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 three maids hill 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 ****.

jambalaya – check out these:

http://www3.hants.gov.uk/cycling/cycle-trails.htm

@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.