Indian Summer ride - 2nd September 2011



Winchfield - Odiham - Greywell - Upton Grey - Weston Patrick - Herriard - Southrope - Golden Pot - Froyle - Long Sutton - Well - Crondall - Crookham - Fleet - Elvetham Heath - Winchfield & home  

35.45 miles  Time 02:12  
16.2mph pace

Return to rural rides in Hampshire this week. The first two days of September have been hot and sunny. We could do with a few more like this before Autumn proper sets in.

Yellow-remembered hills - Greywell

I took a circular route that I hadn't done before though I had ridden parts of it on other journeys. In early Summer 2010 I cycled the road from Upton Grey to Herriard not realising there would be a long hard climb. This hill is still a tough one -ouch!

Upton Grey - Village Pond

Having got that one out of the way, I took some unfamiliar country lanes to Southrope, with it's Pub 'The Fur and Feathers' (great Sign art work!)

Southrope's Pub. Enlarge by clicking on pic to see the look on the Fox's face!

Lovely thatched Des Res here in Back Lane which took me down to The Avenue, the link road between the A339 and the Odiham - Alton Road.

The Avenue takes you along the Northern perimeter of Lasham Airfield, with it's rows of 'parked' Gliders.

Across the main road and up to Froyle from Golden Pot. This is a familiar part of the route for me now. After a bit of a climb there is a mile-long downhill to Lower Froyle with some nice views looking north-west.

From here it's pretty easy going through Long Sutton, up to Well and the fast winding downhill route into Crondall. Cycled the last few miles home on flat roads around Fleet & Elvetham Heath.   

A beautiful day for a bike ride!

Route