I don't particularly like cycling on the A3 (though I achieved my fastest ever speed descending the south side of Hindhead) so over the years I worked out a scenic route to get there. From Guildford it uses the old Portsmouth Road to Godalming. From there I climb through Hambledon and Chiddingfold before turning off onto a minor lane through the villages of Lickfold and Lodsworth. That brings me out onbto the A272 at Halfway Bridge, where a left and right takes me to Selham, from where I cut across to Midhurst.
Leaving Midhurst I take the road to Bepton and then turn parallel with the South Downs through Didling, Treyford, and Elstead to South Harting. One of the easier climbs through the South Downs then heads up past Uppark. From there there's a choice of routes: the tiny lane to Idsworth and the lane through Forestside both involve some more climbing, but the B-road is substantially level. All routes rejoin at Havant for a run through the urban sprawl of Bedhampton and Farlington to join the A2030 out onto Portsea Island.
I planned to ride this route during the bank holiday weekend but the weather put paid to that. Instead I decided to do it last night after work, work being in Godalming.
I'd planned to leave at 3.30 but by the time I finally got on the road it was 4.15. From my office at Godalming the route is straight into a steep, mile-long hill, which I didn't think it a good idea to tackle cold. So I started off with a couple of miles in the wrong direction and came at the climb from the other side of the hill.
Some pre-ride carbo-loading got me through the Surrey hills very successfully, despite a full pair of panniers, but as things were going so well I thought I'd put off a fuel stop till Midhurst, over 25 miles out. That was a mistake! I'd drained my reserves just when I really needed them for the climb into the South Downs. As a result I overstuffed myself in a vain attempt to restore my energy, but it was too late and I struggled up the hill to Uppark. The food finally kicked in on the descent towards Portsmouth!
What with my delayed start and slow progress through the Downs, I arrived at Portsmouth Harbour at about 8.45 to discover that the next train wasn't until 9.15 and it was an all-stations stopper. So it was 10.30 by the time I got back to Guildford to ride home to make up my distance for the evening to 100km.
I was mighty glad that I didn't do the ride on Monday though. The lane between Midhurst and South Harting was still under water in places and there was a lot of debris that had been washed down onto the road.
