Sunday Morning Mtb Rides Alresford Hampshire

Nick Cod

Ride most Sundays 8am early doors from the Watercress line in Alresford. Leisurely pace, 15 to 20 miles, normally on the South Downs picking up from Titchborne or some routes along Ox Drove way / Abbotstone

Finishing back at Watercress line (free parking Sundays)

Plenty of post ride tea and cake availability in the town

James (Specialized Epic Expert / GT Avalanche)

rockinchair

I'm just down the road in Basingstoke, not ridden around there so would be interested in tagging along. Normally around most weekends.
I normally ride the bridleways/ byways south of the M3, but getting a bit too muddy and rutted at the moment - was covered almost head to foot in mud last weekend!
What are your routes like? Rideable or will I spinning mud again?

Matt

Nick Cod

Hi Matt

If the weather is wet then Ox Drove / Abbotstone can get very wet and the mud is clay like in places so it can be hard work. Plus if any horses have been through there it can make a bit of a mess.

South Downs while muddy in places is a lot more rideable. A couple of us had a blast round there a couple of weeks back finishing with a loop through Cheriton back into Alresford and despite the mess had a real good time.

More than happy for anyone to rock up and tag along if they wish, just be prepaird for all conditions

James

kacknar0800

Im from andover but often visit winchester area, will keep it in mind!

beechtree

I normally ride the bridleways/ byways south of the M3, but getting a bit too muddy and rutted at the moment

Just in case you don't know this route south of M3 it's the one i'm riding at the mo; chosen for it's present lack of gloop / ruts.

Rode fine this afternoon, averaged just under 11mph which i was reasonably pleased with given it's not gloop free and was chuffing-cold and even chuffinger-colder with the wind.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/65502434

Nick Cod

If anyone wants the some of the routes for their Garmin I have uploaded these two below and quite happy to post some more if anyone needs them

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/65600825
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/65600843

James

rockinchair

Beechtree: Cheers for the route - rode it earlier today and you are right its pretty much mud free, where there was mud, it was all frozen so not a problem! Damn cold when I finished though - took a while for any blood and feeling to get back into my toes - temp never got above zero. I'd done bits of it before around Farleigh etc as part of some of my other loops, but not not the bottom part around the Candovers - will do it again though, scouted a couple more bridleways and byways for the next time to make it a bit longer when it warms up.

James: Looks like I'm not going to be able to make it tomorrow, hope to meet you for a ride one sunday though.

Nick Cod

rockinchair: No problem if you can't make it tomorrow, it's an open invite to anyone who just wants to turn up and ride. So hopefully see you another Sunday.

Beechtree: Cheers for the route, I'll be sure to check it out

To anyone coming along tomorrow looks like it's going to be dry, but bloody cold.

James

Shotsaway

For those that don't use a GPS unit, here is a Hampshire County Council trail guide which is very similar to Beechtree's route. The only major difference is the HCC guide uses the Wayfayers between Dummer Grange and Brown Candover.

http://www3.hants.gov.uk/abbotstonedown.pdf

Beechtree and Rockinchair - What was the trail condition of the 1st section of the Oxdrove Way, as you join from the road (Spain Lane - Bradley end)?


The Hampshire website has numerous routes to download

http://www3.hants.gov.uk/cycling/cycling-route-finder.htm

rockinchair

Well, apart from being frozen it was OK, there were a few pools of water in some 4X4 tractor tracks for the first 1/2 mile or so - easy enough to ride on the edges though.
All definately rideable - I enjoyed all of it. I guess we are seeing the benefit of 5 or 6 days of no rain!

HCC have done a good job with their routes - only gripe is that the maps are not OS quality and don't give enough landscape context so still need an OS or sat nav.

beechtree

agree with rockingchair, at the bottom iof the hill i kept left and there's room around the worst

the trickiest part is at the top of that hill where farm vehicles have churned up the ground

the valley section 1/2 mile on is also very rideable; again just keep well left

Nick Cod

So I part checked out the route Beechtree put up on here, some good riding. Conditions were spot on this morning, hard ground and bone dry, plus it was nice and bright.

Saw a few big birds (flying ones not fat chics) and a dog decided to have a go at my left calf but I'm pleased to say he didn't get the chance to sink his teeth in as I delivered him a carbon knuckle to the head.

Early doors again next Sunday, anyone is welcome to tag along.

James

Nick Cod

Just a quick update on this weeks ride. We're moving it to Saturday 8am, probably heading up on the South Downs due to the weather forecast looking to be wet. I'm pleased to say however that the cold snap seems to be over for now, met office weather link below.

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/ ... ather.html

Look forward to seeing those who can make it

James

Ride hard, eat cake and drink tea

Nick Cod

Today saw us heading up towards Cheesefoot Head, glad to see they've done some widening of the trail since I last went up there. It has been a long time though!!

I have to say though it despite a tough ride with some hard climbs and horse churned mud conditions I really enjoyed it, even if I was a little over dressed fior the occasion, next week it's back to shorts if the cold stays away.

We were back by 11am for tea and backewells, plus the new eddition of MBUK was waiting for me at home, thanks postie.

Not sure on next weeks route as yet but look forward to seeing anyone who wants to tag along.

Ride hard

James

Shotsaway

beechtree wrote:

I normally ride the bridleways/ byways south of the M3, but getting a bit too muddy and rutted at the moment

Just in case you don't know this route south of M3 it's the one i'm riding at the mo; chosen for it's present lack of gloop / ruts.

Rode fine this afternoon, averaged just under 11mph which i was reasonably pleased with given it's not gloop free and was chuffing-cold and even chuffinger-colder with the wind.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/65502434

I see the the March issue of MBR has a similar route to yours. The only differences being it uses the Wayfarers Walk between Lone Barn and the Oxdrove Way, rather than the road and between the Oxdrove Way and Nutley it uses the climbs and decents over Moundsmere and Windmill Hill.

beechtree

Cool, can I expect hoards of MBR readers to decend on my little haven of underridden trails?

I rode UP the wayfarers from brown candover to lone barn week-end before last, in present condition would have been great going DOWN.

Nick Cod

Shotsaway - Thanks I'll be sure to pop along to the news agents to pick me up a copy of MBR. I did incorporate some of Beechtrees ride into my own from Alresford a couple of weeks back. Trails were good and even in the wet should remain quite weather proof

Beechtree- I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that MBR readers don't all want to ride the trails at once. However I'm sure not all MBR riders / readers live in Hampshire.

Ride this Sunday from the Watercress line car park 8am

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/ ... ather.html

Looks like it's going to be wet, bring on the mud!!