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