So I have this Monday free and the weather looks fine, as does the lead up to it. So i’m planning a nice long ride through the new forest, I want to take in a fair bit of the off road network and happy enough with gravel tracks, but happy to link things on roads too (not worried about finding the best mtbing per se). I’ll be on my rigid 29er with XC tyres so happy to do a bit of everything. I’m aiming to start in the north of the Forest, probably near Fordingbridge, and do a big old loop hopefully taking in the coast if I can. I’m planning the route on OS maps and using the NP guide, but would like some help with the following:

– Any recommended routes from the north in a big loop via the sea, even just a few waypoints and places to go and also places to avoid?
– Are the waymarked off-road routes (ones with numbered posts) worth using to help get me from place to place?
– Recommended pubs/cafes to stop at in the south of the forest for lunch

I’m not really after a gps track as I want to make my own route and I know the forest reasonably well in parts, but have not ridden there for ages. Any help much appreciated. Ta.

Can’t help with offroad much but rhinefield ornamental drive is worth riding even if on a mtb. Stop and see if you can find the redwoods. Heads north to south so you could use it to head down from Fordingbridge.

Roger penny way head east West from Fordingbridge to totton also has really nice views.

Beaulieu has a nice tea shop and ice cream. Could try to get down to Lepe via Exbury

All of those are on my regular 50m road loop.

Are the waymarked off-road routes (ones with numbered posts) worth using to help get me from place to place?

yes and there’s a whole network of very similar tracks, just missing the numbered post, to help you link them up.

ignore the stupid rules – everyone else does. 😀

old railway line at post 217 (south of brockenhurst) is a nice bit ride.

as for the sea, lepe country park is nice (cafe is ok too). or the ride west from bucklers hard to lymington has lovely views south.

bridleway from lover b3080 is worth a look

sorry if none of these join up well – my knowledge is patchy.

Are the waymarked off-road routes (ones with numbered posts) worth using to help get me from place to place?

Generally not, with a few exceptions, e.g.

Ringwood – Lyndhurst (Linwood, Slufters Enclosure, under the A31 and then Emery Down either via Acres Down or Millyford Bridge)
Lyndhurst – Brockenhurst (options both west and east sides of the A337)
Lyndhurst – Beaulieu (via Furzy Lodge and with fair few ‘dog legs’).

I would include the Ornamental Drive in your ride, which I think is better from north to south.

Including the coast, other than Lepe and Calshot via Exbury, would entail some riding through built up areas, e.g. there is a track between Keyhaven and Lymington.

If you ride to Brockenhurst via the Ornamental Drive, and want to then go south to Lymington, avoid the A337 and use the bridleway from Church Lane at the southern tip of Brockenhurst to Blazemore Farm, and then follow the lane south through Boldre.

From Lymington you could loop east to Beaulieu (rather than the B3054, use the back lanes via Sowley Pond).

Couple of cafes in Brockenhurst, pub at Keyhaven, Red Lion in Boldre, and various pubs and cafes etc. in Lymington, Beaulieu and Lyndhurst.

Bikebouy sent me a gpx of a gravel route, will email it to you later

Thanks for the tips so far. Good call for the ornamental drive, as i’ve only ever driven it, and also the ways to link up bits in the south/east part – i’ll check those out. I’ll be looking to avoid Lymington and built up areas. Good reminder about the railway line too, which I forgot that I rode years ago from West Moors to Brokenhurst and back. It’ll be useful for linking bits up.

I shan’t be too worried to use an ‘unofficial’ fire road to get where I want. It is a little crazy that normal forestry tracks aren’t automatically OK for cyclists to use – but that’s another debate!

Thanks
EDIT – thanks Jambalaya

I shan’t be too worried to use an ‘unofficial’ fire road to get where I want.

In my experience, and given the routes you are likely to take, it is generally not worth cycling on the tracks prohibited to cyclists. If they are fire roads, then either there will usually be alternative gravel tracks which cyclists are permitted on and so there will be no point in using the unofficial option, or they will not be fire roads but rather muddy/sandy paths which I would avoid, especially in Winter.

For example, if you are starting from Fordingbridge, you might be tempted to try cycling across the Forest from Frogham/Ogdens to the High Corner Inn, and there is even a short section of bridleway for part of that route, but I suspect it will be very boggy and that you would have to walk and push your bike for much of it.

DT78 mentioned Roger Penny Way – that can be a delightful ride in the right conditions, especially with a tailwind. In bad weather – and especially with a headwind – it is a miserable ride. The same can be said of some of the other long sections of open and exposed road in the Forest. I would suggest therefore that you plan your route with a few alternative options you can choose on the day depending upon the weather, the wind and the wind direction. Most of the official gravel paths are in woodland and well sheltered from the wind.

One other option I forgot to mention, seeing as you plan to start from Fordingbridge, is Hampton Ridge, which runs east to west from Frogham to Fritham, from where you would need to loop back on the road in a south westerly direction to get to the northern end of the Ornamental Drive.

if you take Hampton Ridge to Fritham, which is a nice ride, you can then take the gravel track/fireroad from Fritham to Holly Hatch and onto Broomy Lodge. Then pick up the road to Ornamental Drive.

Or you could head from Holly Hatch to the High Corner Inn. All the gravel tracks around High Corner inn and redshoot inn are fine to ride all year round.

Before you get to Ornamental Drive ie at the Canadian Memorial there are two nice gravel track routes from there if you prefer off road. One heads to Burley. The other to the portugese fireplace near the reptile centre. Which brings you out near Bank.

Nice pub at Bank. From Bank you can pick up more fireroads to Brockenhurst.

From Burley you can head SE and then pick up the cycle track and railway to Brockenhurst.

Also if you fancy a wtf moment, blissford hill is close to Fordingbridge. Very short and sharp. Considering the forest is flat it’s a surprise!

Best riding by the sea off road is along the coast from Barton to Milford – the track skirts Barton golf course.

Then you can easily burn through Lymington and put the other side all the way to Bucklers Hard and take the track into Beaulieu.

From there to Lyndhurst mainly off road on the gravel tracks and make your way back to fordingbrige from there

All the gravel tracks around High Corner inn and redshoot inn are fine to ride all year round.

That’s very useful to know: I confess I based my own comments on an experience of pushing my bike from Ogdens to High Corner Inn during dry Summer conditions. Evidently I need to explore that area more myself.

if you take Hampton Ridge to Fritham, which is a nice ride, you can then take the gravel track/fireroad from Fritham to Holly Hatch and onto Broomy Lodge. Then pick up the road to Ornamental Drive.

That looks like a very good option.

PM sent

Thanks Jambalaya!

Good tips so far, thank you. Hampton ridge looks good so i’ll probably take that in and the suggested route to ornamental drive then Burley. I think Barton and Milford will be a bit too far out of the way for me though, will probably aim for near Sawley pond area. Weather is looking promising, and i’ll be taking my brew kit too, stopping for a cuppa somewhere nice!

As per the PM all credit goes to BikeBouy

Thanks to bike Bouygues too!

Ended up doing a cracking 65 mile mixed terrain ride, using the off road trails to link loads of it together. Very enjoyable ride in warm sunshine, warm enough for bare legs! Stopped at the sea at the end of Tanner’s lane near Sowley for a brew up, lovely views over the Solent.

https://www.strava.com/activities/873811326

Thanks for the tips!