Riding Down South

Enjoyed a great weekend of riding down south, whilst Karen competed for England at the Senior Home International.
Saturday, had a short cycle across the downs from Dicot to Tadley. Really nice quiet roads, with no potholes and smooth tarmac. Obviously West Berkshire have more money to spend on roads than N Yorks CC!

Sunday we had moved base down to the edge of the New Forest, staying at the Sandy Balls complex, near Fordingbridge in some plush pine cabins. I had checked out some routes before the weekend and discovered that one of the Wiggle Sportive's from early October had completed a route going right past. Having setup my garmin with the standard route of 65 miles, i set off early after breakfast into the cold but bright morning sun. The route went south skirting the edge of the forest then climbed up through leafy woodland onto the heath covered plateau and some very pleasant quiet roads. I seemed to be sharing these only with cyclists with a similar plan or the straying ponies and donkeys, and the occasional foraging pig. All were pretty oblivious to my presence and just carried on there merry way.
A very enjoyable ride, even though i think i did it the wrong way round to the sportive riders, it still seemed to work. It was a little tough coming back north from Bucklers Hard towards Lyndhurst with a cross headwind, but once back in the autumnal shade of the forest it was more sheltered.