A Busy Week.

Groupetta News.

It has been another busy week for the Groupetta with some  of us getting in multiple rides. It's hardly fair on those who have to work!

Here is the Leader Board.

I have been exceedingly lucky to manage four rides which has enabled me to top the Winchester Strava Leader Board. Fame at last:

Of course there might still someone riding today who has not uploaded their route yet, so my lead might be short lived.

Tuesday 21st July 
I joined eight friends, including PinkPal and Cycmon for a long ride to the Hawk Conservancy for coffee. Knowing it was likely to be a fairly fast ride I set out from home in plenty of time to get to our meeting point at Crawley Pond and was there with over ten minutes to spare. 

After some discussion about the route it was decided to go to the Hawk Conservancy where PinkPal had been on her record breaking route last Sunday. It turned out to be a good choice for when we arrived we found the tea room to be almost empty and we got served quite quickly. 

Here is the map of my ride from which you will be able to see that we went via Kings Somborne and through the Wallops.

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The weather was cool at first but soon became sunny with the temperature in the mid sixties F. We bowled along at a good pace and I was pleased that I was able to keep up much better than when we had last ridden alongside the Wallop Brook.

From Over Wallop we climbed over the ridge to Grateley past the Plough Inn which holds our record for the slowest lunch ever, 2.5 hours! When we arrived in Monxton we were not quite sure which way to turn to find the Conservancy but PinkPal remembered the way and we were soon tucking into a variety of snacks.

Afterwards we retraced our route to Monxton and then headed to Fullerton via Abbots Ann and Red Rice. 

Here the group split to go in a variety of ways home. I suggested to my two Groupetta Pals that we should go via Newton Stacey and Barton Stacey and then to Stoke Charity. Afterwards they complained that that route was too rough and hilly and told me there was a better way through Forton and Middleton. That would have been two miles further and almost as hilly so I am quite happy with my choice!

When we got to Kings Worthy I left the others to go to my daughter's for a cuppa and a chat before taking the scenic route home on the South side of the Itchen.

Wenesday 22nd July 2015.

A very special ride. I rode from home to join about 70 other cyclists at the Wheat Sheaf on the A30 near Dummer. We were the escort for Arthur Ramsey's funeral cortege from there to the Crematorium about a mile away. We must have been quite a sight in our colourful cycling clothes.

Arthur was just 84 years old, born 23 June 1931 died 25 June 2015. Coincidentally both my birthday and my last meeting with Arthur at the HCMF meet at East Stratton only hours before he died.

The small chapel was packed with many having to stand and there was a very emotional but interesting service where we learned more about Arthur and his exploits.

Afterwards we met to celebrate his life and meet his family. I believe there were four generations present. 

Arthur was a keen cyclist all his life and had won many prizes and accolades for his long distance time trialling coming, I believe,  a very worthy sixth in the national 24 hour competition covering 465 miles! Wow!

Here this the record of my somewhat puny efforts for the day.

Thursday 23rd July 2015.

Joined Cycmon at the Alresford Cricketers at the lunch meet of the HCMF. Only half a mile from home.

Here is Cycmon's report of the day along with a snap of him at Beauworth:

Simon with His Hetchins Track Bike
 at Beauworth.

Today's Cycling Fellowship meeting was only a few 100 yards from my house today so I rode down on my 1946 Hetchins Super Special track bike - single speed fixed wheel thinking I'd just be riding round the block. 

However I did get just over 30 miles in post the meet and coped very well getting up all the hills. Bryce Mansfield and I had a Cream Tea in West Meon where we chatted to a couple who were also cycling, the guy had been in France watching the Tour and had covered 170 in one day! The thought of this must have made forget my Hetchins 'Bonk Bag' which I realised about a mile after leaving the cafe, thankfully all was present and correct on my return.

Thanks Cycmon for a good ride and for the delicious cream tea in West Meon.

Saturday 25th July 2015.

This ride contained a couple of challenges for me. The first was that I was helping with Save the Children Summer Sale so I was unable to get out on Posh until 1.20 p.m. My aim was to catch up with the Winchester CTC easy ride to Houghton for tea. They left Winchester at 1.30 p.m. so I had a ten minute start but also an extra 5 or so miles to cover. I eventually managed to catch them at Upper Somborne in exactly one hour, having covered 13.4 miles. Phew! Thank goodness it was largely flat or downhill.

We paused at Little Somborne Church. In the churchyard is the grave of Thomas Sopwith, the pioneer aviator who gave his name to the famous World War I fighter plane, the Sopwith Camel.

The first climb of any significance from here to go over the ridge to Stockbridge. The downhill on the reverse slope being great fun taken at over 30 mph.

We paused to view the Drovers' Inn, now a private home.

Dating from the C17, its timber frame is encased with an C18 exterior, and is Grade II Listed. It has a restored inscription outside on the front wall which reads in English 'DROVERS HOUSE' and above in Welsh 'GWAIR- TYMHERUS-PORFA-FLASUS-CWRW-DA-A-GWAL-CYCURUS' which translates as 'Seasons Hay, Rich Grass, Good Ale, Sound Sleep'.

Drovers' Inn

We were soon at Daisy’s of Houghton, set in the grounds of  Houghton Lodge. A wedding party was taking place in the gardens with a steel band livening up the proceedings.

After tea and cakes came my second challenge of the day, a roundabout route back to Alresford with Simon. We left the group at the southern edge of Houghton and looped westwards to Lockerley before turning towards home.

Here is my Map for the day. See how we avoided going back through Winchester, by taking taking a wriggly route through Romsey, Hiltingbury and across the Itchen Valley  through Bambridge. Then we climbed over the hills via the Alpe d' Owslebury (14%), but thankfully quite short. The fun of this route is on the hill down the A272 to Cheriton. I almost managed 40 m.p.h. 

As we entered Cheriton I suggested that half a pint at The Flower Pots would seal a great day. Here we were lucky to have a 1927 Raleigh Motor Bike to admire. I learnt to ride on a very similar model from 1929 which was owned by my brother John.

After all that excitement I was home in time to enjoy  the deciding stage of the T de F, won by Thibaut Pinot with Froome managing to minimise his losses and retain the yellow jersey.

Many thanks to all who took part in my rides making them so much fun!

GRIDIRONMAN

New Alresford Groupetta ride to National Trust property at Uppark.

Stop Press

The Groupetta are going from strength to strength with fantastic distances covered  this past week.

Here is the leader Board:

1	Cycmon	213
2	PinkPal	202
3	Andrew	146
4	Bryce	112
5	Mark	85
	Total	758

The longest single ride was 93 miles by PinkPal.

Thursday 16th July 2015
Since I received my birthday present of membership of the National Trust Simon and I had been planning visits to the National Trust properties. Simon organised our first one, a very exciting and demanding route to Uppark and return via Bepton, near Midhurst, Stedham and Milland to Liss, Selborne and Lower Farringdon where we planned to join the HCMF's luncheon meet. 

The weather was grey and a tad chilly to start but we soon warmed up and wearing my gilet I found I was fine despite having short sleeves. For a while we rode on wet roads as there was a fine drizzle, but it was not enough to spoil the ride.

We made good time until we got to South Harting, here we encountered the "Hill of the Day" according to the sign 16%. The total climb about 350 feet over 1.2 miles, so not quite as tough as those climbs in the TdF. I had to walk for about two hundred yards. PinkPal also had problems when she stopped and could not get going again, but the other two managed to climb it. 

When we got to Uppark we discovered that we were given free coffee or tea  because we had come by bike. They also had a good selection of tasty cakes. We did not have time to visit the house, saving that pleasure for another visit.

Going back down that hill was not much more fun than riding up it as it is very rough in places and has a number of corners. However we were soon out of South Harting and heading East. (East!? Simon surely we should be going North West?). The roads here were a little familiar to me, PinkPal and I having ridden the Tour de Dibling a few years ago.

The road sides here were beautiful, with masses of wild flowers, Meadow Sweet and  Rose bay Willow herb being particularly prevalent. The other three were setting a good pace so I had no time to take any pictures!

Gridironman emerges from a leafy lane.

We headed through a lovely forest are with sandy soil growing pines and heather. We came out onto a main road which had a reasonable cycle path taking us to Stedham Village. We took a wrong turn here and had to retrace our way for about half a mile.

The next section was one of steady climbing a number of deep hilly lanes, with green sandy sides, to get to Milland & Liss.. 

We were now on the north side of another ridge and paused to remove some layers as it was now very warm and the sun was beginning to come through.

My Three Pals with a lovely downland background.

A couple more hills to climb and then a fast ride down into Liss where we decided it was time for lunch. We sat in a tiny courtyard garden surrounded by clematis, tomatoes and other plants. It was warm in the sun and just as we started to eat I had a funny five minutes, feeling hot and bothered and slightly sick. However five minutes inside and a wash in cold water and I felt fine again and was able to eat most of my lunch. I also had a large glass of cold water before we set off again.

More climbing to get out of the valley and into Selborne. Although I was slow on the hill I was able to take the lead through Selborne and down into Lower Farringdon. It was now 3 o'clock and far to late to expect anyone from the HCMF to be still at the pub, so we continued up Brightstone Lane. Of course I was the last up the hill and my pals waited for me at the top.. I suggested to them that they might like to amuse themselves by running a small sweepstake guessing how long it would be before I caught up, but Simon dismissed this idea as he said he hadn't even had time to get his camera out.

Gridironman arrives at the top of Brightstone Lane.

We were now of course almost home with mainly downhills to come and we zoomed down through Ropley Village and along the valley into Alresford. I was home just before 4 o'clock. 

A really great day out there.Thanks Simon, Sarah and Andrew for your company.

For the record here is my map and data for the day. When I compared our moving speeds I discovered that I had averaged 12.3 mph whilst the others were of course a little faster. Not bad for a fairly hilly ride.

Saturday 18th July 2015.

Simon, Mark and I decided to join the Winchester CTC intermediate  ride to Clanfield. We met at the end of my road at 8.45 on the dot and rode into Winchester to join Sheelagh and five others. Daren led us out of the City by an unusual route beside the river and past the college to get to the Cycle Path to Hockley.

We went through Twyford and up Hazeley Road  and then over the ridge to Hensting Lane. We climbed the steep hill to Owslebury which defeated me and for the second time this week I had to walk a couple of hundred yards.

On through Beybridge and Upham we went and then took a Cross Lane through a gravelly patch and past a combine harvesting oil seed rape. We went over Ashton lane and up a small hill before descending Vernon Hill and into Bishops Waltham for our coffee break. We were well looked after in the Coffee Shop and enjoyed our break.

The untarmaced road,
Jervis Court Lane to Upper Swanmore.

Afterwards three riders returned to Winchester. Then there was a discussion about the route  and we decided to vary Sheelagh's original plan as it used some unsurfaced lanes (unsuitable for road bikes, but OK for mountain bikes.) and head eastwards through Swanmore. to Soberton. 

Lots of purple and blue flowers along the roadsides, as well as my favourite, rosebay willow herb, knapweed, marjoram and mallow were some I recognized.
There were more butterflies about, a lot of cabbage white, but also meadow brown and brimstone.

After climbing towards Old Winchester Hill we decided to turn East through the hamlet of Chidden and past the Bat & Ball pub on Broad-Halfpenny Down to Clanfield.  

Here we found Simon Davies waiting for us. He had arrived at the meeting place in Winchester after we had left and had found his own way to the pub.

We enjoyed some good reasonably priced fare and of course a lot of craic before we decided to head for home. This time following Sheelagh's Garmin route.

Gridironman resting his "after lunch legs"
Laterne Rouge John in the bistance

The initial climb after lunch caused the usual "after lunch legs" problems but then we had a super fast dash down hill to East Meon. I was in the lead and clocked nearly 35 m.p.h., others must have been going faster as they caught up with me.

I used my 50 chain ring for about 5 miles from the top of the hill all the way to Warnford, but then I was glad to drop down not once but twice to my 30 as we climbed Wheeley Down admiring two very large vivid blue fields full of Borage which is grown for its oil. 

Borage

It has culinary and medical uses.

Soon afterwards I left the group at the Milbury's to return home whilst the others carried on to Owslebury and Winchester.

Here is my map and data for the day.

Thanks, Sheelagh, for a very interesting and imaginative ride. It was good to ride some less familiar roads.

Thanks also to all who took part for their company on the ride and in the coffee and lunch stops.

Gridironman.

Back on my Posh Bike.

Saturday 11th July 2015. A gentle ride with Winchester CTC.

I was glad to be able to ride again after an enforced break of 12 days following my cataract operation. This went well and I now have much better sight in my left eye. So much so that I was able to ride without prescription spectacles. To protect my eyes I sported a new pair of cycling glasses which I got from Tesco for the princely sum of £13. The guy in their opticians recommended them from their cycling section. They have interchangeable lenses, clear, yellow and dark. I was very pleased with them.

 I left home just before quarter to one to ride into the City to join the Winchester CTC easy ride, led by Debs. Fifteen of us in all. 

We split into two groups to reduce the impact on traffic. David leading the first group and Debs the second. I was at the back of group 2 for a while but when it stopped near the Sarum Road Hospital I decided to press on to see if I could test myself and catch up with the front group. When I did, just as they reached Farley Mount, Simon was concerned that I might be overdoing it. I reassured him that I was not. I waited here for Debs and her group while the others went on. There were great views from the ridge and there were lots of flowers along the roadside to admire.

Yellow Bedstraw.

Dominant were the tall umbellifers, mainly common hogweed, but I also spotted honeysuckle,

yellow bedstraw and both white and pink convolvulus which were very prominent along the road between Kings Somborne and Crawley.

 At the bottom of the hill through Ashley we paused to regroup and I suggested to Debs that she and Lynne might like to carry on while Alan and I waited for the other 3 of our group. After 10 mins wait Alan set off back up the hill to see if he could find out why they had not appeared. Unfortunately Ninya had suffered a dropped chain which had got jammed below the chain catcher. Fortunately with Ken's help she had manged to free it.

Whilst I was waiting I took these pictures:

A Curious Tree.

Red & White Poppies.

Footpath through a field of White Poppy Seed Heads

Ninya and Ken took a shortcut to Up Somborne whilst Joanne, Alan and I followed Debs's route in case others were waiting on the road. Eventually we caught up with all of the others near and in Crawley. Now it was a quick ride to the newly found Little Kitchen, at the golf driving range beside the A34 near Three Maids Hill. 

I managed to be first in the queue and Simon and i were soon tucking into delicious chocolate cake whilst the others waited to be served. As usual this was a good time to exchange news and views and gossip. Eventually we got back on our bikes and split up to find our various ways home.

Simon led Mark and I back to Alresford by the scenic route via Easton, Avington and Ovington.

A great way to get back into my favourite pastime of cycling, here is my Map and Data for the day.

Gridironman.