Hampshire Riding

Steep, Is that Ashford Hangers / Shoulder of Mutton? or is there other stuff more towards Steep?

Steep nr Selborne... (Gilbert Whites house Selborne)

I ride it a lot, a few good bridleways up/over the hills and out towards Selborne through Proir Dean then back over the top to Froxy then to Otterborne. Love climbing, you certainly put yourself through it up there.

Ride in the dark tonight with BigShep. Great fun and a little hairy when you realise the corner you thought you were at, was the next one not the one you were just about to go round which was sharper and had a big tree root to negotiate.

HNR it was riding nicely up there a few weeks back when we were there. The drop down from Noar Hill is lovely.

[b]Hampshire Countryside Access Plan[/b]

This may be of interest, it's a very short questionnaire.

www3.hants.gov.uk/countryside/access-plans.htm

hi HNR.. i normally ride on a Tuesday evenings as well, for the same reasons too! generally tho i only do 10 -12 miles as i have to be in work at 6am the next day, which after a 25 mile epic is a little draining... but the Tuesday thing is movable. if i fancy doing a bigger distance i usually try and do it before my day off... drop me a line on the email and it'd be great to meet, some of the routs round this way aren't that challenging but are fairly fun

edit... CG are you feeling fit enough to meet for a midweek slow ride? just returning to ss so i wont be at all fast!

A little shakedown ride in the Test Valley, 10 miles max was all I could manage!

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Ohhh Shiney !!

That is a proper nice looking bike right there.

Lovely bike CG. I'd love a Sync myself, just not in 29 as they currently offer.

Suppose I should include a pic of my new bike in here as well, shouldn't I?

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19.1lbs of grrravel bike. Still sitting in the LBS waiting for me to pick it up and take it home, because this weekend I've been too busy riding this;

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Full review on the latter to follow shortly, and on the former once I've picked it up and ridden it home (Salisbury to the top of the Test!)

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/2015-diverge-expert-first-ride-review

Thanks for the review and that was a pretty good shakedown ride there! I do like that colour as it sets it apart from pure road bikes. Hampshire back roads are ideal for these new-fangled gravel cum cx steeds.

Do keep us updated. 🙂

Yes, interesting write up, fascinating bike. Was your choice something like hardtail 29er with narrow hybrid tyres and bar ends or the Diverge, did you just want something a bit different ?

Didn't want a 29er, didn't want a road bike, didn't want a crosser. Wasn't sure what I wanted, really, but am very pleased with what I got!

CG, as you rightly mention, the back roads of rural Hants are hardly the place for a full on race bike, but great to explore! Shall have to get you out there on your grrrravel bike when I can organise my diary!

Well that was very pleasant indeed!

Along the Harrow Way to the main road above Whitchurch. Grrrravel! Well, more mud and wet leaves, actually. Turns out road tyres, even fat ones, really aren't very good at mud! Made an ordinary trail very challenging, which was fun!

Then, on to Ecchinswell down the back roads, Kingsclere, Hannington and on home.

The bike climbs like a stabbed rat. Shame I'm holding it back! Comfy, and fast riding, and really appreciated the tougher feel on some filthy lanes. Brakes are amazin .

Be good to hear your thoughts on hacking the first part of the STW to QECP, nice and rolling with gravel up top..
Should be fine on that, mebbies put some gravel tyres on it...
Then lanes all the way home..

Good day out that.

Am going to start putting together a list of good grrrrravel spots in Hants and Wilts.

On today's ride, I found myself pondering doing the Salisbury Plain Winter Challenge on the Diverge with some narrow cross tyres on! It really is that good!

We took minivader over to greenham common yesterday absolutely brilliant apart from some idiots dog attacking mine and getting pushed off my bike by the owner when I tried to break them up... Still didn't really spoil the first outing with minivaders new bike!!

Am going to start putting together a list of good grrrrravel spots in Hants and Wilts.

sounds like a great idea.

On today's ride

i think you passed us the other way nr hannington. i *think* i recognised the bike.

I rode to Amberley from Winchester this weekend with an overnight stop, decided on a B&B though not a bivi and then cycled back along the southdowns way. I've read enough about the chalk being slippy in the wet but it was like sheet ice in places. Really good weekend with the boys just a shame I ripped off my rear mech hanger, lucky the other half brought a spare bike for the ride back home today all it cost me was dinner at the pub! Great to see so many out and about

i think you passed us the other way nr hannington. i *think* i recognised the bike.

Oooh....intriguing! What were you riding? You weren't the chap from N Hants bike club (?) who had dropped his glasses, were you? I was in a bright red jacket, if that helps. The bike is rather distinctive, I hope. Still not seen anyone else talking about having one in the UK!

(Hope I said hello through the grimacing in pain!)

What were you riding? You weren't the chap from N Hants bike club

red genesis equilbrium - in a group of 5. no but we saw a NHRC jersey.

I was in a bright red jacket,

hmm - perhaps not: blue/white jersey.

maybe next time!

No riding for me this weekend due to family commitments and a visit to a HMS ship which ended up with beer and sunday lunch 🙂

Picked up the frame and forks for my Sherpa build yesterday and have the drivetrain arriving tomorrow. I have a feeling the build may take a while due to finance but I want it now, I am sick of dragging the full suss around cross country routes.

You will likely not ride the fs till next summer now!!!

Am going to start putting together a list of good grrrrravel spots in Hants and Wilts.

Hampshire Chapter STW Gravel ride

Ooooooh!

yea hampshire gravel routes and hampshire gravel ride would be fun as long as theres not much gravel?
I rode some of the test way today and they have started maintenance on it by rolling gravel on top?, theve done some near cow drove and some at stockbridge south and the bit in the middle is a mess. Dont know what to think of it at the moment. I need more singletrack and mud guards!

CaptainFlashheart - Member

Hampshire Chapter STW Gravel ride

Ooooooh!

Ooooh indeed, I'm up for that..
I don't ride much up your way but I can add South/South East/West routes to the list.. I've a few good un's that can link to/from the STW too..

😀

Think I can help you with that! As, I'm sure, could Thomthumb.

definately could - whats the most useful way to make list though? i have lots of small routes on memory map - not exportable in any simple way...

whats the most useful way to make list though? i have lots of small routes on memory map - not exportable in any simple way...

That's what's troubling me!

For example, the link between Park Farm and the Old Stockbridge Road, coming out of the Wallops to the North. Hardly a "route", but a nice way to link stuff together and keep off the main roads for a while.

There are plenty of linking sections like that out there. Also, stuff like the Test Way. Much (all?) of it is good for grrravel types, but I haven't really been able to explore enough of it.

Funny who you spot when you're out for a ride, isn't it?

Lovely to see you earlier, CG! Hopefully your ride went better than the rest of mine. I descended in to a puncture strewn hell, after all the hedge [s]trimming[/s] killing that had been going on along a bridleway section further on. Lovely ride apart from that, though.

Yes it is funny who you see isn't it.

Today I too had 3 punctures, all in the rear, on the roadie. Within 2 miles of setting off from Arelsford on a 65km route North up to Overton and back through the lanes I had 3 darn flatties... 4 groups of roadies passed by on NCN23 and none stopped nor even said "y'all reet mayt" 🙄
Anyhoos the ride up North was nice enough, bloody noisy M3 though (so glad I don't live near it) you can hear if from the Weilds which are 11ks South of it.. Some lovely lanes, quiet, no one around. Spotted one of the groups who passed me on the early part of the NCN23, still in head down mode.

Good ride out though. Tomorrow I'll be hacking Wareham into Wiltshire to Weymouth and back to Wareham through the lanes, can't bloody wait. Weather looks nice for it too..

8)

It was a pleasure to meet you Captain. 😀 Bad luck on those punctures, did notice that some hedges had reduced in size and of course they never clear it up! Can you go tubeless on your lovely new [s]dirty[/s] steed?

Check your inbox a bit later, will send over some grid refs.

bikebuoy - bad luck with those punctures, if you had been on a mtb it would have been a different matter with folk checking you were OK.

I've not heard the M3 from Wield. In fact if you ride on the 3 Castles Path through the area that's threatened with a solar farm with view of the South Downs, you definitely won't hear it!

[b]Trail sanitisation[/b] has come to the Candover Valley. 🙁 The track near Preston Candover, known as Oak Hill Lane, has been sanitised. It was a rutted track although passable so goodness knows why this has been done. It looks as though it will continue through to the minor road. What a waste of public money. 😐

Must just be you, BB! Everyone I passed today was full of good cheer. Only one of my flats was on a road section, and all five (Solo) riders who went past as I was faffing about asked if everything was OK. So, must just be you....! 😉

CG, a pleasure to put a face to a name as well, and do let me know if you're in need of some routes around the 'hood up this way. As mentioned, got a lovely local bimble that would suit you down to the ground!

As to going tubeless, it's on my list of things to do. Am possibly looking at a pair of Hope Tech XC29, as essentially they're a 700c wheel that would work well for that. Failing that, I'm talking to my wheelbuilder about some other options. Not 100% convinced the stock wheels will take it.

Finally, about this bit -

your lovely new dirty steed?

It's dirty because I'm too busy riding it to clean it. And besides, having it covered in mud upsets roadies, as they get all confused as to what it is.
"But it looks like a road bike......but it's got discs, and no quick releases, and OH NOES! IT'S MUDDY! RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!"
And, as in another thread, it's officially a "wondersteed"

(bookmarks thread)

I'll keep an eye on this now. 🙂

You're right, it's me 😕

Oops, falling behind here!

Cap'n - I was only pulling your leg about your bike being dirty! Trying to get my head around seeing drop-handle barred, skinny tyred bikes, including carbon, that go off road. 😀

Anyway, there I was, pootling along a track in the drizzle when I heard sounds coming from the hedge on my right. Suddenly, a fallow deer jumped over the hedge about 2 feet in front of me, so close I could have touched her. Stood there as I knew that she wouldn't be alone and, sure enough, another jumped out behind me. 8)

They do look big when they're that close. 😀

Is there a mid-week daytime riding scene for Soton/Forest/Winchester?

Timmee 😀

Not to my knowledge Tim. I reckon it would be worthwhile posting up a couple of days before you're going to ride on the offchance that somebody can hook up.

[quote=TimCotic]Is there a mid-week daytime riding scene for Soton/Forest/Winchester?

I've not attended, but there's the [url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/lordswood-thursday-night-ride-58 ]Lordswood Thursday night ride[/url] which seems quite regular..

Edit: Doh, sorry.. misread the daytime bit!

Tim, I'm a little further North than that, but can perhaps squeeze in the odd lunch ride.

[b]Hampshire Gravel Ride[/b]
We can either bash a route together on this thread or meet a pub somewhere with maps...
Thoughts?

[b]Oak Hill Lane[/b]
thanks for the warning CG. It's a shame, it's a nice track to ride down.

[b]Punctures[/b]
Them little shards of flints can be a nightmare. As can flayed hawthorns. Had puncturegeddon riding in Dorset (shhh!) on Sunday. All 3 of us punctured simultaneously. I had to fix six holes in one tube!

UnderTheWood - work on Oak Hill Lane had only got to where the bridleway on the L leads to Moundsmere. That was Sunday so could potentially have reached the minor road by now. OK the track was rutted but it was no big deal. Not as though it was impassable or anything!

Sorry to hear about your punctures, 6 in one tube is really going some. 😯

RE the Gravel Ride, I reckon the best bet would be to try and pick a start/finish location that suits a few folks, then see who's got ideas for routes etc.

Locationwise - I'm up at the top of the Test, so the area around Kingsclere/Whitchurch/The 'Stoke/Andover etc are where most of my (growing) local gravel knowledge lies. Am steadily getting to know a few bits and bobs.