No Goupetta friends to join me on Thursday 10th October. They were all too busy working or going on holiday!
I left home just before 10 with a book shoved up my winter training jacket. It helped keep the wind off my chest but the real reason I had it was to take it to the PO to post it to an Amazon customer in aid of Save The Children.
It was a very chilly morning and there was a very strong Northerly wind, but I soon warmed up climbing the slope to Bighton.
Here I discovered the pub has had a makeover and is no longer the Three Horseshoes but is now the very smart looking English Partidge. Must visit it to test out the facilities!
The lane leading to Medstead was covered in many places by masses of beech mast and acorns which crunched under my tyres. I kept hoping they were causing no damage but it was impossible to avoid them. I struggled up the hill for the wind was so strong, often one is under the wind in such situations but it was not so in this case. Near the top I was pinged by an acorn dropping onto my helmet!
I had chosen a devious route to get to Upton Gray, not wanting to take the well travelled obvious one. From Medstead I went to Bentworth and then through the village of Shalden. I paused here awhile to have a look at the charming church.
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| SS Peter & Paul Church, Shalden. |
As I neared the Golden Pot I met Janice going in the opposite direction. We had a chat then decided we would both stick to our original routes.
Soon afterwards I met Lesley and Mike also following Janice's route.
I crossed the main road and about a mile east of it I turned down a very small lane, also heavily covered in beech mast. More crunching!
I eventually came out onto the Odiham road near to the hamlet of Blounce. Next I took a road marked Private which I had ridden before with Ray and the Alton Group. It is a very narrow lane through farmland with good views across the fields and the only other user I saw was Postman Pat. A tractor was working in the fieds and there was good shelter from the wind so I really enjoyed it.
I arrived at the Hoddington Arms at the same time as Lesley and Mike. Janice arrived soon afterwards having stopped for a break.
A very good turnout of riders including some from Southampton and Chandler's Ford and one new member from Fleet.
After lunch I headed home via Herriard, Burkham and Bentworth flying along at a much faster rate with the wind behind me.
Here is my map and data for the day:
Question for readers to answer:
Where is this very ancient garage? Must be one of the earliest!
Sunday 13th October, The Gridiron Audax.
Forecast Rain! Unlucky for some?
I just had to ride the Gridiron whatever the weather. First rode it in 2008 with PinkPal and have ridden it every year since, so this was my sixth time.
Got to the new starting place in Lymington in good time and was on the road by 8.15. A few of us had jumped the gun to make the most of the drier weather. It was grey and misty but there were a couple of short lived blue patches. I passed a few other riders who'd started early too but was soon being passed by others. There was a little mizzle on the high ground so I was glad I had on my rain jacket.
There was a change in the route soon after Burley because of a road closure between there and Moortown. This added a little to the mileage.
As we headed north a mini peleton formed and about 20 of us rode together until most of the group took the old route from South Gorley, relying on memory rather than the printed route I shouted to tell them they'd gone wrong but it was a couple of miles further on before some of them caught up with me, the rest must have continued on the old route.
We enjoyed the usual break with coffee and biscuits at the Hyde Village Hall. One third of the route completed.
The early mizzle had lifted as we rode along the Roger Penny Way towards Nomansland. I was almost on my own now having stopped only briefly at Hyde but a rider who passed me on this stretch missed the turn to Nomansland. When I called out he turned back and we rode together for a while. He was Cornelius, from Southampton, not a member of a club so I told him about the CTC. After a few miles he rode away from me on some of the hillier parts and I descended towards Cadnam on my own once more. I stopped to take this picture of some small ponies, not the usual New Forest ones.
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| Ponies on Cadnam Lane. |
As I neared Winsor some of the riders I'd ridden with earlier caught up with me and we rode together again. It had started to rain a little now and by the time we got to the second check point at Colbury it had set in for the day.
The scene here in the past has been one of riders sitting in the sunshine enjoying their break with tea and biscuits. Here is the scene from yesterday.
Only 20 miles to go now so not wishing to delay I filled one of my bottles with hot sweet tea and got cracking once more.
As I neared Beaulieu I passed a number of other cyclists who were taking part in a charity event. One of them turned out to be AJ a friend of mine raising money for McMillan Cancer Support.
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| Alex Coates. |
Once at the finish I signed in, got my brevet card stamped and acquired my commerative 21st anniversary medal and Gridiron Cap.
Once the formalities were complete I loaded my bike onto the car and headed for home and a nice refreshing shower and to enjoy tea with Jean, Sarah and her two boys, Hugo and Archie.
A memorable day, great fun and companionship despite the wet weather. I was pleased to have completed my sixth Gridiron in my best time ever at a moving speed of a shade over 13 m.p.h. and an overall average 0f 11.7 m.p.h. Top speed for the day down the hill into Nomansland 34 m.p.h.
For those of you who are interested my Garmin record for the day is here:-
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/389821289
Gridironman.
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