂

Thanks C_G, I’m fine was literally just riding along when it went ‘PING!’ and the saddle dropped an inch before the external bush/stop on the dropper post stopped on top of it.

Most odd, I’m a fan of the torque wrench and strangely or coincidentally had loosened, cleaned and retightened the clamp bolt whilst checking the bike over at home this morning.

QECP was obviously the place to be today. This evening I had the pleasure of meeting up with Mark who’s STW name I cannot remember but pretty sure it’s something to do with Shep? We headed off to the red route and were met with numerous obstacles created by the forestry work which meant I missed my favourite section 🙁

Funny moment of the day was when I picked Mark up in the Fiesta and I had my bike in the boot. This is generally ok because I am normally either alone or with one of the children, but today I picked up a 6ft 4″ bloke who had to travel for 30 mins with his knees round his ears, sorry Mark, big car next time 🙂

It turns out I am really unfit in comparison and every climb saw Mark shoot ahead but despite this humbling experience it was great to have good company rather than travelling and riding alone.

Cheers Mark.

So, finally met up with John for a trip up to QECP. Great little ride around ruined by the forestry works, but hopefully they will be gone soon and all routes will be re-opened.
The Fiesta episode was funny as John says, fitting my 6’8″ frame into his front seat which was mostly forward was uncomfortable to say the least 😆
I think Johns paid me too much respect as our bikes are vastly different, needless to say I couldn’t keep up with him on the downs.
Good time though and fingers crossed I’ll be able to meet up for a few more rides as and when the Guv’nor gives me the time off.
Cheers John

Yes, he is correct, it was the bikes fault nothing to do with pie eating 🙂

forestry works, but hopefully they will be gone soon and all routes will be re-opened.

will be there for the at least 1 more month, plus there will be time need to repair any damaged trails.

I wish they had chopped down the tree that I hit! My shoulder is complaining today

I hadn’t ridden in the park before and didn’t realise just how bloody steep it was!
as for the Midweek Mincers at Afan.. the 9th of July should be good for me too…

Just back from a stonking ride in the Cheesefoot Head vicinity. I worked bloomin’ hard on those climbs for a super single track woodland descent. 😀

All is well with the world. 8)

Where did you find the Singletrack CG? I used to ride a lot from cheesefoot doing out and backs mainly of around 20-30 miles, I mainly remember bridleway but guessed there would be some Singletrack out there somewhere I was missing 🙂

Glad you had a good ride and ended with a big smile.

It’s actually a bridleway but a good one.

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=454887&y=125540&z=115&sv=454887,125540&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=714&ax=454887&ay=125540&lm=0

Not sure whether that works so, if it does, you need to turn left, ie head South. You can really get some speed but watch out for others on the trail.

Loads of riding around the area. 🙂

I was also blowing a raspberry to my recent diagnosis of osteoporosis. 😀

Yup it worked, so you came off the SDW? Did you get a loop in rather than out and back? I am thinking it is past the big pub on the short road section which is about 5 miles from cheesefoot?

No, I headed down the stoney track from C/H to Longwood Warren where there’s a waymarked bridleway off to the left. Follow that downhill but you need to turn right just before the immediate tree line. Follow that all the way to a junction of tracks where you bear left to go uphill. There’s a few more hills to climb along that track (Piddles Plantation and Ganderdown Wood) and eventually you’ll come out to the minor road where the fun bridleway is opposite.

I don’t know how to post up a snapshot from my mapping software, sorry!

Let me know if directions make sense.

I have a old skool map of the SDW and surrounding area in the garage somewhere, will find it and track down where you mean.

Would some grid references help John?

They’d help me as I’m a stones throw from that area but that ones slipped past me 🙂

SU 530 274
530 269
531 269
531 265
534 262
538 262
541 259
544 257
549 256

Takes you to the minor road. Cross road:

550 258
548 254
545 251
546 248
548 243

Give me a shout if that’s not clear. 🙂

I’m sure that’ll be spot on, I’ll grab an OS map an have a look ASAP.

Many thanks

Thanks CG

So who is going to post a marked up map of GC’s ride ?

You’re welcome chaps. 🙂

jambalaya – any idea how that can be done from my mapping software?