Interest in Routes vs Queues from regular riders has prompted me to update with 5th post. Ive been working with a lady who has just started to gain confidence on road riding and bike handling, we started off in January at the velodrome, developing control skills and confidence and for sessions 6,7 and 8 moved out onto the roads. Designing routes appropriate for the client is something Ive been doing for years, as a Mountain Bike leader there are various terrains- choosing the ones that are suited to the ability group is essential if we are enthuse the riders and not scare them witless! I covered the Kings Park to the seafront route on an earlier post, which we used, and heres the route from yesterday that forms a 10 Kilometre circuit. Strictly speaking this is a leisure route more than something you can use to beat the queues, my main aim here is again to highlight what many people wont be aware of- there are heaps of routes that are superbly enjoyable by bike, that are missed in 4 wheels. Explore and discover youre area, read posts “Routes vs Queues” on here, or get in touch and lets work something out in whats your playground.
Our 10 Km circuit took an hour leisurely pace. Leaving the residence, we rode the straight tree lined Queens park drive down to Cooper Dene roundabout, plenty of space here which isnt intimidating. Onto the marked cycle route around and heading north alongside the Wessex Way, the road becomes cycle and walk access only quickly and the old Holdenhurst road to Throop appears, like a countryside track. Passing the old Throop village we’re sole users all the way up to Throop Mill, where we stopped for a breather, preserved in its original form its a picturesque spot. Some years back we cycled groups from Epiphany Primary school Muscliffe for a history project, theres lots of interesting history around the river here. Eventually I hope to write a routes vs queues post about the northerly path that takes you to the airport, the cycle forum has been asking for this for ages, one day authorities might get together and provide something very useful for airport commuters but I digress. Easy progress around the edge of Throop then down Broadway to the junction with Charminster road north, where we can cut the corner using the ped crossing to access the cycle way alongside Castle Lane West. Other than the long lights to cross East Way this has all been leisurely allowing my trainee time to gain confidence, practice looks around and manoeuvres. Short section up past the Bishop of Winchester on Mallard road and we have the challenge of riding up the hill into Strouden fields, this section pictured below was delightful yesterday as you can see from the picture, my trainee commented on how this looked like middle earth, and hoped there were only Hobbits around not Orcs. Little further and the reward of the downhill comes to get us back to base and coffee time. As we know for every up there is a down, the rewards of bike riding never end. Enjoy this route, sometime it will form part a fantastic River Stour route so you heard it here first.