Keyhaven Loop By Fatbike 30.3km

For today's ride I headed East out of New Milton through the town towards Ashley, where I headed South and then turned West heading for Hordle.

I kept to the South of Hordle along the lanes to a lane where I knew there was a track that lead me South, but I was not sure if it was passable or not.

So it was with a bit of trepidation that on the corner of Skyend Lane and Vicarage Lane I turned right down a gravel track which soon lead to a single track with overgrown vegetation.

I pushed on, and eventually came out on the main road A337 at the top of Barnes Lane.

Crossing the main road I followed Barnes Lane all the way into Milford On Sea. A rather delightful little village. Here I stopped on the Green for a few minutes to catch my breath.

Heading East and down to Keyhaven Harbour, it was a bit windy by by the waters edge, but a pleasant way to while away a few minutes.

It was then onto Lymington across the old Roman Road, then up through Pennington turning left at the old school and Church, back along Wainsford Road towards Everton.

As you approach Everton - Wainsford Road makes a sharp left, but on this corner is a Byway which leads back towards Gordleton and Silver Street.

I had never taken this track either, so once more a trip into the unknown. To be fair it was nothing more than a gravel path to start with, which then turned into a gravel track and then eventually tarmac. So easy to ride.

Not long after I had started on the track and I met another cyclist with a lawn mower on his back!

A uphill section on Silver Street took me back in the direction of New Milton, here I met 

another cyclist this time carrying a car tyre!

I turned right at Barrrows Lane and headed North towards Sway, about 1/2 way along this road is  Sway Tower - an experimental concrete tower!

At the end of this road I crossed over and joined Lower Mead End Road, which eventually after turning onto Middle Road runs into the quaintly named village of Tiptoe!

From here it was a quick blast home, covering 30.3km giving me a total for the week of 178km - happy with that!

In fact it is a new record for me.

Ride safe......

Bolderwood Hill Return 46.6km On A Fat Bike

The weather was glorious, so another training day out on the fatbike.

I decided to try and get up to a part of the forest that I had not cycled before.

I knew there was a steep hill at the furthest point of the ride, so I decided to make that my return point.

Heading North out of New Milton it only takes me 10 minutes of cycling to hit the forest.

A rapid descent to Wootton Bridge followed by a climb back up to Wilverley Plain - Followed once more by a descent towards Brockenhurst.

Just before I reached the outskirts of Brockenhurst I cut across the forest using trails, this brought me out on to Rhinefield Road and I headed towards Puttles Bridge.

Just before the Rhinefield Hotel I turned off on to a forest track and headed East towards Aldridge Campsite, shut now due to the winter (can't make out why they shut)? My only thought is it's it due to it being next to the river and it can flood.

Then headed back in a loop towards Flechs Water and back through the forest where I eventually joined the end of Rhinefield Road just before it meets the A35.

Crossing over the A35 it was a 2 minute ride to the oldest oak tree in the forest. The Knightwood Oak and Queen of the Forest! Around 500 years old, the stories it could tell!

It was now back on the tarmac and heading up towards Bolderwood Hill, being almost 4km of climbing, some of it very steep. I made it in one go although I was panting a bit at the top!

I had lunch at the top in the picnic area mobbed with primary school kids which to be honest was great to see. Much better being outside learning about nature than in a class room.

After a bit of a rest it was back the way I came, a lovely easy but fast descent, where I met up with a crazy Dutch couple. At the bottom we all stopped and had a quick chat, I gave them directions back to Burley.

I mentioned that my wife grew up in Holland and they asked what part so I told them, they both looked astonished as they only live a few km's away from where Kiera's father still lives! Small world.

Across the A35 and back towards Blackwater and what we call "Daisy's Trees" here I sat for a few minutes just reflecting on life.

You cannot see on this photograph, but right in the distance a couple of dear came out and were feeding on the track - always a magical sight.

From here it was a ride towards Brockenhurst. I was going to cut across the forest again, but decided to go the long way round as my legs still felt good.

A couple of short climbs out of Brockenhurst and I was on top of Wilverley Plain once more, a fast descent, then over Wootton Bridge and the long climb up towards the Rising Sun Pub.

That was my last climb, it was now down hill and big gears all the way home.

46.6km completed bringing my weekly figure up to 148km - not bad for a fat lad!

Ride safe!

My 1st 100km On My Calibre Dune Fat Bike

Training has been going well, and I'm feeling stronger as the days go by, so I thought I had better start thinking about completing my first 100km ride.

100km is approx 63 miles, the furthest I had ridden prior to this was around 52 miles and that was in Holland.

So with the weather looking kind with sunshine for the whole day and a light Northerly wind of around 7mph I set off from my home in New Milton.

Heading North out of New Milton, today would be 98% tarmac, it was the miles I was after.

I stopped for a breather at the top of Wilverley Plain, just before my decent into Brockenhurst. I was 8km in at this point and the weather was beautiful if still a little nippy!

Straight through Brockenhurst and out towards Beaulieu - the picture below was taken looking out over Hatchet Pond, just before I turned in towards East Boldre at the 20km mark.

Beaulieu is a picturesque village, I stopped to take a couple of pics before I rode up through the centre towards a coffee shop at the top of the High Street

I stopped at Steffs Kitchen which is attached to a garden centre, the coffee came in a massive mug and was a lovely brew. There was plenty of choice on the menu but to be honest all looked a bit pricey, but it is a tourist trap so I wasn't really surprised.

I spent about 30 mins here, saddled up and set off once more. I've completed 25km so far and all is well.

It was a  great run towards Lepe Beach, for the most part the road was level apart from the one hill as you leave Beaulieu - a little bit daunting as not long ago a cyclist was knocked over and killed at the top!

At Lepe they have just opened a new cafe, I didn't stop here as I wanted my next stop to be at Calshot. It looked impressive, forgot to take a photo. Riding into Lepe I was right in the groove and felt very strong. 35km in the bag!

The weather was fabulous, a light breeze and the sun was shining, perfect weather for cycling. These are the beach huts at Calshot, I rode to the end where the Castle is.

Calshot Castle in all it's glory, a quick ride around it - (took 1 min) and then into the little known cafe which is situated in the large hanger next to the castle.

The hanger now houses an indoor ski centre, a rock climbing school and a velodrome.

Sat outside the back of the cafe with perfect views across the Solent and out towards the Isle of Wight. A perfect place for lunch.

Which I must add was excellent and cheap - it really is a hidden gem!

At 42km this was the furthest East I would ride, it was now time to back track.

Back at Beaulieu it was time for another rest, I was starting to feel a little tired now. I had just hit 60km and my left knee was hurting a bit. Once again there was a climb out of Beaulieu towards Bucklers Hard.

Bucklers Hard - famous for its ship building in days gone by, a lovely ride out to this point. 63km now completed.

Now for the long ride towards Lymington Quay. Complete with headwind which I wasn't expecting. I had a few minutes sat on the quay catching my breath as I knew the next stage would be even harder. 75km completed I knew the end was in sight!

Having a final rest at Barton Sea Front. 90km to go, but as I was only a few km's away from home the final leg saw me riding every road I could just to clock up the distance!

I finally got home 11hrs after I had set off. 100km's completed with a riding time of 7hrs 12 mins on a fatbike.

I was happy that I had completed it, but there is still so much more training to do.

Pretty tired with sore legs, but I did have the satisfaction of knowing I had ridden 100km in a day.

Ride safe....

Fund Raising For Pilgrims Bandits

I have just set up a fund raising page online, this will allow you to make a payment to my chosen charity which is Pilgrims Bandits.

A very worthy charity, they provide support, assistance, grants and advice to those veterans and emergency service personnel who need it.

You can find a full run down of what they do and how they do it by visiting their website

www.pilgrimbandits.org

Please take the time to have a read, and visit their shop, every penny really does matter.

You can donate at my fundraising page below.

 https://www.totalgiving.co.uk/mypage/joglebyfatbike

I would just like to thanks those who have all ready said they would sponsor me and for their continuing support.

Ride safe!!

Night Ride On The Calibre Dune Fat Bike - New Forest

As the nights are starting to slowly draw in I thought it would be a good idea to see how I got on riding in the dark!

Earlier in the day I went to Halfords to upgrade and add to my lights I all ready have fitted.

I currently run a LED front light which is rechargeable via a USB cable plus it also has an electronic horn which certainly makes people jump out of the way.

It has a number of different modes, from full beam, dipped and flashing.

The rear light again is LED and has a number of different flashing modes as well as constant. I prefer to run it on flashing mode.

They had a good selection of lights in Halfords, I really wanted a powerful light for the front and another standard rear light just to be sure I'm seen for the rear.

I chose for the front a Bike Hut 500 Lumens Front Light. It has a number of features, USB rechargeable, various flashing/pulse modes and energy saving settings. Not only that but it tells you how much charge it has left, plus you can use it as a power bank!

I also like the ease in which it can be removed for charging with the rubber strap.

It certainly gives me a good light spread especially when used in conjunction with my other lights.

For the rear light all I really wanted was something that flashed, so I bought a front and rear Halfords special pack. They run on AAA batteries.

Cheap and cheerful but they do what I want, the rear light is fitted onto the pannier rack at the moment, but I may have to rethink this once I am loaded. The do have a clip so I may just attach it to the equipment on the bike once loaded.

The front one I have on constant flash mode, I've attached it to a front pouch.

So there is now no excuse that drivers cannot see me!

Two flashing lights on the rear, two solids and one flash to the front.

Be seen - Be Safe!

To see my ride click here ----> https://www.strava.com/activities/1841511966

John O'Groats to Land's End September 2019

It's now official!

In September 2019 I aim to ride my Calibre Dune Fat Bike from John O'Groats to Lands End!

The time I have allocated for this journey is a whopping 30 days - This will allow me enough time to cover the NC500 and the West Highland Way and as many trails, tracks, cycle-paths, towpaths and bridleways as I possibly can.

I intend to keep tarmac to an absolute minimum.

Having all ready accomplished a double end to end and all four corners of the UK, I have a rough idea of what I am letting myself in for.

As per the last time, I will be fully self supported, with no back-up.

Camping for the most part and taking advantage of any hospitality that I am lucky enough to receive.

So why JOGLE and not LEJOG I hear you ask?

The simple reason for this is that I have friends who live down in Cornwall, and having them as a base at the end of the trip is mighty handy, plus it is easier for friends and family to join me at the finish as I live on the South Coast.

There is also a psychological reason of travelling down hill! However I do expect to have my share of Headwinds going in this direction. 

I'm in training as you can see by the Strava feed that you can see just to your right of this post.

I aim to cycle approx 50 miles a day, which to be honest on a fully loaded bike on trails is far enough!

I cycle when I can, and it's a slow process of slowly building up my fitness levels.

I can honestly say I feel so much better for cycling and since I started cycling back in late March I have seen a noticeable difference in my stamina and fitness levels.

It will be a long drag through the winter, but rain or shine I will be out spinning the cogs.

Let the adventure begin!

Butterfly Handlebars Fitted To The Fatbike

It took a while, firstly because I was sure I bought them from a UK seller on ebay, but they ended up coming all the way from China!

However, when they arrived they should of come with the handlebar foam, so a quick email to the seller and they refunded more than half the cost of the total item for the inconvenience and asked if I could source locally!

So a few days later some handlebar foam turned up. 

Must say it was a bugger to get on, but I did run water on the inside of the foam to help ease it on over the bars.

Taking the leavers and gear shifters from the old bars was easy enough and remounting them was a simple task.

I have completed over 100 miles with the new bars fitted, and yes they are more comfortable, but the main reason I changed was to try and stop the tingling sensation and numbness in my left hand.

This I'm afraid has not stopped, but it has eased it a little bit, so they are staying on for the time being.

Also fitted to the bars are two pouches, a light, my phone mount and on the stem a cycle computer.

It took a bit of getting used to having narrow bars, especially on rutted tracks. Made for a few iffy moments!

Testing out the bars in the beautiful New Forest was a real chore!

Ride safe.....................

Butterfly Handlebars - https://ebay.to/2x9cOL5 

Handlebar Foam - https://ebay.to/2NaxexY