New Forest and IOW Ride 2007
Fri/Sun 10/11/12 August 2007, organised by RT
Friday
PT collects MA from No 10, JR from Offington Roundabout, and ZA from McDonalds carpark at Crossbush, then proceed to Brockenhust to park in the station car park. 20 mile circular tour to
Saturday
All set off to climb to Needles Old Battery, then up to Tennyson memorial for stop, then downhill plummet to Freshwater, where swim/tea debate is resolved in favour of tea. Visit keys memorial, for repaint while golf progresses. Climb up to Tennyson trail, then down to road passing three girls. Stop at road, where RT distributes KMC to all (including said three girls), and depart to climb next hill. One girl passes PT, having given him a five-minute start, remarking that the KMC has kicked in nicely. PT goes straight on instead of turning left at top, so all follow for downhill to road, where we turn north for Carisbrooke, stopping at Eight Bells for sandwich lunch and rehydration, JR and MA skipping lunch to head off to Ryde for the ferry (made 2:15 ferry in smart time). Remaining four take detour to Halfords to pump up CBs front shock, then to
MA writes John and I set a blistering pace from the usual haunt in Carisbrooke and reached Ryde pierhead at 14:00 (Lance Armstrong eat your heart out
) and said goodbye to the island on a ferry shortly thereafter and with only one officious jobs worth train company employee to mar the journey, arrived back in the Worthing environs at about 16:30..
Sunday
Uphill out of pub with FL towing his and PTs gear on trailer, to retrace yesterdays route to the disused rly, then retrace Fridays route to ferry, with a cash stop in Yarmouth. Tea on ferry, then by A337 road out of Lymington, fork right towards Boldre, continue to Sandy Down then take track north to Roydon Manor and Brockenhurst. Only one spill, when trailer hit root and flipped over. PT loaded up the van and went home, having done 83 miles in total, while RT CB and FL left gear in RTs car and went for a circular tour in the forest. Details to be sought from RT.
RT writes For the record, Messrs. Budd, Leroux and yours truly initially intended to take one of the trails leading North and slightly east out of Brockenhurst to Lyndhurst and back down to Brockenhurst for about an hours’s ride. Unfortunately we missed the relevant path, and instead took the road past the Rhinefield Park Hotel (the one where you want to take afternoon tea) and into the