Hi, justed joined the forum, having moved down to the New Forest 3 years back decided to get into biking again, got a Whyte Glencoe gravel/adventure bike.
Love riding the roads and gravel in the new Forest.
However surprised I don’t see more gravel riders. Anyone know of a gravel ride club or group who goes out?

Cheers

There is a guy on here I think forumname “Kerle”? Or something similar who ride in the NF a lot. I’ve lived Bransgore and Ringwood but just moved be Wimborne but never rode the NF much personally. Found it all too much like sneaking around.

Wimborne based here but in-laws on the edge of the NF, so venture out every so often!

I ride with a group from
Cafe Velo in Ringwood – they do a gravel ride first Sunday of the month, leaving cafe Velo @8 am – feel free to join us!

FB link to group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/666764226819713/?ref=share

Andy

EDIT – TheBrick – drop me a message if you fancy catching up to do a few rides in the area!

Cheers, I’ve heard if you go off track the wardens don’t like it, but I ride the gravel pathway’s and larger single track, basically if people can ride their horses on it I can cycle on it, I’ve never had any problems.

Thanks, will do

Cool – I’m not sure if I’m doing next ride (7/7) but definitely doing the August one – hope to see you there! 👍🏻

Cheers, I’ve heard if you go off track the wardens don’t like it, but I ride the gravel pathway’s and larger single track, basically if people can ride their horses on it I can cycle on it, I’ve never had any problems

I don’t do it so much these days but I’ve MTB’d round a lot of the NF over many years. There is very little of it (even the gravel “roads”) that you’re allowed to ride

I applaud and share your attitude though – you can ride a horse anywhere on the forest and that’ll do me & my bike just fine

I’ve never had problems with anyone other one dog owner (whose dog was running free at the time amongst all the ground-nesting birds they mention on all the signs)

The Woods Cyclery in Lyndhurst do weekly shop rides.

The Brick & Andysmiff,

I never realised Wimborne was such a hotbed of Gravel fanatics. I’m in Colehill & try to get out 2-3 times a week, mainly over Cranborne towards Blandford & Tarrant Rushton.

Drop me a message if you fancy meeting up at some point.

I’m up in Fovant but fully up for heading down the forest if peeps are up for a meet

I don’t do it so much these days but I’ve MTB’d round a lot of the NF over many years. There is very little of it (even the gravel “roads”) that you’re allowed to ride

You can ride on all of the gravel roads (there are even cycle route signs on most of them). What you are not supposed to ride on is anything outside of the designated tracks (which are mostly the gravel roads).
However just last weekend I was riding on single track in two places 10 miles apart where I knew I was not supposed to be riding and passed 2 different wardens in their pickups and neither said a word. I don’t think anyone really cares but it you opened it all up it may be a problem due to increased use I suppose.

Don’t ask me about groups though as I ride on my own as I am mildly autistic and don’t do group activities. I also ride at 08:00 to avoid people getting in my way so wouldn’t tend to see other riders anyway.

I was accosted by a lovely inbred local jobsworth/warden in the Boulderwood car park, who accused me of riding off the gravel tracks (muddy tyres…), told me she had recorded my details and that if she saw me again she would confiscate my bike and fine me…
CBA to argue as it would only have made her happy and spoil my day.

I would have laughed in her face. Seriously, well done for keeping your cool.

I was accosted by a lovely inbred local jobsworth/warden in the Boulderwood car park,

You may have been unlucky as I have never had a verbal encounter with a warden in the 20 years I have lived and ridden in the New Forest. I don’t hang around in car parks though as all my riding is straight from my door so may just be a case of me not coming across them (other than the 2 I mentioned above who didn’t seem to care)

Maybe they just saw you as the sort of person who calls other people inbreds?

confused58 – when was that ?

You can ride on all of the gravel roads (there are even cycle route signs on most of them). What you are not supposed to ride on is anything outside of the designated tracks (which are mostly the gravel roads).

Not sure you are “allowed” to ride all the gravel roads – in fact I’m almost certain of it – I seem to remember a specific no cycling sign on the road along the ridge from the Fritham car park (towards Ragged Boys’ Hill and the “river” rather than over to Frogham) and that’s easily big enough to take a land rover

It’s true that the designated tracks are mostly gravel roads though

I will echo the above, the officially sanctioned routes in the NF exclude some large long Fire-roads, I think there is something like 100 miles of approved cycleways and some of them you can’t officially ride to/from both ends :-/

I have only seen one upset verderer and he did not get the irony of getting out of his Land Rover to accuse a small groups of cyclists of irresponsible cycling causing erosion :-/

You don’t say where you are in the forest, Cafe Velo is at the West side, there is another Cycling orientated cafe in Lyndhurst that might do some organised rides and the Newforse MTB club do rides all over the forest, but seem to gravitate to the north east of the forest.

If you don’t already know it, there is a nice ridge ride between Frogham and Fritham that goes through the Ashley bombing ranges from WW2. Google for more info on the ‘submarine penn’ miles from any water! 🙂

Thanks for all the replies, I’m in Barton On Sea , so typically ride up to Bashley, and loop via Burley, The deer sanctuary, Brockenhurst etc. Around Burley is good , a nice ride up to the Canadian War memorial, back down to the arboretum and then pick up gravel paths around there.
When I’m next planning a ride I’ll let people know. Bloody work gets in the way 🙁

I used to do all my winter training in the NF, on the CXer.

Theres plenty of gravel tracks, loads of open flat chat tracks that criss cross the area.. A lot of my favourite places were north of the A31 heading towards Fordingbridge.. the main places though (for me) would be the tracks that start Hythe then heading towards Lyndhurst/Brockenhurst/Burley/East Boldre box where the majority of the wooded sections are.. you can play all day in that segment popping out for tea at the bike shop in Burley (where I used to park the car)

No-one has asked me or challenged me for riding in that area.. I’ve had plenty of dogs chase me, but that’s only around the car-park areas where the dog walkers go.

Marin_Maketh_The_Man

Subscriber
The Brick & Andysmiff,

I never realised Wimborne was such a hotbed of Gravel fanatics. I’m in Colehill & try to get out 2-3 times a week, mainly over Cranborne towards Blandford & Tarrant Rushton.

Drop me a message if you fancy meeting up at some point.

Sweet – will do! Especially around the tarrant rushton area – never really explored that properly!

Not sure you are “allowed” to ride all the gravel roads – in fact I’m almost certain of it – I seem to remember a specific no cycling sign on the road along the ridge from the Fritham car park

Fair enough, only going by experience of cycling on them for 20 years. I have never seen a non cycling sign on a gravel road in the areas I ride but may be a case of us having a differing view of what a gravel road is (i.e a road that cars can drive on and many do as they live in standalone houses in the middle of woodland even though many have locked double gates with an open section for walkers to get through)

Anyway, if you are planning to ride on gravel in the forest just get on with it as I say I have never been questioned on any gravel road in 20 years and even on single track they just ignored me. Just don’t go too fast as I don’t want to lose any KoMs.

Went into Woods in Lyndhurst on Monday – first time in there, they are big on gravel bikes, they also have shop rides every other Sunday, so will prob join that one as nearer for me than Ringwood.

Anyway if anyone wants a ride out let me know and we can arrange something.

Cheers