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Don't think I know anyone called Spooner. Apart from the Reverend, of course!
@CaptainFlashheart ... and @Facian
Just up the way from Flash Towers on Monday morning.
<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">It’s all very crunchy at the moment!</span>
Whereabouts are those 2 places ... look absolutely lovely ... I did try googling Flash Towers to see if anything came up and couldn't find anything??
Is there much track like that / how far do go you and is it mainly flat or quite hilly???
If anybody around the Hampshire area has some nice rides they fancy sharing and having some others tag along with them ... ideally mainly quietish area's either quiet lanes or gravel rides and will happily take anyone who fancies coming with us around the Witterings, Bosham, Chichester area we normally do between 20 and 40 miles with a mix of gravel / quiet lanes and fairly flat although for the longer rides do take in some of the hills around the Goodwood area.
I did try googling Flash Towers to see if anything came up and couldn’t find anything??
😂 That pic was taken on the Harrow Way.
😂 That pic was taken on the Harrow Way.
Cheers for that ... just googled it and found a load more pics / map and looks amazing!!!
Looks like some of it may get quite boggy in the middle of winter.
Not that boggy, really. It's an ancient drove road, and drain very well as a result.
There's a load of that sort of BW/farm track riding around the area. Nothing gnar, so ideal gravel or ht territory. Decent pub just off the Harrow Way beyond Laverstoke as well!
so ideal gravel or ht territory
Sounds perfect ... I'm waiting for a phone call to say my 1st ever Gravel bike has been delivered into the LBS ... hopefully today if not tomorrow .... so looking for some new places to ride 🙂
@witterings I'm in Farnham, Surrey so right over on the Surrey/Hants border.
That picture was just taken in Alice Holt Forest which is nice because it's half a mile from my house and good for an hour or so bombing around, but not worth a trip from further afield!
I've only just built up this bike so I haven't really explored a lot more, but I rode the Shipwrights way in the summer on my hardtail and I'm keen to do that again on it. Likewise the Downs Link from Guildford down to the seaside, I'm sure you could get across to either of those part of the way along or ride them North to South and then make your way back home/somewhere sensible.
I'm also planning a lap of the Isle of Wight, a friend did a road-only lap recently but I'm sure a few bridleways could make that a bit more interesting.
The central 'spine' of the IoW is very nice - great views on a clear day in all directions.
Ha, you must be just round the corner from me Cap'n Flash! Not ridden much locally recently but hoping to get out once I get the 650b wheels & tyres on my gravel bike.
Harroway… Nothing gnar
Woah there! You've obviously not found the 'jumps' on the parallel bit of singletrack.. 😉
Oh, rest assured, I've found them!
😎
Don't often get the big bikes out around here, as my tarmac bike handles almost everything. Jack Mills loop, White Hill, Wayfarers Way etc, or a run through the woods to the local (rabbit habitat related name...!)
Came off the back of Winchester heading towards Exton and the always muddy bit at the bottom of the hill is now back for winter.
Time to break out the winter tyres...
James
Being a resident of Newbury I don't quite feel qualified to contribute to this thread, but I do dip into Hants fairly regularly when riding (bits of Wayfarer's, and stuff around Ashmansworth, Coombe, etc.). I'm looking to explore the Watership down area when the weather is better. CFH and wheelie - fancy sharing some of your routes? I can see there are lots of options for just throwing together the bits of bridleway and byway, but any tips on which way round some are best ridden, would be useful.
Combe Gibbets in Berks, Faustus - we gave it to you for sorting out the hanging that gave it its name!
Newbury is practically in Hants anyway, up by Wash Common.
QE Country park blue and red were quite muddy on Sunday, they have been pretty good up until Sunday
Still grippy, not pure slop just yet but muddy with puddles
Last section of the blue is still closed off for another week whilst the tabletop jump and new berms bed in
FFS.
https://road.cc/content/news/252784-police-appeal-after-car-passenger-pushes-hants-cyclist-bike
Faustus, what sort of routes/terrain are you after?
I'm after off road route advice of any kind really, mainly stuff east of A34 in the Watership down/upper Test area I guess, but any tips on particular gems in the area roughly between Andover-Basingstoke-Newbury would be most welcome too. Especially anything that is better as a descent. so I can plan routes to suit. If you have any strava rides that cover it then that'd be good too. Ta.
Anyone ridden Meon Valley Trail in the last couple of weeks? Wondering if it has turned into a quagmire in the recent rainstorms... Can't believe it's now over a year since I last rode on the old railway line!
Faustus - most of the drops off Combe/Walbury expect you know. Up past the church is fun in reverse, as is the little bit out of Netherton toward the Linkenholt road.
Hippenscombe off the causeway is fun, but I've broken a few bits of me on it so take it steady now.
Collingbourne Woods for single track though its a bit of a quagmire at present.
Thanks brassneck - useful to know some of those, I have been on some but don't get that way very much. There's a route in collingbourne woods in a rough ride guide book I have, and wondering if it's worth the short trip over there (when the weather is better)?
Sorry, managed to forget to reply!
Most of my routes arounf here are gravel bike friendly, so nothing all that gnar, I'm afraid. The BW heading almost due south from the Watership Down trig point is a bit of fun, though!
The BW heading almost due south from the Watership Down trig point is a bit of fun, though!
<noted for next Tripster trip, have only ever run past it>
Collingbourne is well worth a trip in the dry, plenty of nice single track (though the very best bit parallel with the main fire road got logged out). Park at Scots Poor on the Causeway, warm up on the ay down and explore (most obvious bit is hang a left before the fire road gate) .. I'll maybe have a chance to show you round later in the year, my riding has been erratic of late for a variety of reasons, just a snatched hour here or there, but hoping to pick it up a bit in spring. The gulley down the hill has a few lines in and out and around, but some nice classic singletrack over the other side of the woods too. The Hatchet isn't too far out either 😉
I've barely headed out for a non-commuting ride since November, but for some inexplicable logic, now it's ridiculously cold with slippy stuff almost certainly up above ~400 feet around Old Winchester Hill and alike... I've been struggling to shake the idea of heading up to the cat4 hills around Warnford on the Gravdal tyre equipped fatbike!
The only thing that put me off yesterday was seeing someone's photo from their ride around there, with what looks like several inches of slush on the roads.
Wunderground temps for the whole area were colder last night and this morning than we've had so far, so the slush should be all iced up again, but that will change as the morning progresses. Which makes me think if I'm going to be a nutter and head up there, I need to go soon, while those spikes can grip the iced tarmac...
I was out briefly yesterday (Whitchurch area) and would definitely have liked some spiked tyres! The compacted snow on the back roads was very icy and off-road you had to contend with 4-6inches of thawed and re-frozen icy snow. Looked nice though, and a good workout for the legs!
By the sounds of it, it'll be 10 degrees warmer come tomorrow.. so if you want to give it a try, now's the time!
Blimey! There hasn't been any snow in my part of Hampshire apart from sleet on Friday afternoon that didn't settle.
Anyone know anything about the gleaming new pump track that's been built by the railway line in Hook?
Frogstomp, looks ace. I didn't get put to play in the snow on a bike, sadly. Had just flown back from a week in the US, and snowball fights with the children was more the order of the day! Pub stayed open, though.
Bump.
So I'm happy with my knowledge of the bridleways between Winch and QE, and m27 up to alton and can loop the area without a map but I'm getting bored.
I've done the SDW a couple of time so know that route well.
I've got a child free weekend and looking at doing a 30/40km loop outside of this area. I'll drive to the start point If needs be.
Anyone got any GPX or route suggestions? Devils punch bowl maybe?
Drive to sports centre in Charlton, Andover. Cycle North via The Chutes, Collingbourne Woods, Wexcombe Down etc. Plenty of choice and tracks tended to hold up well in poor weather.
Cheers! I'll get the OS out!
Shout out if you want some specifics cobrakai although must confess it's been a long time since I've been over that way.
Kingley Vale and the Southdowns - pub stop at Hooksway and the excellent tea shop in Compton?
https://www.strava.com/routes/17930346
Collingbourne woods looks like it has potential.
The Compton loop looks tempting cause I'm working late afternoon so could go straight there afterwards.
Bartimaeus, would you recommend clockwise or anti on that route?
I’d go anti clockwise (recognise most of the route) as that should give you some shorter steeper climbs but more long gradual descents. The pub at Hooksway keeps odd hours but does excellent burgers and good beer.
That sounds good mattbee. Is parking ok at that pub? Sorry for a questions!
Looks like the start of the loop is at Compton. Small village but there’s a little car park between the village shop/tea room and the pub.
The pub at Hooksway (Royal Oak) is midway through the ride. It has a big gravel car park. You could do the loop from there.
Thanks Mattbee, looks like Compton is the easiest start point for me.
I typically start the route in Walderton (there's a layby there) - near the Barleymow pub - but that's because I live in Southbourne. Head up over Kingley Vale to the SDW and along to Harting then back via Compton.
You definitely want to do this route anti-clockwise as the route from Harting down into Compton is lovely... and would make a fine finish to your ride.
The initial bit of trail alongside the road South from the Harting Car Park is a bit less lovely than it used to be after all the recent tree-felling (the actual trail is fine but it used to be in dense woodland).
... oh and you don't have to go up and over Telegraph Hill before heading down into Compton. There's a BP down to your right instead of the gravel track up Telegraph Hill when you cross the road at Bevis' Thumb... but I just like that particular descent into Compton, and the view from Telegraph Hill is worth the climb.
Here's the route on Veloviewer - which is excellent as it shows you maps, 3d profile, all the strava segments etc.
https://veloviewer.com/routes/17930346
Test Valley Tour 'Hot' starting from more or less my house a week Sunday - a decent overview of what the NW Hants valleys and hills (and Collingbourne Woods) have to offer, although of course there's plenty more to explore .. I do appreciate everyone coming and clearing the brambles out a bit for me though 😉
Will be doing my pied piper bit with likely 3 boys, although one year on they might well be dropping me on Hippenscombe 🙁
Said boys also report positively on the Andover/Charlton BMX track if an afternoons diversion is needed by anyone.
Thanks bartimaeus, I used your strava route and plotted in my OS App. That way I can modify the route easier as I go.
Looking forward to it on Sunday.
I could have ridden that with you, plus shown you some different options but am marshalling at the southern enduro behind QECP
I would park at KV , although that car park can get full with walkers on a sunday .
That route looks good, Brassneck. I'll be stealing that for my own use!
Maybe another time. I'd normally pop over the back of QE when I have time to myself or at night, but thought I'd give it a miss this weekend!
That was a good ride today thanks. Had to cut a little bit out due to working this afternoon. Lots of friendly happy people out this morning.
What a weekend, eh?
Perilously close to the border here.
Locations anyone?