After over 10 years on the forum I though it was about time I did a ride so......
The Ride
9am-ish start from Winchester Station. I'm looking at a sausage-shaped route that follows the ridge of chalk downland between Winchester and Salisbury, with a return following the flatter Old Canal/River Dun through to Mottisfont and back to Winchester. It'll be around 100+km all in.
Usual T&Cs - no-one left behind, recced route, half-way stop etc. It's all on-road and, barring the occasional pothole and gravel-patch, perfectly rideable on the roadiest of road bikes. The half-way stop will probably depend on numbers, but I'm looking at a few coffee-and-cake type establishments. Not Zizzi's. Dates and times are flexible, but I'd look to a minimum of 5 or 6 to make the organisation worthwhile.
The Sell
It's a lovely and varied route that takes in choccy-box villages, chalk streams, downland, woodland, two cathedrals, one horse grave and, barring the tricksy run-in to Salisbury, traffic-free or traffic-light roads. I've ridden variations of this for years and it never gets boring.
...but...
Salisbury has been in the news. Local businesses have certainly taken a hit from a drop in visitor numbers, which is understandable. I suspect all the locals want is to get back to normal, and what says normal more than a gang of stinky cyclists turning up at your cafe and wrecking your floor with their cleats. Besides which, I've heard Novichok makes excellent chain lube.
More seriously, this is a lumpy route. Apart from a flat 10-mile stretch that follows the water, you'll either be going down or up something. There are no monsters but plenty of drags and short-and-sharps. The final couple of kms back into Winchester are not a friend to the weary.
Travel
Winchester is on the main South Western Trains route from that Waterloo down to Soton, Bournemouth and Weymouth or Portsmouth.
Winchester also has direct connections from Reading, Oxford, Brum, Manc and, if you're desperate for sun, Newcastle. This route is courtesy of X-Country trains, but bikes may require booking and the service is, to quote season-ticket holder Mrs Dr Bollo, f***ing shite.
The core of the ride tracks the Southampton-Cardiff line that sees an occasional stopping service, although the best bailout would be half-way at Salisbury.
The Ride
9am-ish start from Winchester Station. I'm looking at a sausage-shaped route that follows the ridge of chalk downland between Winchester and Salisbury, with a return following the flatter Old Canal/River Dun through to Mottisfont and back to Winchester. It'll be around 100+km all in.
Usual T&Cs - no-one left behind, recced route, half-way stop etc. It's all on-road and, barring the occasional pothole and gravel-patch, perfectly rideable on the roadiest of road bikes. The half-way stop will probably depend on numbers, but I'm looking at a few coffee-and-cake type establishments. Not Zizzi's. Dates and times are flexible, but I'd look to a minimum of 5 or 6 to make the organisation worthwhile.
The Sell
It's a lovely and varied route that takes in choccy-box villages, chalk streams, downland, woodland, two cathedrals, one horse grave and, barring the tricksy run-in to Salisbury, traffic-free or traffic-light roads. I've ridden variations of this for years and it never gets boring.
...but...
Salisbury has been in the news. Local businesses have certainly taken a hit from a drop in visitor numbers, which is understandable. I suspect all the locals want is to get back to normal, and what says normal more than a gang of stinky cyclists turning up at your cafe and wrecking your floor with their cleats. Besides which, I've heard Novichok makes excellent chain lube.
More seriously, this is a lumpy route. Apart from a flat 10-mile stretch that follows the water, you'll either be going down or up something. There are no monsters but plenty of drags and short-and-sharps. The final couple of kms back into Winchester are not a friend to the weary.
Travel
Winchester is on the main South Western Trains route from that Waterloo down to Soton, Bournemouth and Weymouth or Portsmouth.
Winchester also has direct connections from Reading, Oxford, Brum, Manc and, if you're desperate for sun, Newcastle. This route is courtesy of X-Country trains, but bikes may require booking and the service is, to quote season-ticket holder Mrs Dr Bollo, f***ing shite.
The core of the ride tracks the Southampton-Cardiff line that sees an occasional stopping service, although the best bailout would be half-way at Salisbury.
