UTW, what were you riding/wearing? (Was in a bright red jacket, black helmet, black tights on a rather lovely Spesh Diverge*)

*Though I say so myself! 😀

UTW, Thanks for that, looks like a good place to start

Red helmet, blue gilet, (colour co-ordination huh?), black 3/4s.
And riding my All City Nature Boy which is kinda bright!

Don’t think I saw you.

Whereabouts are you based? Could fit in a similar ride some day if that works for you! Am based at the top of the Test.

Winchester local me, so based half way down the Itchen 🙂
Often ride up that way, be good to meet up.

dobo
No worries. Thinking about it, there’s a track that runs west from the Lockerly/East Tytherley road (opposite the pub!) to Frenchmoor that may be worth looking at. It won’t shorten the trip but it’s more off road!

Location via rivers. Classy!

Of course, we have the best trout. 😀 (Also very good for brewing! I collect it in barrels for homebrew!)

Is your bike a gravel type thang? If so, fancy joining the soon to be formed Hampshire Grrravel Collective Thingy?

Still buzzing from a superb day’s ride on my Stoater, one of those rides where you want to keep on going forever and feel like you could, or at least until tea time. Crossed the border into West Sussex, up and down off the Downs back to Butser Hill then along the Meon Valley and home via some hills and a pub. It’s the perfect machine for hacking along the lanes though with the mulched-up leaves I’d have preferred my CX tyres instead of my slicks.

CFH you must habe been unlucky to get rained on I was in Kings Sombourne and it was a lovely late morning and afternoon, I was sad not to be riding. A303/M3 junction shut by police so we ended up on an excellent “say nav” special detour around the lanes to Dummer.

I’ve just ordered some Clement X’Plor MSO 40C’s for my CX’er. Intention is to use them for gravel/road/fire trail/farmers lanes as the deeper winter sets in. Haven’t got them yet, hoping this week.

Anyone thought about these tyres for their bikes ?

I’ll let you know how I get on with them, they look good and get some great reviews.. 😀

Have been looking at Clement, so will be interesting to hear about your experience of them.

The stock Roubaix tyres seem very good so far. Am keen to explore tubeless options, however.

Re the rain, it was one big cloud, the sort where you can see the straight edge of rain approaching. Only lasted about five minutes, though.

Cap’n – thanks for reporting back. Sometimes the edges of that track can be used but, as you say, it’s jarring. Glad you enjoyed your ride!

As regards those tyres, Somafunk is your man.

This might be of use to a lot of people
http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/maps/surrey-interactive-map
It’s only Surrey based but it’s an interactive map that can be printed, and you can specify bridleways, tracks, cycle routes etc to be highlighted on it. Very useful IMO.

as you say, it’s jarring.

Says you with your big fat tyres and suspension!

Good fun, though, and a nice little link to add in to any pending grravel routes anyone has. Nicely false flat downhill, so you can keep the speed up to try and stay on top of the bumps. It’s a little like driving a fast boat, you try and keep on top of the waves, rather than sinking in to the troughs.

Surrey based

We’ll have none of that foreign muck in here, thank you very much! 😉 (Pretty cool, though!)

Hants, well all Councils, have one….

Hampshire ROW’s

I use this a lot, helluva lot also the North Yorks one that include Harrogate.

Just go to the Councils website and search ROW and you’ll find they all have the “definitive” Map..

HTH

Cheers BB very handy. 🙂

That hampshire ROW website isnt very user friendly, also not that accurate as shows the entire test way as a footpath when large sections you are allowed to cycle on.
Also when you come to a county border it gets fun.

A quick PSA for anyone riding around North Hants over the next couple of days –

The hedge murderers have been out and about on Waltham Lane over the last couple of days, and it’s a thorn strewn hell out there. Many punctures await, I suspect.

Very OT but if anyone knows of a 2/3 bedroom house/bungalow with garage available for rent to a house-trained lady, e-mail in profile. Needs to be in Hampshire and available within the next few weeks. Thanks. 🙂

Email sent CG

Thanks hammy. 🙂

Just to add that it’s short term.

Think there may be a couple of places on the market around the ‘Hood, CG. Will double check for you.

Anyway, cracker of a ride today. Much the same loop as before, but with a bit more “ooooh, let’s have a nose up there” bridleway action.

Thankfully, not one puncture!

“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.”

“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 [/quote]“

Sorry it’s taken a while to get back to you guys. Yes I have been of a few of the ‘Unemployed Rides’ and they’ve been very good. They are approximately 20 miles (I think today’s was less but it was rather muddy and hilly). If you are a regular rider you’d be fine but not reccommended for mtb ‘newbies’. The Dorset Roughriders’ Saturday Socials form Broadstone Leisure Centre at 1.00 p.m. are good for everyone. (by which I mean – everyone gets do to some riding they enjoy – Last Saturday’s was lead by a splendid chap call Robin and was a case in point). Tim 🙂

Another Sunday, and a wet, wet, wet ride! Dummer, Farleigh Wallop, the Candovers etc.

Off the bridleway at Farleigh Wallop and up the hill, I heard tchk, tchk, tchk, followed with tchk-pfff, tchk-pfff, tchk-pfff. Flint puncture! ARGH!

Fixed and off I went, need to check the tyre out when I clean the bike tomorrow, though.

As an aside – If anyone wants some super-toasty winter gloves, these are surprisingly excellent;

Mine are black, obviously!

Heading out of Hampshire this Saturday to give the new Sherpa it’s first proper outing. Going into the North Downs somewhere near Washington apparently. Some runner friends are sorting the route and they run while I ride.

Ok it’s not the North downs it’s still the SDW. Going to see if I can find my way to Steyning Forest/woods

QE was the venue this Saturday, had a last minute call from a running friend who wanted a run then a coffee so off I went. First time with the Sherpa off some small drops, have to say I prefer the Rocket on those sections, everything else was lovely until I lost the back brake. Bit hairy at times on the 2nd half of the red route with mud and no back brake. Fun though.

I’ve forgotten what riding in the daylight looks like… Even rides on the weekends start in the dark now… Was out on Saturday evening for our xmas beer and bimble, it was so cold the mud on everyone’s rear direlliure froze so no shifting for a while! Good ride tho.

Almost forgotten what riding is! Silly busy.

Well I’ve been hacking Hampshire hard for weeks now. Have to say it’s been bloody excellent as always. When you work away it’s just the best tonic to come home and play in your own back yard.
I’ve found some more (for me) routes for the CX’er up near the Wallops and can link them up with the SDW creating a 60k route that I can ride from home from, which is ace.
It’s filthy dirty on the lanes, recent routes on the roadie have meant washing kit every ride, some lanes are just mud fest as farmers bring in winter veg and others moving cattle indoors. There’s a particularly bad lane from Fairleigh Wallop Manor down to Lasham that’s just awful, but then that’s part of the fun.
I’ve stuck the X’plors back on the CX’er for a couple of long distance gravel hacks planned with a couple of Lads from B’mth Jubilee that I used to rideout with a few years ago, be good I’m looking forward to some Dorset action..

If anyone’s out over the next few weeks and fancies meeting up (road or CX’er) then I’d love to meet up.
8)

If my Tripster ever turns up, I’d love too. Not that I an get in the garage to build it either, full of the detritus of a new kitchen build (now thankfully in the last stages).

Though I have sort of promised myself doing the Combe > Overton run this year, so I really ought to start running again…

Well I’ve knicked the Sarcen Stonehenge route off Garmin Connect that some might already know and planning to do it this Friday. Looks like a couple of hrs at 12mph ave (someone elses recording) and 28 miles or so, starting at Winterbourne Stoke. Takes in the Henge and up over the Plain near the Army base.. I’ve never ridden this area before and shall be doing it on the CX’er with my X’Plors on as I guess most of it is Gravel, maybe not (anyone done it and know what it could/would be like?)
Friday could be very sunny and 11C so looking good, anyone fancy playing out ?

Salisbury plain is open over christmas- new year. I’m planning on a little explore. anyone got any ideas how the access works?

obviously all the RoWs are fair game (unless flagged etc) but what about the other roads eg. imber. I know imber is open but what about other sections of road. last time i was up there i seem to remember some were signed ‘closed’ some not.

Bikebouy
That route include the track up from the Bustard Inn to Redhorn Hill?
Was up there Sunday at the Redhorn end and the track was shut for maintenance.

The majority of the tracks on the Plain are gravel and broken tarmac so your bike and tyres are spot on. Just be wary of any defrosted chalk mulch!

thomthumb – you basically have 3 (possibly 4) access points for Imber namely Bratton, Gore Cross and Heytesbury. Imber Church is well worth a visit where you can buy hot refreshments, there’s no heating in there though!

http://www.imberchurch.org.uk/

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/neilskelton/imber/sptanews44.pdf

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/neilskelton/imber/sptanews45.pdf

Post up any more q’s!

Inside the church is a very interesting display telling the history of the village together with copies of various documents from the War Office etc.

Sometimes the author of ‘Little Imber on the Down’, Rex Sawyer, is there to sign copies of his book. Definitely worth reading.

Salisbury Plain Honey may possibly be available to buy and it’s delicious. The hives are behind the church.

There’s no electricity, a generator is used for hot drinks, and there’s no loos!

Edit: only those roads leading to Imber will be open on that particular part of the Plain. Nothing to stop you from, say, starting at Redhorn Hill and crossing the A360 then go past the vedette.

bikebuoy – have a great ride! Just for info at Berwick St James there is a farm shop/cafe that used to sell home-made bread pudding for 50p and pots of tea that you could get 3 cups from. Highly recommended.

It’s beside a right of way with a standing stone, on the right-hand side just down from WS.

CG many thanks!

cheers CG. berwick st john tip is good too. 😀

Thanks all for the tips and places to look out for, I guess if I find a route thats closed I can just ride around it yeah? Can see loads of tracks in/on around the Plain so if I have to divert it shouldn’t be too much of a problem..

Looking good 😀

Happy 1000th post, everyone!

I grew up riding the Plain, and adore it still. Just be sure to obey range wardens and warnings. They really mean it!