I’m in Hedge End for a couple of weeks with work. Any locals know if there are any off road routes that would be good for a gravel bike?
Cheers
Loads of trails around the South Downs Way which I'd imagine would be fine on a gravel bike.
A few segments that I've ridden that come to mind are...
https://www.strava.com/segments/3880674 (Meon valley Trail, ~9 miles between Wickham and West Meon)
https://www.strava.com/segments/4445874 (cat4 climb very close to north end of above, strictly speaking it is a road, but it's in awful condition for road bikes)
https://www.strava.com/segments/18157112 (cat4 climb to Green Hill, only just rideable on a road bike)
https://www.strava.com/segments/704637 (cat4 climb up to near Cheesefoot Head, gate to negotiate)
There's some short trails around Telegraph Woods, right next to The Ageas Bowl cricket ground, been a few years since I went there in winter on the Wazoo. Wouldn't take long to circumnavigate.
Itchen Valley Country Park has a few trails you could ride, again a while since I last rode on Wazoo, wouldn't take long to do a circuit.
I've not spotted a post on here from Tom Thumb in a while, pretty sure he has far more experience than me of off-road trails all around the western end of the South Downs.
I think my main worry would be getting out of Hedge End on a bike in rush hour, very busy area due to close proximity to the M27. You'd need to choose your exit carefully. Perhaps use minor roads towards Bishops Waltham heading for Stephen's Castle Down where you can bridleway up to Cheesefoot Head. This may help, there's even coded off road rides:
http://localviewmaps.hants.gov.uk/LocalViewmaps/Sites/ROWOnline/#
Edit: Botley Wood has some hidden trails I believe, that's close to HE.
Meon valley trail is a good shout.
Manor farm country park would be ok for a short blast.
Cycle from hedge end down to royal Victoria country park then follow the Solent to hamble. Pink ferry to Warsaw then follow the Solent trail to fareham. Train back to hedge end.
I'm bishops Waltham so pretty local. From hedge end head up through durley to upham. (Good pub the brushmakers). Carry on north following bridleway to cheesefoot head. Head east along SDW.
Your best bet is check out the OS map for the area and most of the bridleway are dried out so good for a gravel bike. Josies, the anvil or the natural Delhi in BW are good pot stops.
if you have the time to head over to the new forest there are loads of fireroads it can get a bit samey but lovely part of the world
For a gravel bike you can head through Botley, down the backroads to Whiteley where there are some tracks through the northern end woods to Whiteley. I used to ride over there in the summer hen I worked in Whiteley. Tracks come out opposite the Horse & Jockey in Curbridge.
Also some riding though Manor Farm CP.
No hills there though.
Best just look on an OS map. That's the idea of a gravel bike - get out there and explore!
Last ride I did along Meon Valley Trail, which went through Hedge End, back in December last year...
https://www.strava.com/activities/1297908038
The Hedge End bit of the A334 can be very busy around rush hours Mon-Fri, but there's loads of options of how to get to Wickham that reduce your time on that A road.
You could simply head north and then go through Durley (I use Durley St and Greenwood La for a lot of my rides to the hills leaving Bitterne), or you could turn off the A334 just after Botley train station and then head up Botley Rd before turning on to Curdridge La (another route I use a fair bit). The B2177 can get a little busy around rush hours, but nothing like around Hedge End and surburbia, anywhere to the east of it and it's so rare to come across more than a handful of moving cars besides on the A32.
https://www.strava.com/segments/16270747 (the whole of Stock's La, not just the climb section) is another "road" that is more of a gravel track than proper road, it's passable by road bike, but it can be dodgy in the winter with huge swimming pool puddles at the west end and the east end is littered with loose stuff.
Cheers for the info. Will break the OS map out.
CG-don’t think I’d want to spend any time on the roads round there at rush hour it’s vad enough in the car.