[Closed] Hampshire riding - the fat thread

Well this has been a dissapointing response

You and CFH are the only Hampshire STW'ers who're man enough to cope with current conditions.

😉

Actually, hasn't CFH got some sort of silly new bike with tractor tyres?

Obviously do hope that you manage some adventures and post up the pics!

I know a few who fat bike it round some North East Hampshire and Surrey areas, but Hampshire is a big place with wide variety of conditions, terrain and trails (or lack of further south 😉 ).

From the ones I know there's two elements to it. One is places where fat bikes are useful, i.e. sandy areas, and the other is regular trails where it seems they are also pretty good. Despite what you may think, they seem to roll rather well. That kind of makes sense as with MTB, contrary to road bikes, more contact area and lower pressure actually seems to roll better off road. Maybe not super speedy, but then again they seem to be getting popular in some local XC races and top speedy XC guys are just as fast on the fat bike category.

Not quite CG, I've been out loads. In fact I'm back in training up and down Beacon Hill...

Not on a fat bike mind 😆

I'm in Hampshire, just the other end at Fleet. Have ridden all the way to Hayling Island offroad - wasn't much fun after Rowland's Castle though. Plenty of sandy bits in places as many bridleways/byways are a churned-up muddy morass due to horse and vehicle traffic.

It was a demo, CG, might well be added to the collection at the end of the season, however. Was very good fun!

Haven't been out and about in NW Hants much of late, as I was in the US for a fair bit of the month. Hoping for lots of gnarmac action during the Christmas break, though.

I'm thinking that hayling, the witterings etc will allow a sand fix, maybe Bournemouth/ Poole. Was just trying to identify routes nearer to home which will now open up because of 4" rubber. I know the forest has some sandy soil in places. Also will hopefully open up some simple traffic adventures for me my daughter and soppy spaniel.

There's a thread on the bike forum talking about private beaches, there's some trail talk on there, Calshot, Hamble, Warsash etc.

Occurs to me the beaches along Southampton water past Weston and Netley, then over the Hamble to Warsash and on towards Hill Head and Lee on Solent might give you some opportunities although stoney more than sandy.

Edit. I don't do fat bike just trying to think about the local geography and beaches.

There is limited sand on the Hanpshire coast, but in land there is sand...Frensham Ponds (ok just inside Surrey) Bordon and all of the other military sandy locations including Tunnel
hill and Yately.

I'd say that the south west corner of the New Forest would be good. Fritham to Red Shoot and limited bogs to worry about all the way to Sandy Balls (s****s)

Personally, I'm going to travel to Studland and ride the beaches as well as Frank's Tank.

Or try the sandy stuff at Matchams be Ringwood. Lots to explore on a fat bike it seems....

bb - you're a machine with the amount of miles you pedal!! Beacon Hill is lovely (haven't been there for years) and I guess you're linking it up with Old Winch Hill on your cx?

Yarp, it's a loop..

Sailors lane, old Bacon Hill reps, then Old Winny hill from the little right turn from the Thomas Lord, then left onto the lane and to the top, turn right at the top (where most folks come up it) and down the main lane and out at Warnford,,back up Warnford hill to Corehampton golf course and up the main lane back up to Beacon hill but turn left down the old lane back to Sailors Lane and right up it again .. And again, and again.. Do that 5 times, takes 2.5 hours all in.

That's my winter training loop right there that is. 😆

Bloody love it.

Hampshire Ace.

I was out on a fatbike the other day in the NF - Nomansland and Canada common. It's very effective at not gouging massive tracks into wet earth but quite scary on slimy muddy downhills 😯

I'll be bashing the trails on this in Feb and March all over Hampshire.
25lbs of trail smoothing tank

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You can ride from wimbourne to Poole, then from there to boscombe pretty much all off road/cyclepath/beach but better still from wimbourne over to swanage & the purbecks. Grand days out both. Not that that helps as they are in Dorset but still

Currently sizing up my Whyte for 27+ for a bit of variety.

In fact I'm back in training up and down Beacon Hill...

Ah the other Beacon Hill - I'm nearer the Burghclere one

There's a guy in Gosport with a fat bike somewhere in Elson.
No idea if he's on here though

Has anyone tried riding up the Test Valley yet?

I've gotten as far as Mottesford, but then turned off onto the roads to head back home. Just wondering as there are lots of pathways and tracks that crisis cross the wetlands up there.

I've done the Test Valley way loads (it's a footpath BTW) it's nice enough but not really much fun on a fatty.

If you end up Chichester Harbour area, you can't go around Thorney Island (it's and army base and whilst you can walk on it, through the gated entrance, they don't let you ride on it) Other than that some of Bosham and Itchenor are rideable but beware of sinking river mud. The area around Witterings is nice and sandy but once you've done it, you've done it..
Also, you can ride all the way down Bracklesham Bay to Selsy via an access road, again. Nice enough if a little flat.

[quote=brassneck]Ah the other Beacon Hill - I'm nearer the Burghclere one

Ditto.. although it has crossed my mind that 'ours' would make a great cheeky descent (not sure I fancy the push up though!)..

Has anyone tried riding up the Test Valley yet?

I've gotten as far as Mottesford, but then turned off onto the roads to head back home. Just wondering as there are lots of pathways and tracks that crisis cross the wetlands up there.

A lot of expensive fishing there, so maybe not worth the aggro. Either side of the 'valley' make nice road rides, and from what I remember the Test Way itself is more cross then fat.

Ditto.. although it has crossed my mind that 'ours' would make a great cheeky descent (not sure I fancy the push up though!)..

I remember an MBR article years back that had one of the PedalOn guys doing hill repeats on it.. I prefer to admire it from a safe distance on the main ridge!

Quick update

Fatty got a leg stretch

Stoke park woods in bishopstoke. Didn't realize how much grip until I started to get some lean on and the wheels slip away.

Fun fun fun

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Nice! I've been ragging mine round Hindhead, with one downhill/uphill loop straying into Hampshire - Grayshott. The Hants section, all 1 mile of it, is all on road too. Got my eye on Ludshott common for an explore sometime soon, then there's Longmoor camp too.

From Surrey, but looking at Hampshire!
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Is that Golden Valley Ned?

Definately looks like Golden Valley. Ned, drop me an email if you want a guide for Ludshott, Bramshott and Longmoor more than happy to extend your trail knowledge.

Yup! On the track running alongside the Churt Road.

bpd - will do!

NE Hampshire here nr Alton. Tending to head out towards the sand of Surrey at the moment (Tilford to Hindhead last night). Conditions in other direction towards Basingstoke are normally pretty grim at this time of year. But I am happy to supply routes or guide you through the mud if you are ok to ride in the evening.

And we're back.

Loving the fun and adaptability of the fatty.

Looking to ride a beach tomorrow thinking Studland. How far round clockwise from the chain ferry can you get? Assuming tides are in my favour (I believe high tide is around 1pm tomorrow) can I ride all the way round to swanage on the beach or do I have to come inland.

Any one got any very beach biased routes they can suggest? Wanting to avoid chalk as much as possible given today's weather.

I don't believe you can get past the cliffs by Old Harry (rocks no sand or beech to speak of ?) so quite far from Swanage. I think you'll end up cutting inland and onto cliff top path. Note have only walked there on beach and cliffs.

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Thats a great route but you can't get all the way around on the beach. Once passed the sailing club you'll have to climb up onto the chalk cliff that ends over at Old Harry Rocks, it's a Bridleway all along then the otherside drops into Swanage.. Whilst you are there pop into Charlie the Bikemongers, he'd be most pleased to see you.
How far? Dunno exactly but I've done it on the CXer and didn't take me that long.. maybe out for a few hours (can't remember)

There are loads of routes through the dunes in that area, if you cross the road there are even more. Oh, don;t forget there is a bird sanctuary in the middle of the Studland Bay Dunes...

You'll have great fun, it's lovely.

Nudist area too after chain ferry - tracks in dunes behind beach are tough/impossibke to ride in places as sand too soft

Cheers all, had a feeling I'd need to get up onto the cliff top at that point.

Given the weather id be surprised to discover nudists but you never know!

Hopefully all being well I'll get it done tomorrow with fish and chips in swanage before a spin back. I'll try and remember some pics

Missed this thread first time round! There's a bunch of us who have been riding fatbikes in Southampton for 3 or 4 years now. There's also a bunch of guys in Hythe who we bump into occasionally.

We've found some amazing stuff right on the doorstep, places I'd never even thought of riding before the fatbike (or even knew existed, despite living in Southampron all my life!)

Sturdays ride was an example: Met at the cycle speedway track, up tanners brook into Lordswood, quick play on the jumps, back through sports centre & pump track, trails through the common, through town to itchen bridge, beach ride to hamble and the King & Queen. Back via beach.
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Other stuff we do regularly:
Itchen bridge to Gosport beach ride, using the little pink ferry Hamble to Warsash
West Wittering (I've got a plan for Southampton to Brighton by beach, need a boat to get from Hayling to Wittering but otherwise all do-able!
Ealing, Goatee beach, Dibden Bay, down to Calshot
Lymington to Mudeford
Boscombe to Studland over teh chain ferry. Lots to do at Studland, play in the dunes, up past fraggle rock, teh golf course to Franks Tank, round the inside of Poole bay. Then all the hilly stuff in the Purbecks.
Plus a couple of rides in the New Forest each week!

Edit - we've decided to go public, calling ourselves SoFat (Solent Fatbikers) and are about to set up a facebook page so we can organise some get togethers with like-tyred individuals 😀

jambalaya - Member
Nudist area too after chain ferry - tracks in dunes behind beach are tough/impossibke to ride in places as sand too soft

Beg to differ 😀

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There's a route right the way along from the NT tearooms to the 'pond' up by the ferry.

I hope to get over to Southampton Bike Park and Lordswood in the near future, just waiting for this man flu to shift! Also want to try Weston shore into Victoria Country Park, something in the New Forest (probably involving the Hythe ferry there and Ashurst train home after meal at The Happy Cheese) and I've been told there are some decent paths along the river near World Of Water in Romsey.

So far, in the boggy conditions we had in Feb/Mar, I had mixed experiences at...
Telegraph Woods
Old Cutbush Lane to Riverside Park to cycle boardwalk heading to Northam Bridge
Itchen Valley Country Park
Mayfield Park

This is great stuff, looks like there are loads of options for getting out on the fatty. So far I've only done hamble round to nearly gosport and back on the shingle. Brilliant fun if a bit tough in a few places.

If you want any routes let me know, I can send gpx's. Although a lot of stuff we do is really back-of-the-houses so doesn't really show on maps

@40 point taken but can you pedal up/along there ?

If you're going to be in Hamble in next few weeks and don't mind an interloper I'll pop along for a pint - would like to get some more ideas for local riding

Bike on a beech - apologies for lack of tyre width

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You can't ride my beach without inviting me now can you 😀

Haven't been for a while but there was a short sandy in places loop at Hundred Acre / Forest of Here and from there you can head up the disused railway to SDW too.

I'm debating the fat bike but myself but wondered what they're like in the mega gloopy mud that consumes most of my local trails at this time of year?

James

There will be Fatbike racing at the Bab Bike Bash at Southampton Bike Park next Saturday 23rd. See the other thread for details. Good chance to meet up. I will be there on my 'Plump' bike* with electric assist if you want to feel the boost

*650B Plus