Red Bull in conjunction with Strava have come up with an interesting summer challenge - the 'Red Bull Million Mile Commute' open to runners and riders. According today's update on the Red Bull website a total of 967553 miles have been ridden and run. An impressive feat from the members of the Strava club associated with this challenge. Also a nicely web enabled Certificate of achievement.
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A very pleasant if long ride out, it was twice the distance than most of my recent rides. So out to Oxenwood via Collingbourne Wood, this section had most of the days rides climbing in it. So once to Oxenwood it was down the Bourne Valley to Chilbolton Common and a stop at the Chilbolton Post Office for a drink and sandwiche before joining the Test Way to Stockbridge. Once in Stockbridge we then took the Longstock road back to Andover which had a couple of small sharp climbs before home. So 78km's in three hours and fifty one minutes.
So out to Monxton, Amport and Thruxton past Quarley and on to finally Cholderton Lodge where the fun began on the rather muddy byways onto the Portway and back to Palestine. Onwards toward red Lodge where we took a wrong turning and ended upon the A343 Andover to Salisbury road, which took us to Kentboro and back along a less muddy byway to Red Rice avoiding a couple of trees which had come down during the recent bad weather and eventually home to Andover. 42km in two hours and twelve minutes.
A new rider owner magazine has arrived on the block - 'Sender'. The first issue has arrived upon my doormat. £10 + Postage for a smaller format magazine of 112 pages in length, filled with articles about the likes of Josh Bryceland, Joe Barnes, etc. There is very little in the way of advertising, what there is sandwiched between the various short and long format articles. Was impressed by the mix of content, and hope owner Olly Forster all the best for future issues.
On my pre-ride checks i noticed some play in the rear hub. So a quick google and it appeared the cup and cone hub needed some adjustment. The Cup and Cone system is rather simple system with loose ball bearings which sit between the cup and cone which hold them. In the end it was a matter of slightly tightening the cone and locking nut on the drive side and the issue was resolved.
So out to Kimpton via Thruxton on a lovely sunny morning, At Kimpton passed the Welcome Stranger Public House on the Down road to Kimpton Down Farm. Here we joined the Ox Drove byway which goes north the join Cow Lane. The first 100 metres of the byway where ok, and then it completely disappeared under the verdant summer growth which has been fueled by the warm weather and occasional delude, we made it down to the junction with Cow lane with no issues, but it is another byway/bridle path in the area which will need some attention to make access easier. So followed the Cow lane track down to the Great Perham Copse. We then popped out onto a B road and headed east to kalis Corner where we took a dusty and rather dumpy track to Fyfield. From Fyfield we headed north again to Redenham, Appleshaw and the Pentons, and cut back into Andover at Charlton Lakes. So in total 34km in one hour and 44 minutes.
So out to Barton Stacey via Chilbolton, not cycled in this corner of the Test Valley. The route proved to consist in a series of various long and short climbs. 35km in one hour and forty five minutes.
So out to Stoke via Smannell, rather than using the N246 cycle route to St Mary Bourne to get into the Bourne Valley. Never understood why the N246 cycle route out of Andover goes via a veritable rat run to St Mary Bourne, granted it has not much of a gradient and follows the route of a Roman road, but it is rather narrow and very busy with commercial vehicles and cars using it as a short cut to St Mary Bourne and beyond. So from from Smannell took the Stoke road which was a steady grind up, up up and then a steep descent into Stoke and the Bourne Valley. Then it was down to Hurstbourne Priors, and Longparish. Over the A303 and onto Chilbolton, where I dropped onto the Test Way towards Stockbridge, Then cut across 'The Bunny' and back along the Longparish road back to Andover. A rather warm morning, but a pleasant ride none the less. So 43km in just over 2 hours.
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January 2023
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