Alright,

Keen to find some decent singletrack near Hook. Any ideas??
Found a great commute route via basingstoke canal and some public footpaths running through farm land.

But I am yet to find some good challenging singletrack. Only have one car and my wife uses that most of the time, so the routes need to be riding distance away.

Got an Enduro SL 08 so dont wont to do too much road riding to get to my destination. If the singletrack is good, then I would defintely change my mind.

Have used http://www.bikehike.co.uk / http://www.bikeradar.com to find routes in the past.

Any help, greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Richard

some vast areas of MOD land where i am in Fleet.

Go up the Basingstoke canal and off at fleet, nice and close.
Or get the train to fleet and its a 5 min ride away.

ping me an e-mail if interested and I’ll see if i can help out.

Hi,

I live in basingstoke and typically ride most Tuesday nights with a group over in Farnborough and most Saturdays somewhere.

Send me a mail if you would like more info.

SC

Looked again on bikehike and found fleet pond singletrack, a 5mile route might give that a go early morning on Saturday. Also, forgot swinley forest was so close. Might borrow the car and head over there every few saturday mornings. Got me yearly permit, dont want it to goto waste.

Thanks again for your advice.

You’re very fortunate. There is one of the finest pieces of singletrack in southern England just down the road from Hook. It’s a beautiful nearly 1 mile of slightly downhill singletrack that goes from Farleigh Wallop church down to Cliddesden primary school. It’s a little more overgrown at this time of year but in spring, winter and later autumn it’s a blinder (still good now, just a little slower). Go and ride it.

Another great piece of track is from Merritts Farm at Ellisfield Church down to Preston Oak Hills. You can create a loop that takes in both tracks. Loop ’em up on the map and go and ride them then report back.

Barry

Alternatively there is a STW Forum Chilterns ride this Sunday (about an hour from Hook). I’ll be posting up final details tomorrow. Definitely includes some great singletrack 😀

Agree with bwakel on the tracks he suggested. There’s loads of stuff in that area.

Try hooking up with the Tunnel Hill Trolls – great bunch of guys 8)

I work in Hook so if anyone fancies a ride then let me know.

Barry

Don’t bother with fleet pond, it’s basically 500 yards from my house.
too many dog walkers that don’t give a to55,its too short and just a bit limp.

when are you thinking of going , i could show you a few damn good areas in and around Fleet/Farnborough.

Ride most Tuesday and/or Thursday nights somewhere Farnham, Alton, Froyle, Roply way (south of you). Often ride up towards odiham, Farleigh Wallop direction.

May be able to provide a few gpx routes that go odiham, Farleigh Wallop way. Or drop me a line if you fancy coming out one night.

Normally meet at a pub, then ride approx 8:00-10:30pm then have a beer or two. Star at Bentworth is a regular start, also Royal Oak at Shalden occasionally.

Martin..

Thanks Barry, just found that on bikehike using the OSMcycle option. Ill give those a go and let you know.

Richard

You need to come out for a ride with the

http://www.tunnelhilltrolls.co.uk/
😀

I’m a Troll, and so are Shortcut and Cinnamon Girl above.
We get about all over the place, evening rides in the week, weekends, races, trail centres, even overseas sometimes. If there’s riding to the west of London, there’s probably a Troll that knows it well, put it that way!
We’re based in Farnborough (Roughly speaking) which I know is a bit of a trek from Hook, but I’m sure you could borrow the car at some point?
It would be well worth coming our way. The quality and quantity of really good riding we have near us (I’ll stick my neck out here) is second to none in the South of England. It’s just that most people don’t know it’s there. Forget Swinley for a start, there’s better than that near here.

Tuesday evenings are the regualar ride time, but there’s always something going off. Email me (In profie) if you wanna chat about it.
🙂

I’m in Odiham, just over the M3. There are quite a few bridlepaths and these can be put together into a loop.

I also tend to drive up the M3 to Swinley. I park up by Bagshot Church, so it is only about a 20 minute drive.

Barry,

Did the loop saturday morning 6:30am and its a blinder.

Made a few mistakes on the route, but took in both tracks, farleigh wallop is extremely overgrown at the moment in parts, that will be brilliant once it is all cleared, looped down to the A339 and joined up with the 3 castles path back up to the other track on bell lane down to preston oaks. That was legendary. Got to the bottom and an old couple asked me if that was suitable to walk up, I advised against it.

It had been raining overnight on Saturday morning, so all the rocks were slippery. I am keen to go back and do that in the dry with my knee pads on.

Anyone seen the giant rabbits up near bushywarren lane? Swore I wasnt seeing things and I hadnt been smoking anything, not at 6:30am on a saturday morning.

Anyway, check out http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=10371 on bikehike.

mywebsites – Farleigh Wallop is permanently overgrown cos Hampshire bridleways are not maintained. There is much much worse – pick up the Wayfarer’s Walk bridleway at Lone Barn House (GR SU574409) which leads to Brown Candover. Turns into a great bit of singletrack descent but nettles are thigh-high and there’s a few rabbit holes which you can’t see. 😯

It didn’t look as though you took the actual bridleway through Preston Oak Wood – that is a fun bit of singletrack dropping down to Bagmore Lane. The rocks are fun too 🙂

There’s also a few bits of fun stuff heading towards Bentworth and Shaldon.

Mywebsites – you saw some good bits on your route, but missed a few bits too. As mentioned the descent to Bagmore Lane is fun and if you look, you can use the old railway line for a short bit to rid yourself of the nasty Basingstoke Alton road.

Nearer to you there are several niceish routes, through North Warnborough and out towards Lasham as well as the bits you mentioned.

Give us a shout if you want some more route bits 🙂

I only did the central track running through preston oaks. Just wanted to get a feel for it. cinnamon_girl: Do you mean the tracks the lead in the direction of Bradley Hill. If so, ill give that go next time.

Looks like I have some different routes to try. Seen a few on me OS map, so ill give that a go over the next few weekends.

Cheers everyone

mywebsites – there is a bridleway that runs from the wood down to opposite where the rocky track comes out on Bagmore Lane. But you will obviously be in the wrong direction. So turn right onto Bagmore Lane, turn right uphill on Red Lane, turn right into wood and very shortly you will come to the bridleway where you will enjoy a nice singletrack descent.

Post up if you want some more ideas 🙂

Cinnamon_girl and whimsicalchris, I would also be very grateful if you could identify some good tracks around N. Warnborough, Shalden, Lasham etc.
Thank

RichT – there’s nothing in North Warnborough but if you go west towards Greywell, there are loads but none terribly exciting. They can be used to link up bits and pieces.

From Shalden, at Home Farm pick up byway heading east, it’s called Stancombe Lane and it’s rather fun with a few bits of small rock. That leads to the B3349.

Go straight across onto a short steep byway which descends into a stony track. At road turn right and then shortly left onto another byway heading north east. Bear right onto road and shortly bear left onto another byway which descends.

After approx 1 mile take first byway on left. At road (B3349 again) turn left and right onto byway eventually leading to Weston Common.

There really isn’t anything at Lasham, better off heading west across the A339.

I find this area quite good for riding my singlespeed. In winter a lot of tracks are used by MX’ers so again better with a singlespeed.

Am happy to help with any more requests for route suggestions 8)

RichT – another suggestion for you:

Head towards Greywell and pick up Hook Road/Nateley Road. Turn left onto byway called White Lane. This leads to Five Lanes End. Take 2nd from right byway that leads to minor road beside Ragmore. Turn left onto road then left at t-junction. At bend in road turn right uphill towards Tunworth. Take bridleway on left by Manor Farm, descend but be careful to bear left. This track undulates until a good climb followed by a fast bit of overgrown singletrack descent.

Turn right onto minor road then bear right onto byway gently climbing. At end turn left onto road then bear right at Weston Patrick. Take bridleway on right and this will eventually lead you to Weston Common.

There’s lots of ways to link up tracks, just depends how far you want to go.

Great, thanks. I’ve found some bits, but an sure there are some hidden gems.

Does anyone know what the bit of the three castles path is like between Tunworth and Winslade? Is it very overgrown?
thanks

devil’s punchbowl and all that area just north of hindhead too far? admittedly hav’nt ridden there for 15yrs or so but certainly it used to be stunning when i used to go there.

if you wanted to ride with the tunnel hill trolls i could probably give you a lift as i generally pass hook on the way to the various meet points.

Anyone fancy joining me for a ride from Dummer tonight (Thursday)? Intend to take in Farleigh Wallop and Preston Oaks to scope for a ride with my usual group next week.

btw There is some good singletrack in Bushy Leaze Wood over between Bentworth and Alton. Try riding the southern boundary of the wood the entire length until the track starts to turn left downhill and you reach a gate across the obvious path down to A339. Here, leave the gate on your right and head straight down the hill to a jumps area, when you can join the bridleway that runs NW-SE along the Northernmost boundary. The wood is broadly triangular. Some nice stuff in Chawton Park Woods as well.