Stormy Weather Spoils Audax Prospects.

I thought I was going to lose the TUK Medal to PinkPal this week but the terrible weather today has spoiled her chances, as she has cancelled her Audax ride of The Dorset Coastlet. Hard luck PP.

The rain has affected me too this week, but I have still managed over 60 miles, my weekly target.

Late Photos from last week's Phil Hampton Ride

The Peleton about to start.
Can you spot me?

Waving Good bye!

Our little group of six round Upton Grey pond.
Frank second wheel, Mark fourth with Mike and me at the back.

Mark in the middle.

Mike and me.

Thursday 26th March 2015. HCMF Meet at The Jolly Farmers, Blacknest.

Simon and I set off about 10.30 to ride to the meet. I had chosen a route via Bighton and Medstead.  Simon was not sure that repeating that way was a good idea as it was in Bighton he'd had his trye explode on Saturday! I was still feeling the effects of that ride too plus the aches and pains from gardening and Simon was feeling a little under par, so I was happy to be riding Sporty and taking it at a steady pace. The roads were very wet from the overnight rain but they were already beginning to dry out. However I was glad of Sporty's mudguards as there were large puddles in many places and some lanes were very muddy.

We were soon at the top of the hill and Simon was warming up and took off his rain coat. 

The descent through Theddon is now much better since the Council have resurfaced Snode Hill. We took the direct route through Alton and Binsted and arrived at the pub in very good time, having taken not much more than 1 hour 33mins for the 18 miles. A small group of riders were already there and in the next hour we were joined by many more including a strong group from Fleet. 

It was very interesting to meet with Dave & Audrey and hear more about Dave's long visit to New Zealand. There was also much talk about Dave's plan for a ride from King John's Castle in Odiham to Runnymede in June to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the sealing of the Magna Carta. 

Here is my Garmin record of our jaunt from which you will see that our route home was a more southerly one through the Worldhams and Farringdon. The mileage was almost the same but our time was about 15 mins longer. This was mainly due to the very strong westerly breeze which had us pedalling hard to go downhill in places.

A very satisfying day out but I did feel more tired than I did after almost twice the distance ridden on Saturday. I put it down to the gardening!!

Saturday 28th March 2015. Ride joining the Winchester CTC.

Simon and I rode to Itchen Abbas to join the Winchester CTC led by Debs for a gentle afternoon ride to the Goodlife for a civilised cup of tea. We set off at 1.30 and reached the rendezvous by the Village Hall in plenty of time. I amused myself with my camera. Here is Simon waiting patiently. 

Simon on one of his oldest bikes, a 1934 two speed fixed wheel.

Debs leads the group down the hill into Itchen Abbas.

There were eight in the group. In addition to Debs, Sara, Caroline, Ken, Margaret & Paul, Helen and of course the ever green John S. bringing up the rear as back marker.

Debs's route was over Itchen Down and past Northington Woods to the Strattons. With some riders not having ridden much recently the overall pace was not too taxing and we had plenty of time and breath to chat as we rode.

The return to Headbourne Worthy and tea was via Micheldever Station and Micheldever. As usual "that road" from Stoke Charity caused some problems especially as there was a strong headwind. It threatened to rain at one point with a few drops in the wind but then next minute the sun came out.

We had an excellent tea at the Goodlife. Caroline told us about her plans for a ride to the Orkney Isles in May with her husband while Debs told us of her recent problems with falls from horse and bike! Afterwards we split to return our various ways home. Just as we were leaving the cafe Phil turned up, having followed us round the route some half hour or so behind. I had not seen him for about a year so that was a pleasant surprise.

I persuaded Simon to test his legs once more by taking the hillier route back to Alresford along the country route through Easton, Avington and Ovington. A fortunate choice as on our way we met another good friend coming the other way. Alex, who had been for a gentle solo ride to Ropley and tea at the station in Alresford. More chat!

Map and Data for the day.

Thanks Debs for a most enjoyable afternoon out on the bikes with friends both old and new and to Simon for treating me to tea!

Gridironman.

My First Special Event of the Year, the Phil Hampton Memorial Ride & two other rides.

Tuesday 17th march 2015. A Day in the New Forest

I drove to Poppies in Timsbury to join a group to ride to the Alice Lisle Pub, near Moyles Court. Our leader had chosen a picturesque route but one which was challenging with West Dean Hill being the toughest climb of the day.

The weather was grey and misty at first but gradually brightened up with sunshine later on.

We made steady progress until we came to "that hill". Here Simon showed his fitness zooming up the hill on his Holdsworth. He says he had to keep going fast because of the high gearing!

For us lesser mortals it was more of a struggle. I thought I'd run out of breath but I just managed to keep going and was not last up the hill! After a suitable pause to get our breathe back we descended to Whiteparish. The road to the village was pretty rough and caution needed to be exercised. We continued to Downton before turning south towards Woodgreen. We took a loop along a small lane which turned out to have an even worse surface than the earlier one. It also had a couple of very steep little humps to contend with. 

Another climb to Godshill and then an easier section along the valley through Stuckton, Frogham and the Gorleys, Past Moyles Court to the pub.The biggest hazard along this road was the numerous local inhabitants dotted all over the place. Here is one waiting for her daily pint!

A regular at the Alice Lisle!

We were in plenty of time for lunch and as the pub was very quiet we were soon served and enjoyed a very tasty lunch. 

Outside the Alice Lisle.
Simon with his 1965 Holdsworth, identical to the one he rode as a teenager some years ago.

Our return journey to Poppies was along more familiar roads. Near The Red Shoot Inn I heard a spotted woodpecker drumming a couple of times.

We climbed out of the valley onto the open part of the Forest across the WW2 airfield of Stoney Cross. The breeze was in our faces now but relishing the challenge I took the lead for a mile or two. I was spurred on by those behind who were sheltering on my back wheel. Of course I paid for it later when we neared Romsey and had to climb back over the ridge to Poppies.

It was a most enjoyable day's ride once more with good friends.

A big thanks to all especially our leader for the day on such a challenging route.

Thursday 19th March 2015. HCMF Meet at the Brushmakers', Upham.

After Tuesday's ride I was content to have a relatively short one to Upham. I was joined by Simon, whose own description of the day was as follows:

"Bryce and I rode to the Brushmakers Arms in Upham today to meet up with the Cycling Fellowship group - only my second time this year! Only about 25 miles, but we are both saving ourselves for the Phil Hampton Memorial ride this Saturday which with cycling to the start and back should be approaching 70 miles. Then on Sunday I'm riding a VCC event starting in Fishbourne which should add another 35 miles on my recently acquired fixed gear 1946 Hetchins Super Special, which thanks to Bob Damper and a gift of a 19 tooth sprocket has bought the gear ratio down to a manageable 68 inch. Knowing the ride would be short today I took out my 1947 Pemberton Arrow, which represents the ultimate in steel lightweight equipment which peaked in the late 40's as alloy components became the trend. It has many rare and very delicate components the whole bike weighs about 22lbs. But with that comes the risk of breakages so I did wear my helmet for most of the ride - thankfully nothing broke but a few adjustments were made on route. It was a pleasant surprise to meet John Heath on route also to the meeting and between Bryce and John they selected some rather steep hills to test me and the bikes Durax cranks (which are about the diameter of my little finger) as I 'honked' off saddle using my bottom 60 inch gear of just 4!!"

Some action shots of the day.

Saturday 21st March 2015.
The Phil Hampton Memorial Ride.

After seeing the forecast on Friday evening I was expecting to ride Sporty. However when I woke on Saturday morning I found it was bright and sunny with a modified forecast which gave no promise of rain; so once more Posh was the choice for the day. 

Simon joined me at 9 o'clock to ride to Medstead and the  start point for the event. Unfortunately after 3 miles, in Bighton village, Simon's rear tyre blew out with a big bang. He phoned his wife asking her to bring a replacement rear wheel but unfortunately the one she brought was not suitable so Simon decided to abandon. I had meanwhile ridden on and was at the village hall in plenty of time to sign in and have a coffee and a chat with the other riders. Some sixty or so where taking part, over 40 on the 50 mile route.

After a photo shoot we set off just after 10. I managed to keep up with the leaders for the first mile or so but at the first little hill I was dropped. I rode alone through Bentworth and Burkham and then on the hill up to Herriard I was passed by 5 riders. Namely, Frank, Mark A., Mike and two others I did not recognise. I managed to tuck in behind them and we were soon in Upton Gray. Once more I was left behind on the hill out of the village but when I reached Tunworth Mike, who had also been dropped, was waiting for me at the junction into the village. We rode together for the rest of the day. (Thanks Mike for you company and kindness.)

Once we had passed over the M3 and crossed the A30 I was on unfamiliar roads so it was fortunate that Mike had ridden the route before and had the details on his bar top. He guided me through the labyrinthine lanes and roads, including for a while a dedicated cycle  route. We were joined by a rider from Guildford who was having problems with following the route as it was recorded on his Garmin unit in the reverse direction. We were making excellent time here on the flatter part of the course averaging nearly 14 mph for the day so far. I commented that it was unlikely we would be able to keep that up.

I recognised one or two  roads here having ridden to Silchester on a previous ride, but it was good to ride others I'd never been on before. A short break for drinks and a banana for me before we passed through Ramsdell. Then we were on  the hill to Ibworth which was a good test for our legs. Once through the village it was a speedy descent to Deane, then across the Whitchurch to Basingstoke road and into Oakley. Shortly after we met Mark A. who was coming the other way. He had decided to rejoin us having been separated from the other three who had left us behind earlier in the day.

After we'd crossed the A30 I stopped to eat and drink again and was passed by the three riders who had been with Mark. they must have stopped for a coffee or other refreshments somewhere.

The little old legs were getting tired now after some 40+ miles and I took it easy as I rode down the hill the Axford. Here I discovered Mike, who once more had waited for me. I was glad of his company as we rode those last ten miles. In the lane between Old Alresford and Bighton we were caught by Frank who had diverted to Jolly Ollie's in Oakley for a coffee. The three of us found those last miles quite tough as apart from the hill to Lyeway there was a strong northerly breeze in our faces as we returned to Medstead.

It was a great relief to be finally at the finish and I was delighted to discover that my time was well inside the 4.5 hours I'd aimed for at just under 4 hrs 20 mins with an average speed of 12.3 mph.

Nature Notes:

1. Heard a spotted woodpecker drumming.

2. Lots of noise from the rooks and jackdaws as they were about their business of nest building in many places.

3. Celandines, primroses and daffodils brightening up the verges, the snowdrops almost completely finished.

4. Some flowering fruit trees beginning to show their colours but the hedgerows still showing little signs of greening.

5. Sadly a dead badger.

Back at the hall there was a excellent choice of rolls & cakes to enjoy while we recounted tales of derring do and gave my tired legs a chance to recover for the last 6 or so miles home.

A fantastic day, I enjoyed the challenge of a special event and was pleased I'd achieved my aims. Very sorry that Simon had not been able to share it with me.

A very big thanks to the Alton CTC and especially Janice and Dan for their hard work in organising the day and providing those delicious refreshments.

For those interested in record keeping here is one of my graphs:-

Chart of my cumulative mileage.
Compared to last year and my 3,000 mile target.I can't quite believe I will manage to keep it up!

It was another over the "ton" week for me. Simon has been out today on a veterans' ride. Has he done enough to wrest the coveted Ton Up Kid badge from me? 

Best wishes to all,

GRIDIRONMAN.

Another High Mileage Week.

Tuesday 10th march 2015. All day ride to Dandy's Ford and back.

Simon joined me for another over 50 mile Tuesday ride. We had arranged to meet with a few friends and set off at 9 a.m. to meet them at Crawley Pond. The sun was burning off the early morning mist and soon it was another bright and sunny day though the air still had that chill factor.

From CP nine of us headed south west to King's Somborne and along the Test Valley to Mottisfont. We climbed the hill out of Dunbridge the others leaving me trailing but I soon caught up with them again. We were joined by another rider as we crested  the ridge at Awbridge. After crossing the A27 we were rewarded for our hill climbing efforts by a fast downhill section to East Wellow. 

We took a small lane past the church of St Margaret's and were shortly afterwards at the Cafe in Dandy's Ford Lane.

Florence Nightingale's Grave.

Churchyard of St Margaret's Church, East Wellow, 

I was feeling a bit peckish now so I opted for a bacon butty to go with my coffee whilst others tucked into a very good selection of cakes.

We sat outside in the sunshine overlooking the lake and found it hard to get going again as we all seemed to be enjoying the chat. However we did eventually manage to do so. We took a different route back to Awbridge through Newtown and then descended into the Test Valley through Kimbridge. Three of us headed south whilst the others took the road back to King's Somborne.

Our route took us past another place of interest; the church of St. John the Baptist on the Flexford Road. In the churchyard there are two tombstones for the same person, namely Charles Smith, a poacher. To find out more view this web site:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/sandra.s/NBPoacher.html

Our friend left us as we crossed the Chandler's Ford to Hursley road and in Hiltingbury Simon and I paused for a snack to fuel us over the final leg home. Not wanting the ride to end too quickly I persuaded Simon to test his fitness by riding over the downs through Owslebury to Cheriton and thence home. Fine for me with my bottom gear of 26" but a bit tougher for him on his 45".

To console him I took a couple of pictures of him with his Armstrong in Cheriton. Here they are:

Simon with his 1955 Armstrong.

Our map and data for the day.

Another good ride done & dusted.

Thursday 12th March 2015. HCMF Meet at The Star, Bentworth.

Solo ride for me today as Simon was busy with other matters. 

However I did manage to ride a little way with Jane when I caught up with her in the Candover Valley. She took a more direct route from Preston Candover to the pub. We both enjoyed seeing the daffodils emerging along the roadside to replace the now diminishing snowdrops and the cawing of the rooks as they were going about their nest building.

The road from Axford to Herriard has been patched removing the worst of the potholes, but I noticed that in one or two places the patches are already showing signs of wear.

As I rode along the road side of Lasham Airfield I was  passed by a number of cars going far too fast for the conditions so I was very wary as I approached the turn to Lasham Village. Rightly so it seems since although I had signalled in good time that I was turning, still had my right arm out and had moved to the centre of the road a car passed me on my right. Fortunately I realised he was coming by and did not turn. Henry, one of the Alton CTC members was coming from the opposite direction and witnessed the incident. He kindly asked me if I was OK.

We rode together for a while and on climb to the village we were passed by a fast moving cyclist going the other way. He shouted a greeting to me using my name. I thought it was my friend Chris but it seems it was not as he was busy with other matters. Who was it? If it was anyone reading this perhaps they will let me know.

We were soon at The Star where we found a good number of other riders all waiting to be served their meals. It seems that the pub was not geared up for our arrival as one of the staff had gone for an interview.

Great to see a number of people I'd not seen for some time including David and Ray. I did not order any food as there seemed to be a long wait for it so after a chat and a pint I headed  off for a late lunch at home

Here is my map of my ride for the day from which you can see i found an interesting way home through Medstead, Four Marks and Ropley.

Saturday 14th March. Alton CTC ride to Horndean.

When Simon and I realised that the Alton CTC moderate paced ride was starting from Ropley we thought it would be a good opportunity to join them and enjoy another ride into unfamiliar territory. We met them outside the Ropley Village Hall just before the start time of 13.30. It was good to meet with more of our cycling friends and make a couple of new ones including Mandy who was riding her first ride with the group. 

The group about to set off.
Simon greeting Mandy.

David was our leader for the day and he had planned a good if rather hilly route for us. 

Here is my map of my route for the day including the ride to and from Ropley.

The day was grey and chilly due to a very cold easterly breeze and I soon realised that I only just had enough layers. Incidentally I was the only one in North Hants strip. 

My North Hants Strip.

The first couple of climbs put me in my usual place as "Laterne Rouge" but I was never far behind so thankfully the group did not have to wait long for me to catch up! The Descent to Clanfield was fast and furious and most exciting. Unfortunately Mark picked up a puncture and we paused in front of a pub while he replaced the tube. All done in less than 10 mins. Paul took the opportunity to pop into the pub to find out the score in the Wales v Ireland rugby match. I was recording the match at home so didn't want to know.

We made good time along the valley and were soon over the ridge and mixing it with rather busy traffic for a short way until we got to the Garden Centre. Delicious cakes on offer here, I had a great lump of bread pudding, a favourite of mine ever since my childhood when a kind neighbour, known as Auntie Wackle, treated us with her tasty version.

The sun peeped out for a while as we made our way back to Buriton, but it still seemed to be very cold until we put the wind behind us. Near the Queen Elizabeth Country Park I had a problem with the fastening to my helmet coming undone so I stopped to fix it. The others unaware of the problem carried on but Simon and Mark waited for me at the top of the hill and we rejoined the others at the foot of the steep hill into Buriton.

We were now well on our way home but we managed to get a split in the group with some riders following me through Frogmore into East Meon while the others took the route via Oxenbourne Lane. Reunited once more at the western edge of the village we "enjoyed" two more climbs, the first over the ridge to the A272 the second to Privett.

We crossed the A32 and in the village of West Tisted. Simon and I decided to take the shortest route to Ropley whilst the others went via Smugglers lane. When we reached the main road we found several of them paused at the junction! Presumably the others had headed for Alton and beyond. We said our goodbyes and thanks to David and were soon home. I enjoyed a nice relaxing bath accompanied by a glass of "red".

Thanks David for a great ride and a good day out. Thanks too for those others taking part and a big welcome to Mandy who acquitted herself very well. Obviously it was not her first ride ever!

The  Alresford Groupetta Leader Board for the week.

Gridironman.

POSH COMES OUT OF HIBERNATION.

Tuesday 3rd March 2015. Winchester CTC all day ride to Oakley.

I decided to join the CTC Tuesday ride with the expectation of meeting some old friends and also some of those I met for the first time last Saturday. I was not disappointed, when I got to the RV I found another 11 riders keen to enjoy the lovely sunny day. Martyn was our leader with Janet playing the stoker role on their tandem. Also present were; Ken E., John S.,Julie, John & Eileen, Jane H., Linda, Caroline M. and Jocelyn.

Martyn had planned a good route to Oakley, following the usual one through Stoke Charity and Micheldever but then taking a loop to the north of the Whitchurch to Basingstoke road. As we had not stopped for coffee we arrived at the Barley Mow in Oakley on the stroke of 12. I must say I do prefer this kind of timing as it usually means prompt service at the pub before the lunchtime peak. 

We had the dining room to ourselves and the landlady looked after us extremely well. There was a large choice of food and I opted for fish and chips, tasty but a tad expensive in my opinion.

As always we had plenty to chat about, one of the more serious items discussed was the sacking of Chris Juden by the CTC and their current management policies. Anyone wishing to know more can find further information on this FaceBook page: 

Future of the CTC

Here is my record of my route for the day from which you can see I left the group on the return journey at Micheldever Station to return to Alresford. I did take PP's alternative route from Northington Down through Itchen Abbas rather than descending Mollie's Dismount to Abbotstone, thus gaining a few more miles towards my target of another Ton this week.

Another good day out with friends. Thanks Martin!

Thursday 5 March 2015. HCMF Meet at The White |Lion, Wherwell.

Yet another sunny day. Still a bit on the chilly side after an overnight frost. However the roads were lovely and dry so I opted to take Posh for a spin. His first this year.

He did seem to make the going easier as you will see from my average moving speed for the day of 12.4 mph by far the fastest this year.

I did not want to ride the obvious direct way to the meet, preferring to save that for a fast return after lunch as I had family duties to perform later in the afternoon.

My first test came in Northington where I climbed the steep hill through the village rather than taking the easier option from Totford. I certainly needed that bottom gear of around 26".

In East Stratton I met Martyn and his friend on their way to Petersfield and we had a short chat before continuing our merry ways.

At the end of Hunton Lane in Wonston I caught up with Roger who had stopped to check the route on his map. We rode together to Barton Stacey where he opted for the most direct route. I headed towards Longparish pausing en route to snap this tractor ploughing. It was surrounded by seagulls, but of course by the time I got my camera out they had all disappeared!

John Dere Tractor with Six furrow one way plough.

The soil seemed to be turning over perfectly, moist but not muddy.

From Longparish I climbed the lane to join up with the Andover to Basingstoke road. I only discovered this lane last year and had never ridden up it. It is a gentle climb with a dip or two through lovely fields and woodlands. I encountered a large cattle wagon which had just finished loading animals, a moment or two earlier and I might have got another interesting snap. Never mind!

To avoid going right into Andover I turned past Picket Twenty and along the lane through Cowdown and out onto the Stockbridge Road near the golf club. Instead of climbing over the hill to Wherwell I followed the road south until I got to Cottonworth, A busy road but one I'd not ridden before. A couple of nice little hills both up and down to spice it up.

From here I followed the valley into Wherwell Village. At the  pub there were a good number of members and I was soon enjoying a nice pint while discussing CTC policies and the sacking of Chris Juden once more. A lot of riders knowing nothing about this.
A number of members had come by car, it is fine that these folk keep in touch despite health and old age problems. 

It was soon time for me to get going again and high tail it for home. The A272 is not the nicest road to ride having a rather rough surface and also being quite busy with cars, but I did manage a decent pace to get me home well before my 3 p.m. deadline. When I got there I found I had left my keys on the table in the pub. Just as I was about to phone to see if anyone had found them the phone rang it was Angela who told me she had them, so arranged to pick them up from her as I went to Henry Beaufort School to collect my Grandaughter. What a stroke of luck! Thanks Angela.

Satuday 7th March 2015. Posh takes me to see the sea.

When I found out that the Winchester CTC ride was to Oakley, following a very similar route to that ridden on Tuesday I decided that one more visit to Oakley in such a short time was too much.

So as all of the other members of the Alresford Groupetta were otherwise engaged so I decided to do my own thing. I decided that Titchfield was a suitable target with perhaps a quick visit to the Haven. 
As I headed towards Bishop's Waltham I found that there was a strong headwind and struggled to get up the hill past the Milbury's. However once into the shelter of the woods I found it much easier. Three other cyclists passed me with a cheery greeting but they were going too fast for me to get into their slipstream.
It was a lovely day and I soon encountered more cyclists making the most of the sunshine. 
I had always thought the road from B. Waltham to Botley to be quite flat driving along it. It seems rather different on the bike but I was able to make good progress. Lots of cars about for the next 10 miles as I entered the more built up areas. I had looked at a suggested route using the computer which detailed a route through the Whiteley area. It seems that this route was along a private lane so I continued through Burridge and Swanmore into Lock's Heath.
I stopped to consult my map several times here as there are lots of roundabouts but very few direction signs. Eventually I found myself on the outskirts of Titchfield where I paused to talk to a lady runner who gave me directions to Hook and the Solent Breezes Caravan Site where I could enjoy the view over the Solent to the Isle of Wight. I was on the National Cycle Route 2 here and had expected to be able to ride through to Titchfield Haven but I found it unsuitable for Posh being rough & muddy so I turned back to Titchfield  
Starting my return journey I used the pedestrian crossing to get over the busy A27.
In the next couple of miles there are three garden centres, all with cafe facilities. I chose what I thought looked the neatest to have a coffee break and rest my legs for a while. It turned out to be a good choice and I certainly plan to use it again when I can persuade The Groupetta to join me.
I was on more familiar ground once north of the M3 and took lanes to Shedfield before heading along the nice straight road to Swanmore. Here I chose Vicarage Lane to climb to Upper Swanmore. I don't know why I've not used this lane before as it is less steep than Hampton Hill. Near the top of the lane there was a lovely display of Celandines along the verge. Here I also found a gentleman sitting enjoying the sunshine while looking after a small cake stall in aid of Red Nose Day. His two daughters were supposed to be looking after it but had left him in charge while they went for a walk. As I was enjoying a delicious chocolate brownie (50p) they returned and we all had a nice chat. Some other cyclists passing by turned down the offer of good cakes, they didn't know what they were missing!
Of course I had not far to go now but realising that I was going to be short of my 50 mile target I planned an indirect way home via  Riverdown.
As I passed Corhampton Golf Course I passed a lady on a horse but as I climbed Beacon Hill I heard her galloping past me on the other side of the hedge. We exchanged greetings and shortly afterwards I got ahead again when she diverted around a hedge. Soon she galloped by again and beat me to the top of the hill. We chatted again and decided that one horse power plus one lady where stronger than one man power. 

My Rival in the race up Beacon Hill.

The downhill mile past the chicken farm to Brockwood Bottom saw me achieve my fastest speed of the day. A just reward for my second place on the previous climb?

Brockwood Park.

I was now within a few miles home and climbed over the ridge past Brockwood House and Park, across the A272 and through Woodlands to Bramdean Common. The last few miles were soon covered and i arrived home just after 3 p.m. having ridden just over 50 miles. (I must confess that I had to use a sneaky trick I'd learnt from a pal of riding around the block to get that important milestone!)

A most enjoyable week and a new record set for the year of 139 miles in the week.

Thanks to all my friends whose company I enjoyed.

GRIDIRONMAN.

The Groupetta Have More Fun.

Simon recovers the Ton Up Kid Medal!

Tuesday February 24th 2015.

Crawley, Whitchurch and Hannington Circuit.

Another 50 mile Tuesday ride for Simon and I. We set off from Alresford just after nine and made good speed along the B3407 with Simon doing the hard graft with me sheltering on his wheel. There was a cold head wind so I was grateful for the shelter both to cut down on the effort needed and to keep warmer!

We met up with friends at Crawley and headed North to Whitchurch where we stopped for coffee at H's. 

In the cafe were two lady riders, also members of the Winchester CTC;  I had a nice chat with them before joining the others.

Of course as always we had plenty to talk about and it was some time before we were back outside in the cold, cold wind!

Most of the group were heading back to Crawley but Simon and I decided to join one other rider, who lives in Basingstoke, and take the road towards Kingsclere that we had ridden in the opposite direction last week. I must say it was much easier ridden this way as we zoomed down the steep hill in Cole Henley and also the other one near the Ovington road whilst on the gradual climbs we had the wind behind us.

We continued across the Ovington road to Hannington climbing a couple of steep pitches. Here we paused on the village green for further refreshments.

Our companion left us before we passed The Vyne and enjoyed more downhill riding to Oakley. We resisted the temptation to call at Jolly Olly's and crossed another valley to Dummer. From here another gentle climb took us to the B3406 which we followed home.

Saturday 28th February. Alresford Groupetta join the Winchester CTC ride to Alresford.

The day dawned wet and windy but the forecaster told us that the rain would be clearing later and that there would be some drizzle and light rain but it would be insignificant. Maybe it was from inside the studio but Simon, Andrew and I disagreed as we headed towards Cheriton into a squall! I had started in my over trousers but the others had not so we paused in Cheriton while they put them on.

Unfortunately we had to stop again as we reached Kilmeston, Simon had a flat rear tyre. We sheltered in the bus shelter while he replaced the tube.

Simon at work.
Note the surgeon's gloves to keep his hands clean!

We were soon on the road again and we met a few other hardy souls who had decided to brave the elements and get out on their bikes. At the top of Beacon Hill we were into the low cloud which made it impossible to see Old Winchester Hill to the East.

I followed the others down the hill to Droxford and was able to freewheel and even had  to touch the brakes as I drafted behind the others as they pedalled into the wind.

Simon led us through the village and over the hill to Swanmore, Andrew thought Simon was heading for Portsmouth when he failed to take the turn along Dodd's Lane into the centre of Swanmore but he did slow down and having caught up I diverted us up Chapel Road to get back on track.

From Bishop's Waltham it was hard work for Simon who was still leading as we rode into the wind but when we turned towards Winchester at Fishers Pond I took a turn at leading us into Winchester via Twyford and the cycle track from Hockley.

It was now 12.40, somewhat behind schedule thanks to the two stops and strong headwinds so we were very happy to get into the warmth of The King Alfred Pub for a tasty snack lunch.

I'm ashamed to say I hogged the radiator to dry out my kit!

We rode the short distance to the RV for the Winchester CTC ride which Simon was leading and here we found 11 other members waiting. An unexpectedly large turnout for such a dull day. however the rain had stopped while we were in the pub and the roads were already drying out. I had not met some of the group before so it was good to make some new friends but I'm afraid I cannot name everyone in the group!

Simon had planned a very good route to Tiffins in Alresford along the South side of the River Itchen and then through Tichborne to Cheriton and back over the hill across the Civil War Battlefield Site to Bishop's Sutton and into the town from the East. 

Unfortunately Simon had another flat, apparently he'd failed to remove the Hampshire Flint from his tyre the first time. I was riding la laterne rouge for Simon to make sure no one was left behind, so I had a good excuse for my slow time over this section of the ride.

I left the group when they went into Tiffins as I was only half a mile from home and I was keen to get home to watch the rugby and see Italy beat Scotland in a very close match.

Here is my map for the Groupetta ride.

It had been a very good day out despite the weather and I was very pleased to renew some old friendships and make some new ones. I look forward to seeing more of them all.

GRIDIRONMAN.