Hampshire Riding

Have just been out and done the Trail Break route as I didn't make it on Wednesday.. some excellent woodland singletrack on Burghclere Common and over the Greenham Common side of the A339 - loads of scope for summer evening exploration!

I did that a cpl of years ago frogstomp was a bit of a trek from fareham but I was amazed at the quality of riding so close to Newbury town and industrial estates. Really enjoyed it

Oh, and just to keep you up to date with my riding this weekend, there will be none. Don't feel to sorry for me though as I am in Rome eating amazing food and seeing amazing sights 🙂

I ventured East to Essex and have killed my legs to death hacking around Maldon, West Mersea, Colchester, and the Ferres.. Bloming nice and flat with a tail wind then a right old hack back into the teeth of a gale.. That was mighty hard work indeed.

However, I saw no Bluebells at all.. Essex mud flats don't seem to be the place for them 😕

And the CX'er goes in for it's change of brakes at Giant St Pauls, so that's off the menu for a little while 😐

Bikebouy....Give brightlingsea a miss.... back of beyond hole you will be lucky to get out of alive....

Fingers crossed, weather forecast looks good for the following week and QECyclefest. Who's coming and who's camping? I'll be there, camping from Fri night. Look for a motorbike with a Soul on it - shouldnt be many 🙂

A slight aside here, but it turns out that the garden centre at Dummer has a brilliant range of beer in stock!

My dull morning trip to stock up on plants was brightened somewhat!

so mr slackalice what may be the plan for sunday???

Ah ha!

Reckon we go riding DV 😀

I've just received my instructions for my Sat eve marshalling duties at QECP. Looks like it might be a late one! Might you be good to meet at the Four Marks Chawton Woods car park for an afternoon ride? The route I'm thinking of will take us a couple of hours I reckon and I'm just trying to get family timetables together, so an exact ETA will be forthcoming...

John

I promised a grid ref a couple of weeks ago for a family friendly ride start point near Liphook. Finally found my OS map.

Off B2070

Track north off that road at GR 813/280 can park on edge of the common off that track. From there you can get over towards Longmoor, Liss Forest, etc with little or no roads.

Sunday pm sounds great... look forward to it. 8)

Excellent. Timings starting to take shape, how might a meet time of 1.30ish be for you?

Sounds good to me... I like times that end with ish!!

😀

DV, I'll send you a PM with my phone number, just waiting for last bit of my jigsaw of logistics to pop into place before finalising the precise 'ish'!

If anyone else would like to join us, the ground will have hopefully firmed up quite nicely following this last weeks' dry and sunny weather, we'll be meeting at the aforementioned car park in Four Marks, I don't have a grid ref, but it's not far from the A31, Alton end of Four Marks and my PM is in my profile 😀

You'll be able to recognise me as I'll be wearing a red rose in my left lapel and tottering around on a very lovely orange coloured PYGA! 8)

Who else is out this weekend then?
90k's Roadie ride tomorrow, early start/mid morning finish then I'll sleep in the garden until I grab the SS and head to QECP where the Enduro thingumybob's on and watch in Awe as they all RadztotheMaxGnarrlyDude themselves down the bumps to thunderous applause and Podium Girls, should be fun that.
Sunday will be another Roadie ride but late PM with hill climbing training in full flight.

Shades On Lads n Lasses.

Enjoy! 8)

For me it'll be the large dragonn my right arm and the all black canyon! And the carpark is on boynswood rd....
Bikebouy... made it out of essex alive then?? 😉

@bikebouy - well if I had been at QECP you would have seen me mince around the course trying not to crash into a tree in the dark. Plus not trying to exhaust myself during the "practice runs".

What are you training for ?

No riding for me this w/e, hoping to get a ride in Wales next weekend as I am in Cardiff for the Heineken Cup final.

daftvader - Member
Bikebouy... made it out of essex alive then??

It was a good rideout, pinned it from Maldon to West Mersea in a blink of an eye then up to Colchester through the lanes in great time, though there don't seem to be many "lanes" per se' more small B Roads with occasional single lanes but not many, guess it's the field boundries that define the roads. Bit windy on the way back to Maldon, hard slog in 40mph winds.. Great views all round though (main reason for going) I love the Blackwater and have many fond memories of Sailing there with some very good mates.

jambalaya - Member
@bikebouy - well if I had been at QECP you would have seen me mince around the course trying not to crash into a tree in the dark. Plus not trying to exhaust myself during the "practice runs".

What are you training for ?

QECP is a great place the Lads who built and manage it are superstars, nothing more to be said there apart from "thanks".
I have to mince on occasion as I'm using 36/21 on the SSNiner and the rutted climb right out near the A3 just before the fireroad climb always gets me, we all do it, no bother. Also, annoying to some I know, I prefer going the opposite way up the long downhill section from the bottom carpark all the way to the middle of the Red where the whooopy switchbacks meet the long fireroad that cuts the middle of it all.. I have annoyed a few folks on occasion, sorry but I'm no downhiller and prefer tricky climbs, but I get out of thier way soon enough, can be a bit of a shock seeing a dick like me on an SS coming up the other way, sorry if I piss you off but I will get out of your way long before you fly past, honest.
Training, Yup, climbings my thing, love it, love blowing up and breathing out of my arse for some reason and I just love to wiggle my arse. I'm out back to the Doli's in Sept for the Tour of Lombardia Sportive and have a whole summer of sprint hillclimbs organised alongside some long weekends in North Yorks...

8)

Dropped the car off in Cliddesden this morning, and then a lovely bimble back along the lanes through Farleigh Wallop and Dummer, etc.

The wild garlic along the sides of the road by Farleigh Wallop is astonishing! Simply astonishing.

Still wanting to explore Itchen Wood, there were signs warning of harvesting but all was quiet. Bloomin' muddy in parts though although bluebells were enjoyed. Micheldever Wood used to have fantastic bluebells but few were seen following a quick peak, disappointing.

I'll be marshalling at QECP at the start of stage 3, apparently, so do come along and say 'hello' 😀

Then Sunday, as you have probably gathered, off aht with daftvader for a trundle. Spaces available! Looking like a 1.30 ish rendezvous. 8)

CFH there is so much garlic at the top of farligh wallop that I can smell it from the other side of town!
Bikebouy... I grew up in brightlingsea and have sailed all round there .... good memories of sailing, fishing and messing about on the colne/backwater, crappy place to live otherwise!! (Still miss the sea tho)

Going to try and wake up at the crack of dawn, yes I said at not in, as the weekend is full of birthday party's, karate, rugby prize giving , and ballet! Might try to get to QECP Sunday evening

@garagedweller - thanks for that I will check it out when we get a free weekend.

I aim to be at QECP all day saturday - and then I'll be marshalling at the start of stage 2 for the enduro race. Last rider off at just before 10pm - then back to the beer tent and some spectating on stage 4.

Sunday I'll likely be back at QE again... at some point I need to rise some bikes I can't possibly afford.

I hope they have a mobile workshop this year as the rear wheel on my HT needs trueing (also needs headset bearings, and possibly a new headset!).

I'm looking forward to a peaceful evening on my own pottering around QECP tomorrow for my first ever visit!

😉

Well I am up, not quite the crack of dawn but I have a couple of hours until the madness of the weekend descends. Going to head from Fareham to Wickham and join the old railway line, if I am feeling good I will cut in to Bere Forest and have a charge around there, if I am feeling sluggish I will stay on the railway and just give it as much effort as I can. Not the most inspiring of routes but at least it's some exercise.

@chiefgrooveguru- I assume you are joining the race then? Good luck, lot of effort gone into preparing the route, should be great fun.

@anyone related to QECP - will it all be clear by Sunday 5pm as it's the next time I have any free riding time and fancy a blast.

Might try and get down to QECP to catch some of the racing tonight, then hilly local charity road ride on Sunday ([url= http://www.primarypedal.org.uk/ ]Whitchurch[/url]).

Another spin on the Brompton today, out to Cliddesden to pick up the car (Garage -

- Were excellent, BTW. Recommended. Had a lovely Noble M12 in there when I was picking up, so they clearly do a little more than just Volvos!)

Glorious weather for riding, ducks quacking in every pond, etc!

Some bluebells for CG. On the wane, but still lovely!
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The garlic at Farleigh Wallop. Nom, nom, nom!
[img] [/img]

And a Chinook over the scenic sights of The Stoke!
[img] [/img]

Surprisingly few riders out, although I did spot the world champion out for a spin along by FW. Well, who else would wear those stripes? 😉 Also chatted to an ex-Para on an Anthem who'd got 14th (IIRC) in the TT Nationals some years ago! Way faster than me, that's for sure!

get some of that garlic and wrap some mackerel fillets with the leaves then steam them.... tasty and healthy... you can also use a few of the flowers in salads 8)

@anyone related to QECP - will it all be clear by Sunday 5pm as it's the next time I have any free riding time and fancy a blast.

Yes, should be... all the demo bikes will be back in and everyone will be packing up by then. It wasn't too busy today... well not until race practice when there were about 140 riders out on the trails.

For any peeps who were looking to join daftvader and myself for today's pootle around the Four Marks/Alton area, we've just changed the meeting location to Alton Sports Centre, at 1.30ish 😀

Enjoy the sunshine 8)

Yesterday's QECP Gravity Enduro was excellent, I thoroughly enjoyed marshalling, although was highly envious of those taking part! My enjoyment not even dulled by my own face plant coming back down stage 3 at the end of the night 😳 The front wheel has re-trued nicely though 😀

afternoon...

well that was an absolutely brilliant afternoon of riding with Mr Slackalice. saw some bits of trail that were fast, some slow and technical and some that just disappeared 😉 really enjoyable and relaxed. may thanks Tim 8) (oh and check for ticks... found 3)
no pics I'm afraid as we were too busy chatting and riding. next time will try tho

cheers

Proper two days rideout for me, 94ks yesterday in a very high cloud broken sunlight sky and no breeze then today non stop blazing sunshine, proper days out riding. I seemed to catch a group up coming back down from Privett heading towards West Meon who were on something called "little bumps" sportive starting from Haslemere and bouncing around the Downs, niiiice ! Chatted to guys who were 50 odd ks in and another 3.5/4hrs to go... I had to recommend Hampshire for riding didn't I 😆
Then Mrs Bouy and I headed to the beach to bask in the sunshine and catch some rays and sea breeze..

Oh, we also bought a BSO for £20 for one of our nephews that was advertised outside someone's front gate, bargain.

Oh and one more point, yesterday's Gorrick up near Arlesford, bunch of dicks on MTBs hacking down a lane full chat past 2 horse riders without any kind of announcement they were there nor actually GAS about the riders.
Dicks

😆
&
8)

[quote=bikebouy said]
Oh and one more point, yesterday's Gorrick up near Arlesford, bunch of dicks on MTBs hacking down a lane full chat past 2 horse riders without any kind of announcement they were there nor actually GAS about the riders.

There wasn't a Gorrick event on Saturday. There was a Trailtrax at Cheriton today though.

Ahhh that'll be it, did I put yesterday?? Ohh well it's been a long weekend.

Still stands, both horse riders I passed were mighty pissed off and there were about another 20 MTB'ers odd heading down the lane as I was heading up.

I really do hope they slowed down 🙄

How's your face today, Slackalice? I rode stages 2,3 and 4 today... not sure I fancy 1 too much. Stage 3 was pretty good fun in the daylight - but I was still caught out by some of the roots. I tried not to think about your OTB when I went down that drop, though!

Haha! Thanks very much for your thoughts Bartaemus! Some might say my visage has improved! The good news is that I reckon I can now breathe more easily through my right nostril, which has been pretty much inoperative since an incident with a cricket ball as a lad! A clean up and dabs of very diluted h2o2 and the plastic surgeons were put on hold. Rather stiff neck though, but no bruising, swelling or loss of wanting to ride my bike! The front wheel straightened out no bother with a bit of judicious spoke key twiddling, not sure about the tyre, I didn't get time this morning to put it back on.

Mr Daftvader, excellent ride! Sincerely echo your sentiments and what a good chap you are. Great company and conversations. Delighted you liked the sampling of trails and route and look forward to doing your neck of the woods and QECP with you and any others who may wish to join us

Got passed by a few of the TrailTeax w*****s while out for a lovely bimble through the countryside. The organisers really need to tell their participants that these a multi-use bridleways not XC race courses.

Struggling to keep up with this thread. 😀

Nice pics and amazing that bluebells are still around. In fact on Saturday I cycled through a wood where they were still looking good and enjoyed the wonderful scent. This was near the Woodland Trust wood.

Just don't call me Rudolph! 😳

Well I grit my teeth and mailed the TrailTrax (whatever they're called) "contact us" email and explained the predicament I faced and martinh too it seems. I was riding up Cheriton Lane out of Cheriton (the lane directly south of Arlesford) up towards Tenant Woods, the TrailTrax lot were exiting Tenant Woods coming down Cheriton Lane towards me, the horses were going the same direction as the TrailTrax lot.
All I did was explain the situation I found at the time, location and suggested actions. I wait to hear, if I hear anything at all from them, we’ll see. These organised “rideouts” invariably end up as a race and as such should be treated a bit more heavy handed without road closures and draconian measures or even cancellations of event, but the organisers should be the ones to control this, so I’ve handed it over to them.
Nothing against organised “rides”/”XC Races”/Multiuse of Bridleways but would suggest that others use these too and consideration should be sought when approaching and overtaking, simple enough I think.
It’s easy to turn up to an event and not GAS about it’s location or locals or other users because you’re not there for that long and hey “I’m here to take part and all that”.
But some of us ride these lanes and trails all the time and don’t want to be tarred with the irresponsible riders I saw on Sunday.

Hay
Ho
😐

To be fair to Gorrick they do state on their website the following

"Riders must give way to other users sharing rights of way. "

and

"Please respect other trail users to promote the sport of mountain biking."

I think their maps contain some wording too about the event not being a race.

Unfortunately idiots ride bikes too and will ignore whatever organisers do/say.

To be fair bikebuoy there are people who haven't a clue about horses, whether they're cycling, walking, running or driving. One horse rider I spoke with reckoned that roadies were the worst as they silently whizzed past and far too close at that.

I just wish people could use a bit of common sense when in the countryside.

Well we'll see, as said I felt I had to comment and glad I did.

Great weekend in all though wasn't it.

These events and roadie-sportivs say they are not races as it would generally be forbidden to organize them on open public rights of way, be that a road or a bridleway. I have no doubt the MTB-ers in @bikebouy's post thought they where racing and thus slowing down for horses was "out of the question"

Rode at qecp early Sunday morning, too old/fat/slow for the enduro the night before. (maybe next time)
Did the usual loop that then seemed to turn into stage3. Excellent fun, although the 2 dog walkers coming towards me round a blind bend had a bit of a shock! Should I have been riding it (yes), should they have been walking up a track marked with tape (no), who knows.
Stage4 also seemed part of the usual ride.
Most enjoyable compared to the usual qecp route which always is a bit of a slog for little reward.