I shall be in Winchester for a couple of days next week, and hoped to ride a circular route - out to Warnford on the SDW, then up to Alresford before heading back. But . . . the comments about mud on Donslow's thread have put me off.
So, is there anything worth riding (at the moment) near Winchester? Or should I leave the bike at home, and go for a walk instead?
Or I could take the fatbike - it loves "brown snow"!
Might be Ok by then . What day are you thinking of riding ? How far do you wanna ride?
There is alaways QE park , bout 25mins away.
I have a lovely loop but its gotta be dry-ish
Monday . . . and it looks a bit damp between now and then. The rest of the week should be lovely!
I wondered about QE, but I'm not keen on trail centres. I'd prefer to just walk.
Lots of lovely lanes around there to explore. Some of the bridleways will be on flints and fine, others will be horrible.
Walk . River Itchen water meadows up or downstream. Test Valley not far either and is beautiful.
Farley Mounts OK for a wander. SDW out to Chesfoot hed , then south toward Hankly golf course
Thanks all, for the advice and suggestions. A walk is probably the more sensible plan.
So, the next question is . . . boots or wellies?
I'd say boots if you have waterproof ones. You'll appreciate the grip but be prepared to clean them.
Disclaimer - I generally think wellies have no place on a proper walk.
I'm going to go against the grain of thought here and say take a bike...
But if you plan to take an MTB, take a pair of slick tyres, so you have the option of riding roads if the SDW has turned into slop without it being a major slog on knobbly tyres.
From Winchester, you could head to Warnford either via Morestead Hill (and then turn into Longwood Dean Lane, my favourite bit of local smooth tarmac) and then pass the Milburys pub crossroads to travel along Wheely Down, or go via Twyford (where you could turn left into Hazeley Rd and then have a few options to get to Warnford, or turn off a bit later onto the B2177 and then head towards Warnford via Upham).
I have little experience of riding Petersfield Rd north west of Cheesefoot Head, so I've no idea how busy that gets around rush hours, but Morestead Rd and the B3335 through Twyford are both pretty quiet outside rush hours.
Loads of decent road riding around Warnford, if you keep stretches of using the A32 / A472 / A31 to a minimum.
tbh with the wind it's not actually that bad this side of Petersfield.
Rode from home to cheesefoot head and around those tracks all through winter when it was properly wet and it never got too bad so I'd just take the bike.
the other thread was about doing the SDW which is a different subject imo i.e. 160km in mud is different to your plan of doing 30.
Otherwise plenty of river walks to do.
Road bike. Except it'll be windy.
I live locally to that part of Hampshire. I rode my MTB last weekend, and although the odd section was damp it was still a case where the rain is being absorbed by the (what has been) very dry mud, so it was fine, nothing like what it was in the winter. The SDW has largely been surfaced with gravel between Winchester and Warnford anyway. The byway heading north out of Warnford can get a bit muddy (it has deep tracks from 4x4s). The middle of the three bridleways heading north between Hinton Ampner and Alresford has just been re-gravelled by the farmer. Three castles path back from Alresford to Winch should also be fine.
It's fine really locally - a bit greasy and some big puddles on the usual 4x4 byways. I wouldn't expect to come back with a clean bike, but wouldn't expect a slog either.
All of the SDW on your route should be fine. The route from Warnford to Alresford can get messier as most of the routes are 4x4 type tracks, but there are plenty of quiet lane alternatives to the short bridleway/byway tracks. Assuming you are on the Oxdrove back from Arlesford to Winchester, that section should be fine and much of it is gravel in places.
Personally my rides from Winchester tend to head west if I want singletrack and east if I want big doubletrack/SDW. As others have said, one of the big plus points is if you set out and it's a bit boggy, the lanes network is good so you can follow a quiet tarmac alternative in most cases.
Get the map out and look west of Winchester plenty of quiet lanes, BW's and BOAT's. There is also the cycle trail (the Test Way) that runs south from Salisbury alongside the River Test. Re muddy trails, if you're a mountain biker, it's what we do! 🙂
look west of Winchester plenty of quiet lanes, BW’s and BOAT’s.
If I have learned one thing its that those plus-symbol lines on the o/s maps (i.e. BOAT's) usually harbour a pair 3 foot deep trenches on each side, often with an awkward smaller trench in the middle (from the Moto-X bikes). Usually passable, but often awkward!
@rhorn
GHF - look at it as testing and/or improving your MTB skills and possible your underwater riding skills
or
GHE - my bearings will all be f***** and I will have wet feet for the rest of the ride
🙂
Many thanks for these additional suggestions. I shall bear them in mind for next time I'm down that way.
I decided on a walk, initially around Winchester waiting for the weather to improve, then SDW to Cheesefoot Head, Fawley Lane to Morestead, and back on the Pilgrim's Trail to St Catherines Hill. It was quite wet and muddy!
The various streams and watercourses (anabranches?) in the town were rather intriguing!