Enjoying the Great British Summer

It had been wet all day: Not the 'scattered showers with sunny intervals' forecast by the BBC but proper, heavy, persistent rain. All day! John even phoned to confirm that the evening's ride from Hambledon was still on, or whether there should be a modification of the route due to the inclement weather. We would however press on and the sky had even started to brighten as ride time approached.

Billy-Bob was enjoying a cozy night in on account of his wedding anniversary so it was left to Jon, Al and John to screw some enjoyment out of this grotty summer's day. Tea and cake lightened the mood and all were in good spirits as they set of for Exton, a route requested by John.

After a short road-ride through Hambledon the trio turned off to follow a bridle path through crops. Soon bikes were clogged with mud, Al suffering in particular due to his adoption of his rigid bike with v-brakes, the mud clinging stubbornly to the brake blocks. The mud had also seized the rear derailiers and bikes were washed down in the deep puddles formed on the road to Chidden.

As we turned off the road to follow the track towards the South Downs and Old Winchester Hill there followed a bizarre mix-up which would keep Al perplexed for days. A week into his two-week holiday excess, and a lunchtime glass of wine for the worse, Al lagged behind as the ascent started. Leaving the wooded section however, with a view ahead up the valley of at least 1/4 of a mile, he could not believe how out of shape he had become - there was no sign of the leading couple. He only realised something was amiss as he reached the ridge, expecting to find the other two waiting impatiently; there was no sign of life but the rain started as he inverted his bike to investigate his jammed jockey wheels.

Jon surveys the gloom from the
summit of Old Winchester Hill

It was five minutes or so before Jon and then John appeared over the horizon and explained that, with Wrong John in the lead, the turning into the woods had been overlooked. With the rain falling steadily the reunited riders made off along the ridge road towards Old Winchester Hill.

The usual debate surfaced at the summit as the correct route by bike is not obviously apparent. John and Jon favoured a nettle-infested overgrown track while Al took the rather more rebellious route straight over the top. Regrouping briefly there was then a long, steep grassy descent to the foot of the hill which soon strung the three out again.

The next section of the ride follows a tributary of the river Meon. Literally, as the river bed is an easier ride than the narrow, winding, muddy, root-infested footpath on the bank. This section is the reason why John had requested this ride as it forms his favorite part of our regular route. The recent rainfall had swollen the stream somewhat but it was still just about navigable.

John tackles the Meon River

The route emerges at Exton and the Shoe Inn was reached just as Al realised he had a puncture in his rear wheel. A pint of Wadworth Horizon was enjoyed in the rain as Al struggled with his slippery tyre. Jon remarked at the contrast in the prevailing conditions and those afforded to the Billy-Bob's wedding one scorching Saturday three years ago.

Al fixes his bike
while John looks on

We planned to tackle the rest of the route by road but in the end decided to use the faithfully disused railway line to get to Soberton. This may however have been ill advised - it was like a quagmire. Al and Jon led the way, plastering themselves in crud and emerged looking like creatures from the proverbial Black Lagoon. John took it a little more slowly and consequently was almost recognisable when the three reached the White Lion! We all enjoyed a pint of Hallelujah from Alton's Triple fff brewery as the rain finally eased off.

A rather soggy toast to absent friends
at The White Lion

The White Lion is a highly prized pit-stop on a ride like this on account that it is one of the few pubs on the route with easy access to a hose. Although primarily intended for watering the pub window boxes it adequately doubles as a bike wash. Jon and John paid particular attention to their new forks (left). While they have both recently fitted RockShox REBA forks, there is some debate regarding the comparative merits of the 'Team' model opted for by John and the 'Race' version used by Jon. The 100g handicap sacrificed by Jon would seem to easily be accounted for by John's liberal abuse of business dinners! Both however are highly satisfied with their choice.

All that was left was for the three to tackle the short trip by road up-and-over from Soberton to Hambledon Awaiting our arrival was the Beef in Black Sheep Ale that Al had spent the day constructing, and a delicious apple and blackberry crumble made by Tee in the confines of the warm, dry house while the lads were out: A warming casserole and comforting pudding ideal for a summer's evening in the saddle!

Route Map (click to enlarge):

Elevation Profile:

(Posted by: Al)

To Exton and Beyond

The ride started well - Tee had popped down to Lotts to get some cake for the pre-ride afternoon tea to be advised that 1/2 a cake was cheaper than 3 slices - with all other riders crying off this week, it was left to Billy-Bob and Al to polish off the home made coffee & walnut cake on their own. Crippled by travel logistics and the early morning childcare routine Billy-Bob had not managed to pack his bike in the car that morning so, suitably loaded with carbohydrate, the fearless duo once again took the tandem out of it's pyjamas [I kid you not - click here, Ed.].

There had been heavy showers all day but the weather was finally clearing to leave a fresh, sunny evening. We pondered the itinerary for a while before deciding to take the well-worn route to Dundridge, dropping down to the Shoe Inn in Exton. We pushed off reasonably smoothly, although it took the pair a little while to both 'clip in'; Billy-Bob had found the shoes that were compatible with the Crank Brothers pedals fitted to the tandem. After only a few hundred meters we ground to a halt on the step ascent of Cams Hill. In the space of a couple of weeks Billy-Bob had forgotten one of the golden rules of tandeming - that both riders must agree on which foot to 'land' on when the bikes comes to a halt. Tee and Al favour the 'left foot down' rule and Al had done his best to instill the novice with this mantra. Billy-Bobs innate 'right foot down' approach was compounded by the fact that Al had already unclipped on the left, a rapid unclipping of the other foot was required to avert what would have been their first, and particularly embarrassing, off. Al had plenty of opportunity to once again provide a tutorial on the basics as they pushed the tandem up the remainder of the hill.

Mounting the tandem once again the pair enjoyed a pleasant ride which wound it's way through the country lanes of Soberton and Swanmore, and on up towards Dundridge. The ride was spiced up in places by sharp roller-coaster like dips which Billy-Bob skillfully guided the bike through. We were also treated to the sight of a juvenile fox on it's evening beat. Eventually Billy-Bob coaxed the tandem down the steep descent into Dundridge and pulled to smooth halt outside TCA favorite, The Hampshire Bowman. After considering their large selection of gravity-flow cask ales racked up behind the bar in their protective jackets we both plumped for a pint of Bowman's Swift One, enjoying what was left of the late evening sun as it dipped below the hedgeline.

Our very own Hampshire Bowman
enjoys a pint outside the eponymous pub

The beer was as superb as ever but sadly finished all too quickly. Even so, in the short time taken to sink our pints, several other people had arrived and taken up seats at the front of the pub. We fielded a couple of intelligent tandem queries from a chap who obviously had experience with this form of transport: The pressure was on to make our departure as smooth as our arrival since we knew our technique would be scrutinised. There was no need to worry - we are becoming familiar with the phenomenon that a pint or two seems to take the edge off the nerves and improves our coordination during the execution of such technicalities. We were on our way without a fuss, up Shepard's Down towards Sheep Pond Lane; our usual road route would have taken us down towards Soberton at this junction. We consulted the map, having a brief chat about how best to reach Exton; should we tackle Beacon Hill or drop down using the main road to Meonstoke and pick up the A32 for a few hundred meters? We had had our fill of climbing so we sat back and enjoyed the exhilarating descent to Meonstoke, touching 40mph on the steepest section, on our way to Exton.

Billy-Bob, Al and their fine steed
take a break in the Shoe's Garden

Exton is a delightful village and at it's centre is the picturesque Shoe Inn. The large beer garden is across the road from the pub and a crystal clear brook runs swiftly past the bottom of the garden. One might spot a kingfisher or grey wagtail in the overhanging vegetation and watch the trout lazing amongst the weeds in the stream while sipping a pint of real ale. Sadly the Wadworths beers, while perfectly acceptable, are never up to much and the pub has an air of 'prospective gastropub' to it rather than 'honest country boozer'. On this occasion there was an overwhelming smell of fish in the bar as we ordered our pints and we rapidly beat our retreat to the garden, which we had all to ourselves.

Pints out of the way it was time to pick our way back to Hambledon and the dinner that awaited. The tried and tested route follows the back roads through Meonstoke and Soberton returning via Cams Hill. Al was keen though to explore the untested direct route to the north of Meonstoke. While this was relatively pleasant for a couple of miles the road turned into a killer hill which took a concerted effort on the part of the two riders to reach the top without stopping. To make up for the exertion there followed a long descent back into the village which required very little effort... Al practiced his directorial skills.

On their return Tee prepared a delicious chilli while Al forced Billy-Bob to write up last week's ride. Dessert of clotted cream ice cream with home made strawberry coulis produced from home grown Hambledon strawberries was prepared by Al as Tee distracted Billy-Bob from his scribing commitments. Sadly there was only the latest series of Big Brother on the TV to entertain us but Billy-Bob still only managed a couple of paragraphs.

Route Map (Click to enlarge):

(Posted by: Al)

Exton Economics

John’s early arrival meant that we could enjoy a leisurely cup of tea and a couple of bourbon biscuits before the off, debating the question ‘to dunk, or not to dunk’. The summer seemed to be holding out as John and Al kitted up for a Hambledon ride; offered a choice of route John opted to take the run to Exton via Old Winchester Hill that Jon P and Al had dusted off a couple of weeks before.

We only got two hundred yards down the road before Al had to haul his bike onto the pavement in the village to change an inner tube – it was obvious that the slow puncture festering in the back tyre for a few weeks had finally decided to become a proper leak. With parity restored the pair resumed the ride and took a small section of bridleway towards Chidden across a field of stubble. Having joined the road it was John’s turn to report a malfunction – he had somehow broken one of the right-hand gear-shifters. Thankfully only the very end of the lever had sheered off so John still had full use of the rear mech. and we were able to continue despite the mishap.

Mercifully we had an uneventful climb cross-country to the ridge of the south downs. Having reached the road we then turned west and climbed gently towards Old Winchester Hill at a sociable pace (after all it had been three weeks since the pair had been ona ride together and there was much to catch up on). A sign on the boundary fence of the reserve notified visitors of precautions which should be taken in light of the recent foot and mouth outbreak just a few miles north. We continued on towards the summit of the hill after disinfecting our wheels and shoes with the brush and solution provided . A clear, sunny evening afforded excellent views through 180 degrees from the Isle of Wight in the south, towards Beacon Hill in the West and north towards the Hog's Back.

John decontaminates his bike

Al decided it was about time we found the correct way off the hill (rather than proceed in a westerly direction as usual directly off the hill using the footpath). Al knew there was an alternative bridle path but had never had the inclination to find it on previous outings. After a Wizard-of-Oz-esque debate we plumped for the middle of three tracks and fortunately happened on the bridal path which eventually joined the footpath into Exton at the bottom of the hill. An alternative route into Exton follows the dried-up stream running alongside the footpath, or so it was when Jon and Al last used this trail. This evening the stream was about 6” deep so the pair adopted amphibious mode as they ducked under the overhanging vegetation (bringing back memories of ‘watery lane’ in East Worldham from TCA outings of yesteryear for Al). John seemed to relish this technical challenge and was beaming from ear-to-ear as he hauled his bike out of the stream when it finally became unnavigable.

Al and John enjoy the view from Old Winchester Hill

It was around the time we were decontaminating our bikes that it dawned on us that we had only £5 between us: Al had cleared out his back-pack and forgotten to top up the emergency cash pocket;e John had neglected to replace the fiver in the secret pocket of his jersey. It was therefore left to John to scrape together his loose change and see if he could buy the essential TCA refreshments. Quite impressively John returned with two (full) pints of Wadworths, explaining that a kind gentleman at the bar had overheard the tale of our predicament and bailed us out the 40p we were short. Enough to restore one’s faith in human nature! These two pints tasted particularly satisfying as we drank them overlooking the mill pond, watching grey wagtails and a kingfisher going about their business in the evening sun.

Finishing our discount ale we left Exton and rode the short distance to Meonstoke where we could pick up the disused railway line towards Soberton. Leaving the railway line we then cycled forlornly past the White Lion without stopping due to our depleted funds – no Palmers 200 for us tonight. Instead we headed up the hill directly towards Hambledon and the turkey jalfrazi that awaited our return. We watched a young Bruce Willis in The Last Boy Scout as we enjoyed our dinner, vowing that in future we should heed the Scout motto we both repeated weekly as boys; ‘Be Prepared’. Emergency funds will be double checked from this day forward!

Route Map (click to enlarge):

Elevation Profile:

(Posted by: Al)

Summer Sun and Modern Morals

We were back to two again this week as Jon H took an evening out to put the final touches to his fancy dress outfit for the weekend's Harley Davidson rally. Jon P and Al fancied a gentler ride after the rigors of the weekend - legs were still aching from the Chichester Challenge - as we set off on a bumble up to a favorite focal point for the TCA; Old Winchester Hill, a site of special archaeological and natural interest. We took the gentle ascent to the ridge of the South Downs by country lane and farm track; the pace was gentle and sociable on a glorious summer evening.

Jon and Al take a shady break in Chidden

We followed the road towards the nature reserve keeping a bird list as we went, although we also admired the flora which we could identify - for example rose bay willow herb in full bloom within the overgrown hedgerows.

Jon rides into the sunset

We turned off the road and onto the track which leads to the summit of the hill. There were a number of other couples enjoying the rare glimpse of the sun this summer (we suspected however that they had different motives to the TCA duo). We hung around to admire the view (that is the vista, not the other couples) and for the customary photos before descended the hill to the west.

On top of Old Winchester Hill

The bridle path off the hill is part of the South Downs way and is an excellent fast descent. The other bonus is that it leads directly to the Shoe Inn at Exton which has arguably the best beer garden of any of our regular haunts. Jon headed for the bar and came back with two pints of the excellent Wadworth's Summersault. We sat in the garden overlooking the mill stream enjoying the essence of a good summer's ride.

Jon gets the beers in: The Shoe Inn (above)
and it's picturesque beer garden (below)

From Exton we had a few hundred yards to do along the main A32 to Meonstoke where one can join the disused railway line. Once on this well-ridden track we cranked the pace up a little for the 3-mile dash to Soberton. We commented on the dark clouds gathering to the east when we were on the hill but the skies had darkened even more all of a sudden. Sure enough, as we emerged from the railway line onto the road at Soberton, there were the characteristic occasional large droplets of rain preeminent of a thunder storm. We did what any man would do: hammered the last couple of hundred yards as if our lives depended on it - up the hill and over the village green - for the shelter of the White Lion's covered patio.

Sure enough by the time we'd ordered our regular pints of Palmers 200 the rain was lashing down as thunder rumbled in the distance - summer 2007 had obviously suffered another relapse. We sat in the shelter of the pub and counted our blessings as we had for once avoided a soaking. By the time we had downed our beer and set of over the hill back to Hambledon the rain had stopped completely and we knew a home made curry waiting at home would complete a near-perfect summer ride.

As we sat in the White Lion with our pints of ale we considered a problem of modern morals that we now canvas our readership to solve: The previous week Al had asked Jon P's permission to take a promotional insert from inside his mountain biking magazine. The flier advertised a special offer for a bike computer that Al thought might appeal to John H. Having passed the details on to John H Al subsequently realised that there was a unique number on the reverse of the flier that could be used to enter a competition for a £4500 mountain bike. Here's the dilemma: Would Al be entitled to keep the bike if he won? Should he give the bike to Jon, or should some compromise be reached? Your suggestions are invited in the comments; how we resolved the problem over a pint will be explained before our next posting...

Route Map (click to enlarge): Elevation Profile:

(Posted By: Al)