i think you passed us the other way nr hannington. i *think* i recognised the bike.

Oooh….intriguing! What were you riding? You weren’t the chap from N Hants bike club (?) who had dropped his glasses, were you? I was in a bright red jacket, if that helps. The bike is rather distinctive, I hope. Still not seen anyone else talking about having one in the UK!

(Hope I said hello through the grimacing in pain!)

What were you riding? You weren’t the chap from N Hants bike club

red genesis equilbrium – in a group of 5. no but we saw a NHRC jersey.

I was in a bright red jacket,

hmm – perhaps not: blue/white jersey.

maybe next time!

No riding for me this weekend due to family commitments and a visit to a HMS ship which ended up with beer and sunday lunch 🙂

Picked up the frame and forks for my Sherpa build yesterday and have the drivetrain arriving tomorrow. I have a feeling the build may take a while due to finance but I want it now, I am sick of dragging the full suss around cross country routes.

You will likely not ride the fs till next summer now!!!

Am going to start putting together a list of good grrrrravel spots in Hants and Wilts.

Think I can help you with that! As, I’m sure, could Thomthumb.
We should sort out a Hampshire Chapter STW Gravel ride…

Hampshire Chapter STW Gravel ride

Ooooooh!

yea hampshire gravel routes and hampshire gravel ride would be fun as long as theres not much gravel?
I rode some of the test way today and they have started maintenance on it by rolling gravel on top?, theve done some near cow drove and some at stockbridge south and the bit in the middle is a mess. Dont know what to think of it at the moment. I need more singletrack and mud guards!

CaptainFlashheart – Member

Hampshire Chapter STW Gravel ride

Ooooooh!

Ooooh indeed, I’m up for that..
I don’t ride much up your way but I can add South/South East/West routes to the list.. I’ve a few good un’s that can link to/from the STW too..

😀

Think I can help you with that! As, I’m sure, could Thomthumb.

definately could – whats the most useful way to make list though? i have lots of small routes on memory map – not exportable in any simple way…

whats the most useful way to make list though? i have lots of small routes on memory map – not exportable in any simple way…

That’s what’s troubling me!

For example, the link between Park Farm and the Old Stockbridge Road, coming out of the Wallops to the North. Hardly a “route”, but a nice way to link stuff together and keep off the main roads for a while.

There are plenty of linking sections like that out there. Also, stuff like the Test Way. Much (all?) of it is good for grrravel types, but I haven’t really been able to explore enough of it.

Funny who you spot when you’re out for a ride, isn’t it?

Lovely to see you earlier, CG! Hopefully your ride went better than the rest of mine. I descended in to a puncture strewn hell, after all the hedge trimming killing that had been going on along a bridleway section further on. Lovely ride apart from that, though.

Yes it is funny who you see isn’t it.

Today I too had 3 punctures, all in the rear, on the roadie. Within 2 miles of setting off from Arelsford on a 65km route North up to Overton and back through the lanes I had 3 darn flatties… 4 groups of roadies passed by on NCN23 and none stopped nor even said “y’all reet mayt” 🙄
Anyhoos the ride up North was nice enough, bloody noisy M3 though (so glad I don’t live near it) you can hear if from the Weilds which are 11ks South of it.. Some lovely lanes, quiet, no one around. Spotted one of the groups who passed me on the early part of the NCN23, still in head down mode.

Good ride out though. Tomorrow I’ll be hacking Wareham into Wiltshire to Weymouth and back to Wareham through the lanes, can’t bloody wait. Weather looks nice for it too..

8)

It was a pleasure to meet you Captain. 😀 Bad luck on those punctures, did notice that some hedges had reduced in size and of course they never clear it up! Can you go tubeless on your lovely new dirty steed?

Check your inbox a bit later, will send over some grid refs.

bikebuoy – bad luck with those punctures, if you had been on a mtb it would have been a different matter with folk checking you were OK.

I’ve not heard the M3 from Wield. In fact if you ride on the 3 Castles Path through the area that’s threatened with a solar farm with view of the South Downs, you definitely won’t hear it!

Trail sanitisation has come to the Candover Valley. 🙁 The track near Preston Candover, known as Oak Hill Lane, has been sanitised. It was a rutted track although passable so goodness knows why this has been done. It looks as though it will continue through to the minor road. What a waste of public money. 😐

Must just be you, BB! Everyone I passed today was full of good cheer. Only one of my flats was on a road section, and all five (Solo) riders who went past as I was faffing about asked if everything was OK. So, must just be you….! 😉

CG, a pleasure to put a face to a name as well, and do let me know if you’re in need of some routes around the ‘hood up this way. As mentioned, got a lovely local bimble that would suit you down to the ground!

As to going tubeless, it’s on my list of things to do. Am possibly looking at a pair of Hope Tech XC29, as essentially they’re a 700c wheel that would work well for that. Failing that, I’m talking to my wheelbuilder about some other options. Not 100% convinced the stock wheels will take it.

Finally, about this bit –

your lovely new dirty steed?

It’s dirty because I’m too busy riding it to clean it. And besides, having it covered in mud upsets roadies, as they get all confused as to what it is.
“But it looks like a road bike……but it’s got discs, and no quick releases, and OH NOES! IT’S MUDDY! RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!”
And, as in another thread, it’s officially a “wondersteed”

(bookmarks thread)

I’ll keep an eye on this now. 🙂

You’re right, it’s me 😕

Oops, falling behind here!

Cap’n – I was only pulling your leg about your bike being dirty! Trying to get my head around seeing drop-handle barred, skinny tyred bikes, including carbon, that go off road. 😀

Anyway, there I was, pootling along a track in the drizzle when I heard sounds coming from the hedge on my right. Suddenly, a fallow deer jumped over the hedge about 2 feet in front of me, so close I could have touched her. Stood there as I knew that she wouldn’t be alone and, sure enough, another jumped out behind me. 8)

They do look big when they’re that close. 😀

Is there a mid-week daytime riding scene for Soton/Forest/Winchester?

Timmee 😀

Not to my knowledge Tim. I reckon it would be worthwhile posting up a couple of days before you’re going to ride on the offchance that somebody can hook up.

I’ve not attended, but there’s the Lordswood Thursday night ride which seems quite regular..

Edit: Doh, sorry.. misread the daytime bit!

Tim, I’m a little further North than that, but can perhaps squeeze in the odd lunch ride.

Hampshire Gravel Ride
We can either bash a route together on this thread or meet a pub somewhere with maps…
Thoughts?

Oak Hill Lane
thanks for the warning CG. It’s a shame, it’s a nice track to ride down.

Punctures
Them little shards of flints can be a nightmare. As can flayed hawthorns. Had puncturegeddon riding in Dorset (shhh!) on Sunday. All 3 of us punctured simultaneously. I had to fix six holes in one tube!

UnderTheWood – work on Oak Hill Lane had only got to where the bridleway on the L leads to Moundsmere. That was Sunday so could potentially have reached the minor road by now. OK the track was rutted but it was no big deal. Not as though it was impassable or anything!

Sorry to hear about your punctures, 6 in one tube is really going some. 😯

RE the Gravel Ride, I reckon the best bet would be to try and pick a start/finish location that suits a few folks, then see who’s got ideas for routes etc.

Locationwise – I’m up at the top of the Test, so the area around Kingsclere/Whitchurch/The ‘Stoke/Andover etc are where most of my (growing) local gravel knowledge lies. Am steadily getting to know a few bits and bobs.

CG – It seems that Oak Hill Lane will be shut for 6 months.

6 months! Funnily enough I came across another track that’s being repaired, t’other side of the A339. Again, I failed to understand why as it was only rutted for a short distance. Can’t remember how long it was going to take although horserists were advised not to use it.

Happy to meet up for a rideout, can travel to suit all/best place etc..

I’ll get some routes together and post them up, see what happens 😀

First ride out in a over a week tonight and had to borrow a bike from BigShep! I have 2 bikes now and neither are working, this is one problem when you decide to buy a 29er and steal bits off the 26er for the build and then find that the one part that you don’t have are forks!

First time on a hardtail for ages and it was rather good, on one inbred was the loan bike and although it felt very different round corners, it certainly was less of a slog on the hills than the FS. Can’t wait to get the new 29er up and running now, should get the forks back next week 🙂

Thanks for your replies Cinnamon, Froggy and Flash.
I have ridden with the Lordswood 7.00 pm chaps a couple of times. Lordswood does get very mucky though, with lots of clay and obstacles. It’s nice in the summer though.

I generally ride in The Forest or Winchester cos I tend to ride the Newforce trails and mainly with Newforce Members. I did a cracking ride from Fritham today with a couple of guys from the club. We worked our way across Hampton Ridge and way over the the North and Redlynch. Found an excellent route back up to the Fordingbrid/Downton road split and then back down to Eyeworth Pond. Hardly any road sections. Fabulous sunny weather today! 🙂

Timcotic – keep an eye on the newforce forum as there’s a regular midweek daytime ride developing (cunningly called the unemployed ride) which might be of interest to you.

As for all this talk of gravel, I think I had my fill last Sunday with a fatty expedition from West Wittering to Selsea. I expect you lot prefer yours a bit more compacted 😀

Tim cotic I was tempted by the new force group what are the rides like? I’m based in winchester so would mainly be heading out from home, is it worth joining? Cheers

Has anyone ridden the BW that runs N/S (or vice versa!) parallel to the B3046 from Farleigh Wallop to Berrydown Farm? And/or the BW running from the bottom of that in to Nutley and then on to Clump Farm outside Dummer?

If so, conditions? Trail surface etc? Am trying to put together a nice spin for Sunday and that could fit in nicely as a grravel section, assuming it’s doable!

Yep, sure have. It’s a tad harsh due to its compacted stone surface but it’s a nice one nevertheless.

Yes to your second q too! Rode that after I met you recently. Nice climb to a gate then a steeper climb (grassy) which then descends to the B road. Cross over, the grassy part is hard doing and improves when you reach the woods (good show of bluebells in here come Spring-time). Nice descent to reach the minor road.

Put some decent mud tyres on your new steed Cap’n and enjoy these pleasant trails. 🙂

Give me a shout if you need more info.

Beesey, there are several Newforce Groups to ride with btw. There’s a thursday ride from the Queen Inn and a fixed new forest one and a roaming NF\Winchester one and a few other’s too + weekend rides. There’s something for most people there in one group or another. I’ve ridden with them on and off for a long time now, can’t wait to start getting back out with them asap once some health issues are sorted.

A lot of the groups cross over and mix, I ride with one of three when I can, just depends what suits

Cheers Keith I’ll look into it then

Beesey, any questions drop me an email on membership(at)newforce.org.UK 😀

Edit – anyone’s welcome to pitch up and try us out, see if we suit you sir before joining

Well, I did it running southwards, and it was superb. Thanks for your notes on it, CG! Rode along it with a chap I’ve met out riding before (Ex-Marine, on a Giant Anthem, sorry still haven’t got round to names!)

It was pretty jarring, to be honest, but I kept time nicely alongside a full bouncer being ridden by someone who’s way fitter than me, so that’s pretty impressive! The only real issue offroad is lack of grip as far as I can see. I was impressed, at least!

Earlier on, I’d ridden and chatted for a while with a friendly chap on his roadie (North Waltham towards Dummer) and he was a bit bewildered by my tyres. “They’re massive!” he said. I pointed out that the difference between 25s, as he was on and 32s isn’t much, but he couldn’t get his head around it! Pointed out is was just as fast, but comfy and his eyes lit up a bit!

Lovely ride around Farleigh Wallop/Dummer/Preston Candover/Micheldever sort of area. Got utterly pissed on by a massive rain shower at one point, but otherwise, a lovely, lovely day out.

Bike keeps on impressing me. Am still struggling to find what it can’t do!

Long shot but would anyone know how to get from Mottisfont/Dunbridge to between Redlynch and Nomansland off road? There seems to be loads of tracks between which may or may not be suitable.

keep them updates coming CFH, missed out on a ride today

Dobo
Don’t think there’s a direct off-road route.
Could take the road into West Dean, climb up onto the ridge to the south, head west past Pepperbox Hill, straight over the A36 and follow the tracks south to Downton/Redlynch. The byway running south east of Lover is mainly gravel and will take you towards Nomansland.

CFH
Must have just missed you today! Rode Northington, East Stratton, Micheldever Station, Hunton and back to Winch.
Managed to dodge those showers too 🙂