Timebends #3 - Thames Loop - commute ride November 2012

Some pics from my regular commute ride which I have been doing 5 days a week since last November.

Faced with a cycle journey to work each day, the challenge is to find routes that vary slightly within the time available either side of the working day. That's easier when the days are longer and warmer but its always good to change things and try to find more attractive roads or tracks.

Following the Thames gives you plenty to look and it often takes you away from the cut and thrust of the rush hour traffic.

Riverside Bike Park - Essential transport for Bargees

The long track from Ham House to The German School in Petersham

Ham House

Winchester to Phoenix Green - including Hockley Viaduct and roads on and around NCN Route 23

30th March 2013    Distance 39.92 miles

Time - 3hrs 8 minutes


Plan: Train to Winchester and, after checking out the newly restored Hockley Viaduct,  a ride back on and around Route 23 following the River Itchen for the first few miles.

Bad oversight: almost the entire ride was in a north to north easterly direction........into that unforgiving wind that just doesn't want to go away!

Got talking to another guy with a bike on the train. I asked ''how far are you going today?''  ''Lands End to John O'Groats'' was his reply! Well, I did ask. Brave man doing it into that North Easterly which may well be in his face for at least another week.......ouch.

St Thomas - Winchester

Cathedral Gate

River Itchen - near St Cross

Newly restored Hockley Viaduct with the lovely NCN r23

The signals are good....

Sound advice - still saw dog crap left on the Viaduct though!

Fast Flowing through the City.

.....and some much needed sunshine

Ovington Park

Crystal clear Itchen River at Itchen Abbas

Itchen Stoke 

After a long slow ascent into that cruel wind over the open hills, it was nice to a get flatter roads from Totford on the B3046 Alresford - Basingstoke road. Fro there it was a familiar territory back through the Candovers, Herriard and on to Odiham and home in time for a huge lunch!

Open road, open landscape - Near Totford

                                                                              Route

Charities Ride - Basingstoke to Winchester 16th Feb 2013

58 Miles - Ride Time 4 hr 14 secs. Ave Speed 13.8

At last a weekend with decent weather and enough daylight to go the distance!

The 'Charities' tag doesn't refer to a ride in support of a good cause but because the route included Stoke Charity, a lovely village near Micheldever and St Cross, the hospital and alms house on the western edge of Winchester.

The route incorporated a ride from Basingstoke Winchester via Micheldever that I did a couple of years ago and a stretch of beautiful country roads further west of the City, discovered while manning a water station on the Winchester Big Ride, last September.

This ride is a big loop from Basingstoke to Winchester and back, done mainly on quiet country lanes and passing through some lovely Hampshire Villages.

From Pack Lane Sports ground to the west of Basingstoke, the first few miles took me out through Oakley and along a stretch of the Andover Road before turning south on a slow climb through Steventon up to Popham Beacons (ancient burial grounds).

Continuing south, the countryside opens out and there are good views across the fields. Micheldever is a very pretty village with lots of thatched half timbered houses and a good pub with a rather comical name, 'The Half Moon and Spread Eagle. Oooerr Madam!

Chocolate box Micheldever


Heading westward after a couple of miles I reached the village of Stoke Charity, this time taking a look at the lake behind the church and the crystal clear waters of the River Dever.




Further west is the village of Sutton Scotney. 

Sutton Scotney Church









From here a turn south land then west took me towards Crawley and Kings Somborne, a place I was a stationed at manning a water stop on last September's Winchester Big Ride. Again, an attractive village based around the River Dever which, following all the rain, flowed swiftly through the place. 

Crawley Village

Fox & Hounds in Crawley

Kings Somborne Church 

A River runs through it -  Kings Somborne

A river runs over it - a rather deep Ford at Kings Somborne

Pit Stop at the end of  the road - The Crown in Kings Somborne. 

At the Crown, I got talking to a guy who had rode in on a 1937 BSA.  Lovely old machine!

half way up the long gradual climb to Farley Mt - Ashley Church

Looking north from Farley Mt. It's a long way back!

Starting the long descent into Winchester

St Cross - Hospital & Almshouses

St Cross - main gate

A noble cause - St Cross

City Centre with the Cathedral Aisle just visible. 

Couldn't pass without a pic of the cathedral!

After leaving Winchester and heading north to Kingsworthy, it was really just a case of retracing my route from Stoke Charity and Micheldever back up to Basingstoke. Hard going heading back but nothing that a few snacks couldn't sort out. 

Spring rides beckon. 

Timebends # 2  Farnham 50 - Charity Ride - Sunday 1st July 2012

50 Miles around lovely Hampshire & Surrey Countryside.


This was a gentle ride really, as I had decided to ride along with a rider much less experienced at this distance. Some friends did the 25 route and we ended up at the house of one of them for a very congenial BBQ tea.

Unfortunately -  no pics taken on this ride.....I had covered various roads on and around this route many times - some can be seen on this site. Added to which the day was coldish and we got caught in some nasty cold showers along the way.

Several times along the fifty route we passed and were passed by this chap on a very tall mountain bike. Just how did he get on and off the thing?!!.....

Tall Boy

Me - near Well....before the rain!

Timebends #1 - June 9th - London Nightrider

I'm switching back to missing posts from earlier in the year.

#1. London Nightrider - 100km Ride (for the National Autistic Society)


The  idea of cycling around London in a big circle through the early hours of a Sunday morning was really appealing. I have always loved cycling at night and this just seemed like one of those cycling events that had to be done.


Some areas of London such as the approaches to Alexandra Palace and lanes around Hampstead were quiet at 4am but many places we rode through proved that London never sleeps. If folk weren't spilling out of late night lock-ins they were queueing to get into clubs. Plenty of entertainment on offer as inebriated young women staggered and slipped on big heels and young lads too tanked up to take offence cheered us on!

Start - Crystal Palace 

I couldn't find my Charity's tent at all at the starting point in Crystal Palace so I just got ready to depart at the allotted time of 00.30.

Not far out we crossed Blackheath. Against the darker open space a lit up All Saints church looked eerie at one in the morning.

Tower Bridge

The whole event was notable for a real sense of camaraderie between hundreds of participating riders.
At the time we stopped for the first drinks station near Tower Bridge you could taste the sense of a shared passion, Here I got talking to two Irish girls who were doing the whole ride on an ageing steel framed Tandem. Bless!

Though my friend Ruth and I started at different time slots (different charities) we did eventually catch up with each other at Ally Pally and, the other start and finish point for those riding from North London.

The view East and South showed that dawn was about to break.

Looking east from Alexandra Palace

Leaving Ally Pally with the coming daylight

After a five minute stop to re-fuel and take some pics I was off towards Highgate and Hampstead.


















A couple of tough climbs then past Spaniards Inn, a pub I cycled to last Summer with the GMV boys









Coming down past Regent's Park and into the West End early on a Sunday morning seemed really strange but most areas were still busier. The exception was Covent Garden where nothing stirred but Nightriders!

We wheeled around various parts of central London as the day got under way. Highlights here were the various bridge crossings: Southwark, Westminster and Battersea bridges.

Seat of Power

London Eye 

Streatham - nearly there.

Ruth & I - back at Crystal Palace......time for breakfast and the drive home