Pedallers' ABCD, HCMF last meeting of the year & Daren's ride to the Flower Pots via Bishop's Sutton

Tuesday 16th December 2014.

Woke to find a very foggy day dawning, wondered if it would be OK to ride. By 9 o'clock it was much thinner so I set off with both front and rear lights flashing. Visibility about 200 metres. As I got to Itchen Abbass my phone bleeped, an incoming message. I stopped to see what it was and discovered the start had been delayed to 10.30 because of the fog. Not wanting to hang around for half an hour I diverted when I reached Kings Worthy to my daughter's home to have a chat and a cuppa to kill some time. 

When I eventually arrived at CP I found Chris and Dave already there and soon afterwards we were joined by Alan.

We decided to ride to Poppies for our coffee stop but not wishing to take the usual route via Mottisfont we diverted through Up Somborne and Ashley to Farley Mount. Thence down hill to Standon. this of course meant we had to climb Merdon Castle Hill the steepest hill of the day at 8.2%. Not satisfied with that we took the high road up Dores Lane to near Farley Church and thence along Farley Lane to Braishfield.

Farley Church.

We were at Poppies soon after 12 noon. We enjoyed a variety of cakes and coffees and soon after I discovered that Dave and I had a common interest, having both served in the Royal Navy. This led to a very interesting conversation about frigates, submarines, aircraft carriers. and the suitability of modern aircraft for the Fleet Air Arm.

All too soon I manage to persuade the others that we really ought to consider our return route so I could get home in daylight. 

We chose the quietest lane over the hill through the hamlet of Eldon to King's Somborne. Here Alan left us to return to Stockbridge.

At CP Dave rejoined his car and Chris and I took the Littleton Road. Chris soon left me behind, heading for Chandler's Ford while I carried on into Harestock and thence to Headbourne Worthy and eventually home. 

As I rode the last few miles I could here a strange clicking coming from the rear wheel and thought that sounds like a loose or broken spoke. After I got home investigation revealed I'd got a cracked rim causing one spoke to be lose. Well it has covered around 12,700 miles over the last 4 years.

Simon has kindly offered to have a look at the damage for me with the possibility of replacing the rim.

Map and Data for my ride.

A very good ride with three interesting pals. Thanks Guys!

P.S. Has anyone worked out why the title is "Pedallers' ABCD"?

Wednesday 17th December 2014.

Once more Simon has worked his magic. I took my damaged wheel round to him to see if the rim could be replaced. Later in the day he called me to collect my wheels. (Yes plural).  It transpired that as he had no suitable rim he had contacted Owen at Owen's Cycles and had done a deal swapping some parts that Owen needed for a customer for a wheel suitable for my Sporty. So not only had a a new wheel but Simon had swapped the rear cluster but then he fitted it into Sporty. Next he spotted I had a broken rail on my saddle and he replaced the saddle with a Sella Italia Anatomic leather saddle that he just happened to have knocking around.

What a friend! I guess I owe him a few pints now! The damaged wheel is hanging in my garage in case the hub and or spokes can be reused.

Thursday 18th December 2014.

Only a modest ride today to the HCMF meet at The Milbury's Beauworth, but a good one to test my new wheel and saddle. After the good but long ride on Tuesday I was quite happy with a pleasurable jaunt via Cheriton and Kilmeston to the top of the hill at Rooks Grove. Then as I rode along the ridge the sun was trying to break through the heavy cloud cover illuminating Hinton Ampner House. Of course by the time I'd got the camera out the bright spot had moved eastwards and the moment was gone.

At the pub I found a good number of members there enjoying the day. Here are some pictures - how many riders can you identify?

I discovered that Simon had pulled a flanker on me and had come by car! 

I was pleased to see that Jane who had just joined the group had come to enjoy her first meet. 

As befitted the last meet before Christmas there was a lively and convivial atmoshphere.

Nice Cosy Fire!

Gridironman!

One sad matter we had to discuss was the news that long time CTC member and good friend to many of us, John Fairbrother had died.

As always remember these pictures can be viewed full screen by 

clicking on one.

My ride home was shared with Charles as far as Jacklyn's Lane in Alresford. He was heading north to Preston Candover where he had left his car.

I tried to beat my freewheeling record down the hill to Beauworth village, reaching a top speed of 34 mph and then coming to a stop in the same place as I'd managed on Posh earlier this year. Not bad of Sporty!

Another few miles in the bag. I'm now at 3,379 miles and have raised £347 for Forever Angels so far.

Not much of a map this ride but for the record here it is!

Saturday 20th December 2014.

Simon (1) arrived outside my front door bang on time but we were delayed in starting off because I'd forgotten to get the Times so had to pop to our local Mini mart to get one. It only took a few minutes and we managed to get to the start of Daren's ride in Winchester with plenty of time to spare. (The 8+ miles, including the visit to the shop, taking only 37 and a quarter minutes.)

Daren, Karen, Simon (2), David were already there and Eddy and Yi-Chun joined us just as we were about to set off. Our route out of Winchester via the park and the cycle way to Hockley was blocked by a delivery van obstructing the cycle path by Winchester Mill. Enjoy the irony:-

Yodel Direct Love Cycling.

Our route from the Hockley lights was through Twyford and up Hazeley Road and Mere Lane to Owslebury Bottom to tackle one of the nice little hills Daren had planned for us. (Much better than the traffic filled flatter main roads).
As we headed towards Baybridge we passed a BT engineer working at the top of a pole. He shouted a greeting to us. I believe it was one of our CTC Members "Big Dave", I guess he would rather have been on his bike with us.
More ups and downs which we all found hard work especially Eddy who is relatively new to cycling. 

Eddy crests the hill on Peak Lane near Ashton.

At the edge of Bishop's Waltham some of the group had not had enough of hills and took the hilly way into town whilst the rest of us took the flat way.

We had a cosy break in the corner of the busy cafe before heading north towards our lunch stop at the Flower Pots in Cheriton. 

Daren had chosen another good quiet route through Dundridge to the top of Beacon Hill. Whilst this is largely uphill it is a more gentle and steady climb rather than the more up and down route to the Milbury's. 

Riders at the top of Beacon Hill.

Once over the top of the hill at just over 600 feet we sped down the hill through Kilmeston in record time arriving at a very full Flower Pots to discover a large group of cyclists already there enjoying themsleves as well as a lot of others.
After a beer Simon, Eddy and I hleft the group and aeded home to Alresford. Well we had done the |Alresford to Winchester leg already!

Here is my chart of the route together with my data for the day.

Thanks Daren for a good route and thanks also to to my other companions who made it a really enjoyable day out.

Another good week of cycling with three different types of ride shared with some friends new and old. I covered just 99 miles in the week. Should have done an extra mile round the block!

Gridironman.