Hi everyone,

Just moved into the area and wondered if there is anywhere to go within riding distance of the north end of the city? (I don’t mind jumping in the car but I’d prefer not to)

thanks in advance for the replies.

James

There’s a not overly long route that heads out of Winchester toward the coast. Not madly technical but good for a 10 – 12 hours ride.

yeah loads.

http://www3.hants.gov.uk/cycling/cycle-trails.htm (can get hard copys from a tourist info)

New Forest Mountain Bike Club

easy access to southdowns way from petersfield road.

can ride out towards sutton scotney from harestock area.

get an os map – we are blessed w/ bridleways.

loads of stuff around hursley/ ampfield/ stockbridge/ compton / alresford

HTH 😀

I live down in portsmouth (MTB mecca NOT) and theres lots of riding, most it however is cheeky or unmarked so im sure up in winchester there must be loads. If your looking for more trail centrey type riding there is swinley obviously and peaslake which is awesome. There is also QE but thats only a very short XC loop.

Relish the oppurtunity to explore my good man!

Thanks for the replies guys, got an OS map already so will check that out, just moved down from outside Reading, riding distance from Swinley 🙁 , so know that well.

cheers

James

farley mount, crawley, alresford ox drove, the HCC trails are quite good, lots of stuff to explore

I work in New Alresford and have a nice 30 mile loop. Heads out over SDW and on southwards to Marwell Zoo .
If you dont mind a nice 3 – 4 hr ride then i can show you round.
We did a SSSD stw ride once that used 1/2 of it . There are some routes on the hants.gov.uk site too.

hth

rob

PS. southampton skyride on sunday. 🙂

I don’t think Black Wood has been mentioned yet? Just by Micheldever, good fun when it’s not too overgrown!

Thanks everyone, did a quick 10 mile route around Kings Worthy this afternoon mostly on Bridelways etc.

@Singletrackmind, I may well take you up on that in a few weeks when I’m properly settled.

@podman, I’ll have to have a look at Black Wood, it may well be within pedalling distance for me 🙂

The Hants Gov site looks fairly useful as well.

James

Better get used to slippery chalk and flinty punctures 🙂

Everyone else has all ready said it really, but im soon moving from south of winch to north of winch so i’m looking forward to making up some decent loops in a few weeks, i’ll post back if any are worthy of note.

Did Queen Elizabeth country park the other evening, both trails are short (6km) but the advanced route was fun.

Last went about 10 years ago and it was crap…all fire roads and nothing interesting but the trail builders have been busy and the route now features drops, jumps and berms….theres some technical climbing with switchbacks and rooty sections too….liked it so much i went back the following evening, it cant compete with the large Welsh trail centres but for an evening blast i was pleasantly surprised.

Loads of riding in the vicinity and would definitely take up singletrackmind’s offer (was shown around that loop a couple of years ago by him).

Get a good selection of maps and explore and, as mentioned above, the Hampshire County Council website has some useful routes. Don’t expect them to be waymarked though!

there was a cracking route around cheesefoot head- sdw- bishops waltham CG put together that i now ride, Black woods is also a cracker, there’s a nice ride out from farley mount – sparsholt – crawley and back into winch down andover road. Basically maps are you’re friends.

Dont forget Lordswood in southamton and the freespace BMX track in eastleigh for some variety.

Routes tend to be great in summer/dry but terrible in winter/wet as the horsey set (an there’s a lot of them) are on the same bridleways we are and tend to do a great job of mulching them up.

P.S riding in the snow is awesome, carving up the longer rides in axle deep powdery snow was brilliant last year

QE park is getting a lot of trail building time at the moment, and it will continue to improve not just the “Orange” trail, but also “Purple”. The routes are also getting revised naming standards, with orange becoming red, purple = blue.
Some jumps and possible northshore on the cards for the “Red” trail. May also be linking in with some longstanding cheeky trails and even a “Black” trail.

north on the A34 and theres some decent rides in Upton / Vernham Dean / Hungerford area

Sadly you’ll need to drive

lummox – there was a cracking route around cheesefoot head- sdw- bishops waltham CG put together that i now ride

Any details of this route? Always looking for some variation.. a GPX would be good if you have it?

These are a couple of loops I do – from Cheesefoot Head (I think this is the Winchester Off-road Trail) and Farley Mount.

Anyone got any more routes for Farley Mount country park? I’ve only been there a couple of times and there seems to be quite a lot of tracks and trails…

Sadley no but originally cinnamon girl
Sent me a gpx and I copied it onto an
O.S map.

Very near to you, but not terribly obvious, is a track which runs just inside the trees lining the verge of the eastern side of the Andover Road. It runs for a mile, or a mile and a half and terminates at the John Moore(?) barracks.

It is very slightly downhill, tight wooded singletrack and is a blast if you give it everything in the big ring.

Plan your rides to end on it. There are drove roads that link in at the northen end.

Looks very unpromising on the OS but highly recommended.

Second for Farley Mount and Black Wood, which you would best reach through Micheldever Wood if cycling there.

Happy to meet up sometime if you want company

My ears were burning. 😀

frogstomp – I’ll send a gpx of the Winchester Forum Ride, it’s 51km but there was an extra bit of singletrack that could get thrown in. I’ll do that as a separate gpx.

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

You will be able to download these, it’s split into four sections.

Also check out here for some fantastic introductory routes for the Test Valley:

http://www.testvalley.gov.uk/Default.aspx?page=9586

If you like, I can send a selection of gpx’s?

spikyjames and frogstomp – have sent some gpx’s to you both.