Lunchtime bike ride, 1h40 through the lanes of Hampshire and Surrey. Warm, sunny, just a hint of yellow in a few trees.

Magic.

Some spots down here are impossibly beautiful.

It is, isn’t it.

I shall meander home via a semi-off road route and drink in the last of the middle season.

I just came back from a quick lunchtime lap of Richmond Park. Not exactly a back country epic, but fast, dusty and scenic enough – even came across a few groups of deer (and plenty old dears). Better still, I’ve just finished my work for the afternoon so I may go out again later.

What was your route then Molgrips?

I’m looking out of my office window at leafy sunny Cheshire and thinking about getting out on the bike in the next couple of days (in which time its bound to drop down to 5 degrees and start raining!).

🙁 got a cold and now its raining in Devon 🙁

Last nights night ride was of note due to the dust on the trails – if you were last down the hill you couldnt see much ! Amazing.

Probably the last after-work pump track meet tonight. Should be dusty and sweaty, a great way to round out the summer.

Off to Swinley forest in a couple of hours looks like it’s going to be a nice evening. I amm really hoping for a dry autumn, best time of the year to be in the woods especially round Surrey.

Starting near the Wellington Statue in Aldershot, it went

Fleet
Crookham
Dogmersfield
Hartley Witney (all on lanes)
Mattingley
Chandlers Green
Bramshill (all on tiny lanes)
Eversley
Farnborough

44km or so – the Eversley to Farnborough bit wasn’t great, little busy, but it was flat and fast, and virtually no traffic on the lanes.

The route I had planned went towards Odiham then lanes to cross the A31 and pick up the A325 then back dodging Farnham with some more lanes; but my GPS cocked it up and wouldn’t guide me on it.

One of the best things about down here is that loads of C roads and UCRs are actually really nice cycling roads, wide and good quality.

Summer?

Summer finished up here in mid-August 🙁

I can’t see outside at the moment as there are no windows around here, but the forecast was for rain up here today.

Going out tonight.

Going for a solo bit later, and looking lovely out there ( Ashtead, Surrey).

ashfanman I was also in Richmond Park today around the same time..what were you riding?

Made a point of doing some quick lunchtime rides yesterday and today.

As others have said, fantastic to be out in these conditions at this time of year. At the same time slightly surreal; it’s warm and sunny but with various sensations of autumn (leaves on the turn and on the trail, a general ‘smell’ of early autumn, the angle of the sun etc).

Just got back from a ride myself, felt like mid summer to me, easy 20 degrees here in Wilts.

Spent nearly 6 hours in the saddle, best days riding for months.

Out tonight, might chill 8)

Quick 2hr blast of local trails.

Roll on a long dry autumn…

Pump track rained off. Sh*t it.

It was lovely out on the Surrey Hills earlier…all warm, dry and peaceful 😀

The main path out from car park 9 is taped off btw due to logging

I’m currently bikeless…so I utilised the last day of summer by doing some washing and hanging it out on the line to dry!

Manitou – a black Cube Ltd Race HT, going round clockwise. Was wearing a red t-shirt and probably looking pretty rough as the tank seemed to be a bit empty today for some reason. You?

Summer in Farnborough today, yet there was snow on last night’s ride in Hawley Woods 😮

Lets see if this works

routes

Really nice routes are the road past the western end of Odiham Airfield. Also from Froyle up to Golden Pot if you have time

Tend to be less busy and nicer than the Eversley – Farnham bit although appreciate you may need to get back to work

Just returned from a fugging ace singletrack session in the woods. It’s lush out there.

Kool and the Gang should release a track called Indian Summer Madness.

Looks good Gee-Jay. The corridor between the A31 and M3 is fantastic for road riding.

I love the riding south of Farnham too, but from work you have to go through Farnham or a bunch of lanes and it breaks your stride.

Rode Cut Gate from Derwent today with Portlyrider and Fairlylimitedresponsibility. It was ace.

Loads of quiet lanes South of the Hogs Back also 🙂

Respect to molgrips for not rubbishing the riding down South. 8)

I had a lovely ride today in the Chilterns and bumped into the same walker 4 times. 😯 I had sent him in the wrong direction (thought I knew where I was), bumped into him again and I apologised profusely. He was most charming. 8)

The red kites provided an awesome display for my picnic, followed by a small herd of fallow deer.

Darn shonky body meant it took me twice as long. 😥

Dave – what’s with the snow?

No bike riding – just wave riding.

Up before it got light, uncrowded but misty waves soon cleared to sunshine. Wave touching double overhead, saw a seal, had some great rides, usual stunning coastal backdrop.

Cornwall isn’t bad either…

Respect to molgrips for not rubbishing the riding down South

The roads and the trails down here are excellent. As they are elsewhere in the country 🙂

Pishin down in Glasgow…..for the past week…..

Lovely up Cannock Chase last night. Dusty. Plenty of grip. Excellent fast SS run over Sherbrook Valley way. Really nice. Far cry from the drenching the previous week.

Had a spin round Epping Forest. Din’t see a single bit of mud. First time that’s happened since that bastard hot summer a few years ago.

Hot and dusty evening ride. Jupiter was impressive again.

West of Manchester and it was drizzling as I left work at 5.25. The planned ride was to Dunham, onto the Bridgewater Canal and then over the motorway and back home along the Mersey.

Though I’d been listening to songs while working, the promised on loop of African by Peter Tosh didn’t happen. Rain stopped play, I think.

Through the lanes, there was a certain comfort in the rain gently popping against my face, and I passed a lone runner, earphones in, working away steadily. Onto the canal towpath for thr first time, this wasn’t the dust of late summer hoped for. Instead, a thin ribbon of grass between me and my waterloo, and slithering along the path on road-hard 24s.

One narrow boat with yellowing lights, and a contend dog tethered, another bearing towards me, deep blue, with pilots hidden in cagooles. A grunted hello, but they didn’t hear. And then I was at the bridge. One, two, three, up the steps and back to the black stuff and through the outer burbs of Altrincham before joining the heavy traffic all the way home to Didsbury.

So long summer, you went out with a fizzle. But we still love you. Kisses xxx

Some pretty good diplomacy skills from molgrips there. 😉

offthebrakes – the run from Herriard, down through The Candovers to Alresford or back up to Lasham is brilliant. I stopped road riding for a few years and when I started again I couldn’t wait to do that bit. Great road & scenery & not much traffic

Past few day riding has left a nice layer of dust on the bike, this morning all I see is, what can only be described as one of the single most depressing sights “wet Swindon”