New Forest Cycling - Route

Gazspurs

Hi Guys,

Planning on getting out Friday morning for the last day of the Easter Holidays as the weather is looking clear/cloudy & the barmy heights of 7 degrees! 8)

I'll be cycling from Brockenhurst station back to Basingstoke.

I Will be catching the train down & mapped a roughly 70 mile route back on the GPS, this will be my 1st train & return ride & 1st ride on my own away from my 'normal' roads/ cycle club routes.

Has anyone done a similar route or cycled through the New Forest? I've heard mixed things about cycling down there, beautiful scenery but sometimes unsafe, a lot of accidents etc... should I be doing anything different?

Have routed to stay away from any main roads as possible as I'd imagine they'll be some great countryside & decent country lanes on the ride back.

Cheers

jcondylis01

Hi Gazspurs,

I've done a few routes in and around the NF, mainly Totton-Shaftesbury vie Fordingbridge or Totton-Salisbury via Downton, and never had any problems. I've also ridden some of the roads towards Andover via Over Wallop. The A roads were very busy, but as long as you avoid them you'll be fine. My guess would be that the closer you get to Basingstoke the more likely it is you'll hit traffic etc.

The NF is a very beautiful place to cycle, but in some areas you can be quite exposed to winds. The B roads around the Stockbridge area are also quite nice (if your route heads that way).

Anyway, enjoy the ride.

Gazspurs

Cheers buddy! Much appreciated info, sounds perfect as I cycle between Andover/Basingstoke with our club a fair bit so know the back roads & have planed the country lanes through the Forest!

Looking forward to some decent scenery

jcondylis01

No worries. Have you got a link to the route, wouldn't mind finding some new roads in the NF area?

Cheers.

Anonymous

I know a great route - 50 miles on the nose from Brock - one of the regular routes for the new forest cycling club.

Failing that, you can use the routes for the New Forest Sportive (They are publicly available on ukcycling events website) and go from there? also both starting in brockenhurst. Will update this post in a sec when I put the traces on garmin connect.

Generally very safe, very quiet and nothing to worry about. Fairly flat, undulating at the worst. Heading west is hillier!

Edit: just read you are going from Brock to Basingstoke. Mine all start in Burley and loop from there. Oh well. Will post the rides anyway.

Anonymous

Sorry its all in KM - EUGH
50 mile loop
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/292918859
(all very quiet roads)

UK Cycling New Forest Sportive
http://www.ukcyclingevents.co.uk/events ... -sportive/

Enjoy - it sure is lovely around there!

team47b

You have to pop into Burley for a cream tea! :shock:

Anonymous

Recommend 'the old farmhouse' tearooms. Where I used to work when saving for university. Note the lady selling ice creams - she is there in sun, cloud, rain, SNOW. She does so well, she holidays in the Maldives.

topcattim

You'll enjoy it - there is some great cycling in the Forest, although as has been said, it can be a bit exposed. If you're riding it on the 12th you may find the Wiggle lot putting out signs for the Sportives that weekend - they will take you out towards the Northern end of the Forest. I'd recommend the ride up through Rhinefield Ornamental Drive and Boldrewood Drive from Brockenhurst.

I've put a 50 mile route on bikely.com that you may like to use as a start point. Pretty much any route through the Forest is good (as long as you avoid the A35!) but when you get out of the Forest, I'd recommend you also take a look at the smaller villages out to the West of Winchester and Basingstoke - Mottisfont, Stockbridge, Longparish etc. The b3048 from Wherwell is a lovely ride and even when it turns into the b3400 through Whitchurch, Overton etc it is still a nice peaceful ride.

Enjoy!

jcondylis01

If you go through Burley be wary of Witches!

topcattim

jcondylis01 wrote:

If you go through Burley be wary of Witches!

I've never understood why people love Burley so much. It is dark and creepy, to my way of thinking. Many many nicer places in the forest than that.

Josh_No90

+1 to doing Rhinefield Ornamental Drive, it's a beautiful bit of road. Here's a ride I did out there about a week ago - http://connect.garmin.com/activity/290381611. Around Bransgore and Burley I found it quite exposed, but once you get north of Brockenhurst it starts to be a bit more 'foresty'. Enjoy.

jcondylis01

topcattim wrote:

jcondylis01 wrote:

If you go through Burley be wary of Witches!

I've never understood why people love Burley so much. It is dark and creepy, to my way of thinking. Many many nicer places in the forest than that.

I've only been there once and thought it was ok. I haven't been out to the NF for a while now, once the weather improves I'll get out there again.

Any suggestions on routes or places to go? Last ride I did started and finished at Beaulieu Rd Station via Lyndhurst, Burley, and Brockenhurst.

jcondylis01

Josh_No90 wrote:

+1 to doing Rhinefield Ornamental Drive, it's a beautiful bit of road. Here's a ride I did out there about a week ago - http://connect.garmin.com/activity/290381611. Around Bransgore and Burley I found it quite exposed, but once you get north of Brockenhurst it starts to be a bit more 'foresty'. Enjoy.

That's a nice route. I like Zig Zag Hill (or Road, not sure what its called), just wish the road surface was a bit nicer!

Anonymous

topcattim wrote:

jcondylis01 wrote:

If you go through Burley be wary of Witches!

I've never understood why people love Burley so much. It is dark and creepy, to my way of thinking. Many many nicer places in the forest than that.

WHY I OUTTA.....

Lovely place to live, not sure it's worth visiting though. Plenty of wild horses/deer if you haven't seen them before.
Location wise it is literally the heart of the NF so what's not to like? Easy access to main roads/train station/great cycling (on/off road)....

topcattim

jcondylis01 wrote:

Any suggestions on routes or places to go? Last ride I did started and finished at Beaulieu Rd Station via Lyndhurst, Burley, and Brockenhurst.

I've put a suggested route in an earlier post. You could extend it with this loop around Linwood. It takes the OP away from Basingstoke first of all so that they can go up Blissford Hill - a well known atraction around here, short but steep. The ride from Linwood through to the end is a lovely stretch of rolling humps and there is a good pub (Red Shoot, I think it is called) to stop at for a fill up.

jcondylis01

Thanks for that (topcattim), looks like a decent route.

TheSmithers

topcattim wrote:

jcondylis01 wrote:

If you go through Burley be wary of Witches!

I've never understood why people love Burley so much. It is dark and creepy, to my way of thinking. Many many nicer places in the forest than that.

You're kidding right?! Burley is a lovely village, one of the nicest in the NF in my opinion. We quite often have lunch at The Queens Head pub there.

Gazspurs

Great stuff, thanks for the info guys & places to go, I've adapted my route slightly to get a tearoom stop in!

Some excellent loops as well I've kept for the summer!

Can't wait to finally get a bit of warm sunshine & try out some different routes away from home.

topcattim

TheSmithers wrote:

topcattim wrote:

jcondylis01 wrote:

If you go through Burley be wary of Witches!

I've never understood why people love Burley so much. It is dark and creepy, to my way of thinking. Many many nicer places in the forest than that.

You're kidding right?! Burley is a lovely village, one of the nicest in the NF in my opinion. We quite often have lunch at The Queens Head pub there.

Nope, not at all - I'd much rather be at Lymington, the ford at Beaulieu, the plains near Gorley, than in Burley. Still, that's what's nice about this area - something for everyone!

elbowloh

Just be careful of the horses/ponies. They'll literally just be wandering around in the middle of the roads, with not a care in the world.

Cute yes, but you don't want to hit one.

Anonymous

And they don't even pay road tax.

Josh_No90

jcondylis01 wrote:

That's a nice route. I like Zig Zag Hill (or Road, not sure what its called), just wish the road surface was a bit nicer!

Thanks, it was a lovely ride other than my wrong turn after Three-Legged Cross that took me down the A338 for about 4-5 miles. That was definitely scary (I try to avoid duals like the plague).

Yeah, Zig Zag Hill is a particular favourite (I always imagine I'm going up the Alpe d'Huez) but, as you say, the road is getting incredibly rutted. I was impressed with the roads in the NF, other than the obvious cattle grids, it was very smooth.

Do you ride out from Shaftesbury?

Bar Shaker

Have a search on Ridewithgps, there are loads of really good New Forest rides on there.

The roads have to be ridden to be believed. The scenery is stunning and the road surfaces are near perfect, almost everywhere. Some of the most pleasant riding I have done.

jcondylis01

Josh_No90 wrote:

jcondylis01 wrote:

That's a nice route. I like Zig Zag Hill (or Road, not sure what its called), just wish the road surface was a bit nicer!

Thanks, it was a lovely ride other than my wrong turn after Three-Legged Cross that took me down the A338 for about 4-5 miles. That was definitely scary (I try to avoid duals like the plague).

Yeah, Zig Zag Hill is a particular favourite (I always imagine I'm going up the Alpe d'Huez) but, as you say, the road is getting incredibly rutted. I was impressed with the roads in the NF, other than the obvious cattle grids, it was very smooth.

Do you ride out from Shaftesbury?

I took my housemate and a mate out to Shaftesbury via Zig Zag and my mate punctured on Zig Zag in similar conditions to today, i.e., fecking freezing. We stopped in Shaftesbury for hot food etc and then went out to Salisbury in conditons that can only be described as savage. Not quite snowing, but very sleety and wet. That A road from Shaftesbury to Salisbury is also pretty busy, but we just wanted to get home asap. Bloody awful day, but once the sun (finally) appears I'll head to Zig Zag again.

I'm based in Soton, so I have the option of the South Downs or NF. Have you been out on the bike much?

topcattim

Josh_No90 wrote:

jcondylis01 wrote:

That's a nice route. I like Zig Zag Hill (or Road, not sure what its called), just wish the road surface was a bit nicer!

Thanks, it was a lovely ride other than my wrong turn after Three-Legged Cross that took me down the A338 for about 4-5 miles. That was definitely scary (I try to avoid duals like the plague).

Yeah, Zig Zag Hill is a particular favourite (I always imagine I'm going up the Alpe d'Huez) but, as you say, the road is getting incredibly rutted. I was impressed with the roads in the NF, other than the obvious cattle grids, it was very smooth.

I'm curious now. Can you tell me where Zig Zag Hill/Road is? I'm in Winchester and you've made this road sound fun!

noiseboyfeetman

This route's similar to topcattim's except that it takes in Braishfield and Kings Somborne with Cow Drove Hill thrown in for good measure. I only know the route from Brockenhurst to Stockbridge so i've ripped the rest of topcattim's post. Both routes, Mottisfont or Kings Somborne, are nice routes with quiet roads.

When you go through Whitchurch stop in at North Hants Bikes http://www.northhantsbikes.co.uk/ they're great guys in there and if you're lucky and smile nicely they might stick the kettle on!

http://connect.garmin.com/course/3215121

Other routes actually in the forest though include:

http://connect.garmin.com/course/2523610

http://connect.garmin.com/course/2296498

Alternatively there's the Hampshire Hilly Hundred which admittedly is nowhere near the New Forest but is close to Basingstoke:

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/399478

jcondylis01

topcattim wrote:

Josh_No90 wrote:

jcondylis01 wrote:

That's a nice route. I like Zig Zag Hill (or Road, not sure what its called), just wish the road surface was a bit nicer!

Thanks, it was a lovely ride other than my wrong turn after Three-Legged Cross that took me down the A338 for about 4-5 miles. That was definitely scary (I try to avoid duals like the plague).

Yeah, Zig Zag Hill is a particular favourite (I always imagine I'm going up the Alpe d'Huez) but, as you say, the road is getting incredibly rutted. I was impressed with the roads in the NF, other than the obvious cattle grids, it was very smooth.

I'm curious now. Can you tell me where Zig Zag Hill/Road is? I'm in Winchester and you've made this road sound fun!

Its on the B3081 Sixpenny Handle and Shaftesbury (on google maps its SE of Shaftesbury, nearest place name on GM is Cann). If you have tyres without much puncture protection then take it easy, been down twice on Gators and it was fine, but like I mentioned in another post my friend punctured on it. Last time I was up that way there was still snow on the hills running towards Zig Zag. Its a fair trek from Winchester though. I usually train it to Totton and start there going through Fordingbridge, Cranborne and Sixpenny Handle. Here's a link from my mate's Garmin that we used on that particular day: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/272988856

jcondylis01

noiseboyfeetman wrote:

This route's similar to topcattim's except that it takes in Braishfield and Kings Somborne with Cow Drove Hill thrown in for good measure. I only know the route from Brockenhurst to Stockbridge so i've ripped the rest of topcattim's post. Both routes, Mottisfont or Kings Somborne, are nice routes with quiet roads.

When you go through Whitchurch stop in at North Hants Bikes http://www.northhantsbikes.co.uk/ they're great guys in there and if you're lucky and smile nicely they might stick the kettle on!

http://connect.garmin.com/course/3215121

Other routes actually in the forest though include:

http://connect.garmin.com/course/2523610

http://connect.garmin.com/course/2296498

Alternatively there's the Hampshire Hilly Hundred which admittedly is nowhere near the New Forest but is close to Basingstoke:

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/399478

I've ridden the route to Stockbridge via Braishfield and Kings Sombourne many times (from Soton), but up until a few weeks ago had not had the pleasure of Cow Droves Hill! Its pretty tough, but the smooth tarmac and lack of traffic make it more worthwhile than carrying on on the Stockbridge road. The first hill coming back from Stockbridge towards King Sombourne is also nice.

jcondylis01

noiseboyfeetman wrote:

This route's similar to topcattim's except that it takes in Braishfield and Kings Somborne with Cow Drove Hill thrown in for good measure. I only know the route from Brockenhurst to Stockbridge so i've ripped the rest of topcattim's post. Both routes, Mottisfont or Kings Somborne, are nice routes with quiet roads.

When you go through Whitchurch stop in at North Hants Bikes http://www.northhantsbikes.co.uk/ they're great guys in there and if you're lucky and smile nicely they might stick the kettle on!

http://connect.garmin.com/course/3215121

Other routes actually in the forest though include:

http://connect.garmin.com/course/2523610

http://connect.garmin.com/course/2296498

Alternatively there's the Hampshire Hilly Hundred which admittedly is nowhere near the New Forest but is close to Basingstoke:

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/399478

Judging from your garmin maps you're pretty close to the Meons/South Downs, do you get out there much?

topcattim

jcondylis01 wrote:

topcattim wrote:

I'm curious now. Can you tell me where Zig Zag Hill/Road is? I'm in Winchester and you've made this road sound fun!

Its on the B3081 Sixpenny Handle and Shaftesbury (on google maps its SE of Shaftesbury, nearest place name on GM is Cann). If you have tyres without much puncture protection then take it easy, been down twice on Gators and it was fine, but like I mentioned in another post my friend punctured on it. Last time I was up that way there was still snow on the hills running towards Zig Zag. Its a fair trek from Winchester though. I usually train it to Totton and start there going through Fordingbridge, Cranborne and Sixpenny Handle. Here's a link from my mate's Garmin that we used on that particular day: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/272988856

Thanks. As you say, its a fair old trek from Winchester, but might be worth it when the weather takes a turn for the better.