Posties staycation lockdown tour.

[postie]

Two weeks off work and in normal times i would be off enjoying some sort of spring tour ,you know the cotswolds or northern France for example.

But this year with all the restrictions i came up with the idea to tour from home and do some off those rides i keep meaning to do.

SUNDAY 7th
My weekly ride with one other person( always the same person) out to the test valley via Winchester, stockbrigde and back via hurstbourne tarrett and overton, a very sunny day and felt like spring was in the air. Found a lovely churchyard for a picnic lunch. (106miles)

MONDAY 8th
Around the Sussex downs , overcast for the most part with the sun trying to force its way out ,with things drying out i was able to use the tiny lane to cocking , had  lunch in the viewpoint carpark at the top of duncton hill lovely views of Sussex towards petworth ( 61miles)


TUESDAY 9th
The hangers tour , a 30mile route which had recently been posted om my loacl ctc group website,  starting in petersfield and exploring the hangers a area of natural outstanding beauty to the north west of petersfield.
Tiny lanes,challenging climbs,technical decents and a small section of Belgium toothpaste.  Great weather today , found a lovely big tree stump to sit on to enjoy my lunch and flask of tea.( 60miles)

WEDNESDAY 10th
A rough weather forcast called for a storter ride , so opted for the salterns way a off road cycle route from chichester to west wittering, very windy and the beech seemed very empty at the witterings plus the sea was very choppy,  rain started on the way back , got home soaked and glad to get in a warm bath.(41 miles)

THURSDAY 11TH
still really windy and with the chance of showers i head off towards new alresford,  drop down gander down to find the crossroads at the A31 fully open again , the A31 between Winchester and new alresford had been used as a big lorry park for lorrirs waiting to go to france from Portsmouth some 20 odd miles away. Back via ropely and east meon ,got caught in a big hailstorm after lunch witch produced a fantastic rainbow.
Came up harvesting lane for the first time this year to good views of the solent .(60miles)

FRIDAY 12th
Late heading out to avoid the rain ,still very windy over harting hill were they are still cutting trees down seems to have been going on for a long time now. Took the main road from midhurst to fernhurst as traffic was light great sweeping decent in to fernhurst,  battled back in the windy . Stopped at the top of borden wood(one of my favorite climbs) to enjoy the view and drink my tea. Came back over long harting towards chichester very different with most of the trees gone.
(47miles)

SATURDAY 13th.
A morning of shopping and collecting stuff for mothers day , had a afternoon spin around loacl lanes and stil the wind blows !!!!! (42miles)

Week two coming soon.

[Ian H]

Nice one! 

[Lightning Phil]

If only your mini tour included a pub stop or ten. Soon , soon it will be.  Sounds like a good first week of local touring.

[postie]

Ridden past many pubs that i have visited ,some looking very unlikely to open again and others starting to prepare for reopening .sometime ago i started ordering beer from local Hampshire and west Sussex brewery's so at least i can enjoy a local beer each evening on my tour.

[postie]

And week two begins.

SUNDAY 8th
My weekly ride with one other person , head  to mid Hampshire up the buirton road one of the prettiest road in my local area and on  to liss forest , the main road to farnham seemed very busy today soon back in to the lanes and over to selbourne for a saddlebag 11es . home past the pub with no name and up past butser hill on the A3 cycleway.
(65miles)

MONDAY. 9th
Now there is a cff road cycle route that runs from four marks to Alton,  ive cycled past the signs for iit for years always thinking i really should try it. So today was that day., forest gravel track to begin which seemed dry then 200 yard's of soft mud till i reach tarmac through a farm on to Alton,  good to ride something new to me then headed up to holybourne for lunch sat in the churchyard overlooking the village pond in the sun. Explored a couple of roads i have ridden before on the way home, one was a deadend! !!! (80 miles)

TUESDAY 16th
Shorter ride today out to goodwood ,bumped in to a couple of clubmats at lavant ,some great roads around goodwood that all seemed very empty,  stopped at selhurt park with great views of the isle of wight, the Sussex coast and halnanker windmill at 1st class tea stop.
Past the woody (local pub) on the way back,were Audax Club Portsmouth have enjoyed many a beer filled night including some of our awards nights ,sign outside tells me they reopen on the 12th of April  ( 41miles)

[postie]

And so things continue, but not has planned.

WEDNESDAY 17th. 30 years ago today i rode my first 200km audax. And yes i had planned to ride 200km locally, but a upset stomach had me up all night enough said
Did. A short spin in the afternnon( 12miles)

THURSDAY 18th out towards Midhurst exploring lanes i have not use in a long time and some you can only ride in the dry, also climbed up to the top of buirton hill on the old goat track pass the old chalk mine complete with a old mine truck and rails.( 57miles).

[Ian H]

You're an inspiration to us all.

[postie]

FRIDAY 19th
Over  to goodwood again. And up one of its many climbs, lovely area and doesn't seem to have been invaded by the great unwashed during lockdown!!!!  Then on down duncton hill and lanes to the village of bury by the river aurn. Here i learn the following.
-a small ferry ran till 1955
- the last ferryman also taught local children ti swim in the river.
- the lovely grass area were i had my lunch was once a car park ,but closed in 1960 , apparently the wrong types were coming to the village to enjoy them self's.

After lunch i climbed back over the downs to aurndel,which was very busy and back along the coast.
(70miles)

SATURDAY 20th
Spent most of the day replacing hinges on my dads windows and so no touring ride today. One day left.