I’m going to be in Southampton for at least a week around CHristmas visiting the folks, going to be taking my bike (keeps me sane plus justifies all the food/drink) – anyone know of any good routes nearish? Want to make sure there’s enough around there within reasonable distance. Been to Lordswood a few times but its normally pretty muddy, never been to Queen Elizabeth Country Park or Moors Valley CP – are they worth a trip? Ideally like some reasonably longish routes to fill in the days – maybe we could arrange a STW forum ride?! Thanks.

QE park is alright for a while. A trip to the Island is a grand day out as well.

Salisbury Plain for the wide open spaces.

There’s some not bad riding around Stockbridge, Winchester, Farley Mount, Meon Valley areas. If you want any gpx’s/more info, do let me know.

A Forum Ride sounds excellent, provided my stamina returns, I would happily organise. 🙂

Hope you are well!

South Downs Way out of Winchester is OK. I quite like the New Forest for a good long ride, not techy though. Moors Valley is good. Nothing outstanding in the area but plenty of pleasant stuff.

timpol and lucien on here are from there. maybe they can help too

QE park is very good if you know where you’re going. Could be worth talking to locals and asking if they’re riding there and you can come along.

Try velocity bikes in portsmouth, they do regular rides there (sometimes..).

Swinley is only an hour and 15 up the road by car?

yep lordswood in the winter is very wet and dirty indeed. but so are most places really, lordswood on a cold frozen morning though is a bit sureal though and very sketchy.
newforest or southdowns might be the way to go, you can put together some nice stuff from winchester going east or west
why not cycle from winchester to QE country park and back if you like long…
i like farley and winchester area for some nice long road and off road rides in winter as i can go from more doorstep in chandlers ford, not far from soton
dependant on the date id be up for a stw ride in this area

Cool thanks for the suggestions!
Cinnamon Girl – I’m good thanks, hope you are too… If you do feel up to organising something let me know, I’d definitely be interested.
Otherwise i reckon QE sounds worth a go and yeah swinley isnt too far away. Might try and rediscover some of the stuff from the STW ride on the Isle of Purbeck earlier this year too…

Depends what kind of riding you want to do. Not much gnarly riding round these parts, but a fair amount of bridleways etc.

Lordswood has technical stuff but gets very boggy in winter. Lots of bridleways from Winchester, could easily string together a long ride from there. Winchester to Petersfield, with a lap or two of Queen Elizabeth Country Park is a fairly substantial ride.

Some nice stuff round Burley or the Purbs as you say. Always worth checking the Dorset rough riders calendar as well – I’m sure they won’t mind you tagging along for a ride or two, there’s usually some food ones on near Xmas too. http://www.dorsetroughriders.com

Keep an eye on the Newforce board for impromptu rides, we’ll happily show you round 😀

I’ll come on a STW ride around there. Quite a few routes around QECP heading towards Winchester or head off along the south downs towards goodwood. Don’t know many routes but will come to be shown some more!!

Lordswood on a proper frozen day is great – just depends on your luck with the weather.

I have a soft spot for the Cheesefoot Head ride on the Hants CC website (http://www3.hants.gov.uk/cycling/cycling-route-finder/cycling-cheesefoot.htm), its pretty weather proof and you can ride out from Soton for a longer ride though it does end up with quite a lot of tarmac if you do.

This one is okay too but is a bit less weatherproof (though neither are at all technical):
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/cycling/cycling-route-finder/cycling-oxdrove.htm

just in from a bloody lovely ride in the northern NF – some of those downhills go on for 30 seconds or more, maaaan (OK, not more)

cold an’ all, mud’s frozen onto my bike

trouble is, it’ll be way muddier in December – just about rideable, but only really fun in a slidy, sinking up to your hubs way

If December’s really cold and the ground freezes, though, we’re right back to ace again

QEP is similar to a spider’s web – routes radiate from it although I’m sure there was a recent mention on here about the grub in the Cafe. But it’s chalk. 🙄

As gary mentions, those HCC routes aren’t bad. In fact for the Winchester Forum Ride, we rode a few bits from that. The Ox Drove though has been sanitised in places. 🙁