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c_g: saturday from the industrial units?
Just a little reminder for those who are unable to make Wednesday evening's ride - tomorrow morning (Saturday) at 10.00 am, SW edge of Black Wood. Grid ref SU53200 42260. Follow road N from West Stratton to industrial units, there is space here.
I could be up for joining you guys next week - pretty sure I'm free. Quite fancy trying some where new.
BBB - is there still space in your car for a lift share?
Yes Brian. I will be there, not sure whether my legs will be working but will give it a go!
Edit: will be riding a black Soul, unless it's got a flat.
blue/silver giant trance for me.
see you there!
Who's up for Wednesday, then?
So far, looks like bikewhisperer and BigBikeBash are definites.
Maybes are cinnamon_girl, podman, DT78 and Mulletus Maximus (please confirm if you are coming!)
The ground should soak up any rain that comes between now and then. Although there may be some sharp showers, they will be filtered out under the trees - so you get slowly dripped on.
Bring lights if you have them. Start ASAP. Could take a bit more than the 2 hours I originally thought, and with grey skies it'll be gloomy by the end.
Re. the holiday chalets... the council planning site is showing representation letters coming in well after the closure of the consultation period - so if you want to object, it looks like you still have a chance. Posted mine on Saturday.
Going to have to miss this one now. Out on a club ride tonight so won't be able to get a pass for two days in a row plus missus is now working late tomorrow so I won't have a car.
Enjoy the ride. Hopefully I can make it another time.
I'm still not sure if I'll be there; both myself and my mate who'd be coming with me have tomorrow off work (it's my graduation day!), but he's not likely to want to get too muddy & wet... If the afternoon brightens up and the evening is looking to be wet then I may head up earlier instead, I'll be sure to hang around to introduce myself for future rides though!
What's the expected pace tomorrow? I'm slow. And I crash a lot, usually quite amusingly.
I'll be arriving in a silver Focus ST and riding a black Cotic Simple, say "Hi" if I'm there!
Oh, and this is the route I took last week (clockwise), looks like I missed rather a lot!
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I am definite and can give DT78 a lift if he says where he wants picking up.
Ok great - BBB, pretty sure I can remember where your house is so could meet you at yours - what time? Fingers crossed I can finish work early/on time for once.
email is in my profile if you want to swap mobiles.
DT78 - YGM
I don't think it will be muddy in there, just a bit damp and heavy.
I've no idea what everyone's pace will be - I guess we go with the slowest.
Beeb is showing small area of rain passing over probably around 5:00 to 5:30pm, then dry.
podman, looks like you found one of the big bombholes 🙂
I'm coming along with BBB. Hope we can find it. Do you have a postcode for the satnav?
try this: SO21 3BG
...if your satnav is like mine, it'll only be interested in so21 3, leaving you somewhere in the vacinity. You want Larkwhistle Farm Road. Preferably the instersection with the road from West Stratton.
As you come along L.F.Road (between A33 & Micheldever Station) there is a minor crossroads wit the road from West Stratton, you want to turn in, to the north here; there is a "UAP" sign on the corner. Then you are by the industrial units. Park on the access road.
Thanks. I have now found it on Google maps. i just head for Micheldever Tyres and stop before I get there. See you at 6pm
I'm sorry but now not going to be able to make this. 🙁
Stuck in flat pack furniture hell, my two assistants have bu$$ered off to the pub leaving me to sort it out!
Do have a good ride everyone and enjoy those bomb holes. 😀
Leave the flat pack hell, it will be when you get back from the ride and you will be in a better frame of mind
Thanks chaps for the ride. Tyre held out till I got home.
Bloody fragile franks.
What tyres for sharp flinty single track....
Glad you made it! The bit of toothpaste tube is yours to keep 😀
Cheers everyone, esp Brian for the guiding!
Was riding by feel in the end. Will be making some loops around there again I think.
Oh dear! Don't remember much flint there. Never thought there would be so much single track in that wood, did you manage the complete loop?
Nope 3 of us bailed half way. 2 had to get back including my lift, and I was riding on a tyre which had a bit of inner tube bulging out so was on bought time till it went again!
I would be up for going again. Shame didn't get to the really big bomb holes!
Two of us completed it at 9:20pm, so about 3 hours round. It was a bit heavy going and quite greasy in places. I managed to fall off near the end - seem to remember bouncing off a tree 🙂 The big bombholes were fun.
C_g, the other 3 bailed same point as Saturday. Looks like we need a "Part 2" trip...
Definately need a part 2 trip. Plus better tyres. My front was flat by the time I got back to the truck.
Next time I will have got (a little) fitter so won't be quite so slow hopefully. Last night was embarrassing but thanks for waiting and still making it fun.
is anyone going back to do this again? i had a pop at it without a gps or idea of a route and go lost etc but was fun but tough going. i couldnt figure out a clear circular route but did find some quality bits of trail here and there. can anyone send me a link to a .gpx or something too?
Dobo, I have emailed you some GPX.
Anyone up for 'Part 2'?
Might be a bit heavy & greasy at the mo, but can't see it drying out any time soon 🙁
Been done there a couple of times now and really enjoyed it. Can just about string a nice loop together, just gets a bit sketchy around the derelict house.
Nice little section of path from West Stratton that joins a bridleway that goes under the motorway into Micheldever Woods, just a shame there's not more there and Itchen Woods
rianOfWinchester - Member
Dobo, I have emailed you some GPX.Anyone up for 'Part 2'?
Might be a bit heavy & greasy at the mo, but can't see it drying out any time soon
Cheeky request! Any chance of a copy? My parents live that way so I'm sometimes looking for a new diversion....
Thanks
drofluf - they're in the post!
All, these are the routes I posted on page 2. You should be able to export gpx from there.
Target decision date for the holiday chalets planning app is one week away. fingers crossed...
Thanks - and they've arrived!
The planning application for the chalets is going all the way.
The case officer had recommended approving the application but referred it to the planning committee due to the number of objections.
The planning committee has now deferred it for consideration by the special planning committee, 11th October...
Yikes. It would be absolutely terrible IMO if that wood was ruined by those chalets.
Thanks for the update. By the time the trees are felled to make way for the chalets, there will be no "countryside experience". Those country lanes are just not made for construction traffic. It's a ridiculous idea. 🙁
Has anyone ridden there recently?
Last chance to file an objection...
The future of Black Wood is hanging in the balance.
If you wish to be able to enjoy the cycling here in the future, please put your objection in writing ASAP, and send it to the Case Officer, Nick Parker, at the Planning Department, Winchester City Council, City Offices, Colebrook Street, Winchester SO23 9LJ.
It could just be enough to swing it.
Done, spent about 45mins writing one at work today(!).
It's quite rare for me to care this much to write letters, and its not just about riding bikes either. Places like Black Wood are so nice and so rare it would be criminal IMO if the develoment went ahead. If anyone else is thinking of doing the same, my objections (in short) were:
1. Irreversible damage to area of natural beaty and important wildlife habitat (Woodland very rare commodity in the UK, mostly agricultural or urban landscape)
2. Loss of access to the general public - areas of natural beaty should be enjoyed by all, not sold for profit.
3. Little ameneties in surrounding area, the ~240 residents will almost certainly end up needing to make car journeys, adding stress to the local road system and being further detrimental to the wildlife etc.
Good work, Poppa. What else is work for ? 🙂
I went for a little walk up at Black Wood on Saturday. I noticed one of the parts of the cycle track, off the gravel track from the main gate, had had a raised log placed across the entrance to the track.
If it's an attempt to stop cyclists then it's quite futile as the log can easily be moved, walked over or around. I just wonder why? Maybe the Forestry Commission are trying to eliminate use of the woods by those that object to their plans - though they have not erected no cycling signs, and not surprisingly as their development plan involves cycle hire and family cycling.
Alternatively, maybe they were monitoring use of the tracks to see how long before someone removed the log. One of the planning reports did acknowledge 'occasional cycling'.
I wonder how many other obstructions have been erected? I have not cycled there since the trip a couple of months ago, due to the weather and being far too busy.
I also noticed the blocked-off track starting to suffer from vegetation growth, still easily passable, but if the motorcycle event cannot take place (due to chalets) then that bit of track will be slowly lost.
I wonder if they are just trying to stop the motorbikes. Heard one there yesterday and somebody has spent a lot of time places logs to form a circuit.
Prejudiced opinion I know without actually seeing anybody but I assume they are from the showmans (pikey) camp. Nice place for a holiday village, sandwiched between the A33/M3 and A303 with enclosed showmans camp and the odd rave, oh and all the flytipping. Woodmancott/ Micheldever I thought would have been a better proposition, already a caravan club site over there already
Where's the showmans camp?
When I was walking around the woods, I noticed how bleak and sterile it was. I didn't hear or see any wildlife; just endless beech trees. (I even got lost, it was so featureless) Great location for a holiday.
I enter the circuit from a small car park opposite the Woodmancot turning on the A33. The camp would be on the left hand side from here, accessed from the A33. I do recall seeing it years ago but according to a dog walker I got talking to it's just degenerated into a pikey camp (possibly around by the plant hire site).
PLANNING APPLICATION REFUSED 🙂 🙂 🙂
[url= http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/8447469.Micheldever_holiday_village_plans_rejected/ ]daily echo[/url]
Good news there Brian, although pretty close! Ridiculous idea anyway!
How are the trails there at the moment?
I haven't been up there cycling since the summer, but I expect the trails will be pretty good at the moment.
this made the news on south today or something the other day, forgot to post, quote from the echo though...
"Among the reasons for refusal were concerns about the impact on the habitat of the endangered dormouse."
is there more info on why refused, it would be good to know for future methods of objection for other locations, but clearly mentioning endangered species is the way to go..
That's a tricky one, dobo. There are reams of arguements you can read on the council planning website (link poster earlier in thread) and next Thursday the council's weekly list should show a summary, eventually a full decision report will pop out. But at the end of the day, this was won by the weight of local objection. Dispite the woodland being a SINC and the presence of endangered species, the planning officers actually recommended that the application be allowed. It was only that the decision went to committee, due to the number of objections and a request by the local community, that the planning officers were overruled by elected politicians. So, I'd say no, endangered species count for nothing. You need masses of objectors - or some councillors keen on being re-elected!
[url= http://www.stevebrine.com/record.jsp?type=news&ID=440 ]a bit more info[/url]