In Southampton next week for a trade show. Staying at jury’s inn in the town centre and seeing as the weather looks nice thinking about throwing road bike in the back of the car and getting some 20-30 mile rides in early doors most days.

Any suggestions for routes/loops or where not to go? Hilly would be ideal but it’s not really that sort of terrain from memory.

Most obvious suggestion is to head west and into the New Forest.. mainly rolling terrain but the bits more out in the open can be a challenge into a headwind!

Anywhere but Southampton. The roads aren’t exactly cycle friendly!

There is the new forest a 10 minute drive away, should be able to cobble together a decent route round there.

I ride in the new forest but really you’re not into the decent riding in that direction until you’ve done 6 or 7 miles from the centre, so half your ride would be fairly busy urban roads (as far as I’m aware anyway I don’t live in soton so haven’t ridden out of it)

Maybe over the itchen bridge and out that way would be better ?

(what do you mean by early ?)

If you’ve got the time, a ferry to the Island can be a grand ride. (Beware of grumpy ginger people moaning about their broken glasses though…. 😉 )

Other than that, as above, you’re looking at a fair ride on dull(ish) roads before you’re really out of town anywhere nice.

I do a loop occasionally from Southampton, out to Stockbridge, then Winchester, Twyford, Etc.

You can do nearly all of it on back roads, which makes it more civilised.

Once you hit Twyford, you can cut it off and come back, or keep on going to Bishops Waltham, Wickham, then down to Fareham and back. The shorter loop is about 60km, and the bigger one is about 110.

6am to about 7.30ish so probably before the traffic picks up.

From the jury’s Inn you have 5-6 miles in most directions before you are properly out of town. At 730 am the traffic is already building up significantly in town. Southampton drivers at rush hour are not the most courteous to / aware of cyclists in my experience of commuting there.

If you go new forest wise you could ride out from town /jury’s Inn then come back in on the Hythe ferryfrom the NF side, it’s then just a short pedal up from town Quay where it lands.

The Millbrook road (route out to the forest) is bloody dangerous (look it up on the map) but there are cycle routes alongside iirc.

If I were you I’d go catch the Hythe ferry out of Southampton docks then pick up the NCN2 route (sign posted from the ferry dock off the pier) head into the forest on reasonably quiet roads, keep to the NCN2 into the gravel section and follow through to Brockenhurst, cut behind the Giant bike shop and head out towards Sway, then head north and under the A31 towards Normansland, turn south on the B3079 back towards the A31 then head into Bartley and Woodlands, cross the Lyndhurst road at the Happy Cheese Pub, head south past New Forest Wildlife Park towards Hythe and then catch the ferry back.

That route is about 30 miles, no hills per se’ but it’s bumpy and you’ll break a sweat. You’ll see some lovely areas of the forest, climb on top of the the hill at Normansland then head back on a fast swoopy B road, then quiet lanes through a couple of sleepy villages back into Hythe.

Depending on how you do you might catch the commuters catching the Hythe ferry back to Sotty so bear that in mind, a return trip is £9 I think..

Or if that’s boring come out with me in the South Downs 😀

Best I can suggest from the centre of Southampton would be to head N up to the Farley Mount Area. Loop could be: Chilworth – N Baddesley – Ampfield – Braishfield – Kings Sombourne – Ashley – Farley Mount – Hursley – Chandlers Ford – Southampton. Lots of turns so if you have a GPS it would be worth plotting a route do save stopping to check every 5 mins.
No big hills but lots of ups and downs which is quite typical for round here. Once out of Southampton should be fairly quiet small lanes until you get back to Romsey / C Ford area where it will start to get busy again. Getting out of Southampton should be Ok at that time but the return in you will be on Basset Avenue with all the traffic. Sort of a bike path alongside but its a one of those where every joining road has priority.

Thanks for all the suggestions but plans have changed and not driving my car anymore.

Running it is. I hate running.

Running it is. I hate running.

Laps of the Common for you, then!

See if you can get out later in the day. Often many pleasant sights outside the Cowturds on a spring/summer evening! 😀

I’ll be ‘networking’…

I believe that’s exactly what the cap’n was suggesting

you’re missing out, some really nice loops out from southampton (imo) not that long or hard to get out of the centre. Only really dodgy bit is the millbrook flyover so I only ride that early weekend mornings, otherwise I stick to the pavement.

if you still fancy it, look me up on strava and some of my regular runs. I tend to alternate between Farley Mount and New Forest and occasionally get out to the South Downs. I tend to pick out the better roads and hills on my runs.

Old Winchester Hill SD / Dean Hill near whiteparish, Farley Mounts itself and boulderwood ornamental drive in the forest are my favs.

Blissford hill is a short sharp surprise too if your not expecting it!

If you’re concerned about the traffic then take the NCN route along the service road by the docks, its slow and badly potholed but a lot less hassle from cars, do watch out for trucks however, drop down into Eling after you cross the bridge on the shared use and take the toll bridge (free for cyclists) then ride via the lanes beyond it through marchwood and into the forest proper.