The ideal starting point is a muddy lay by just south of the village of Shere but we won’t all get in there so the doctors surgery car park east of the village and just south off the A25 at 077 479 ought to accommodate us. The ride takes in the Greensands Way, Holmbury Hill, Leith Hill (the highest point in the South of England) and the North Downs Way near Newlands Corner, east of Guildford, and if we take the route I have in mind, a terrific downhill swoop at the end to take us back to the cars. It is proposed to be an all day ride, so we might have to add a few loops in up and down the North Downs but hey, we are a mountain bike club.

We will not be meeting at the usual Monument car park but this is the popular Crab Wood picnic spot closer to Sparsholt. There is plenty of parking at this location and whilst this is an “out of forest” location, it will be run as a regular 10am to 1pm event. There are some terrific tracks in this area. Parnholt Wood has a cracking downhill run which leads to Kings Somborne. From here it is possible to take the Test Way up to Stockbridge and circle out round Crawley almost reaching Wherwell not far from Andover before heading back via Sparsholt and West Wood. For anyone looking for a shorter trip, you could do worse than ride around the many trails in West Wood itself perhaps linking up with some sections of the Clarendon Way. Good riding to be had by all (as long as we manage to avoid the puncture fest that befell us last time we started on Farley Mount). We will be meeting at the popular Crab Wood picnic spot close to Sparsholt. There is plenty of parking at this location and whilst this is an “out of forest” location, it will be run as a regular 10am to 1pm event. There are some terrific tracks in this area. Parnholt Wood has a cracking downhill run which leads to Kings Somborne. From here it is possible to take the Test Way up to Stockbridge and circle out round Crawley almost reaching Wherwell not far from Andover before heading back via Sparsholt and West Wood. For anyone looking for a shorter trip, you could do worse than ride around the many trails in West Wood itself perhaps linking up with some sections of the Clarendon Way.

Again another location visited at this time three years ago (although we have been here since then but at warmer times of the year). The surrounds of Diltons Farm itself have been made good and are tolerable riding; it’s just the tracks leading into and away from it that need attention now. Fortunately there are one or two streams and ponds nearby for getting the worst of the crud off yourself and your bike after traversing this jewel of the New Forest. Alternatively, you could avoid it all by heading in the Frame Heath, Ladycross and Denny Lodge direction

This ride has been done a couple of times before and has been well supported and the riding is good with a course that takes us along part of the South Downs Way. However, this time round we are going to tackle it in an anti-clockwise direction, taking in a few new tracks and sweeping vistas along the way. With a start in the centre of Bishops Waltham, the route leads up towards the top of Beacon Hill near Exton before turning north west and heading for Lane End at which point we could turn north east for a loop around Cheriton and Tichborne depending on weather and timings. Then it’s back via Cheesefoot Head, Old Down, Baybridge House and Bigpath Farm before topping Stephens Castle Down and dropping once more to the valley floor and back to Bishops Waltham.

From here you can ride along the RUPP leading northwards from Eyeworth Pond and from there, onto the track that leads towards Hale before turning back towards Fordingbridge and picking up on Hampton Ridge to get back to Fritham. Other options from this starting point are eastwards through Kings Garn Gutter and circle down through Minstead and Bolderwood for a slightly less sticky ride but with some ups and downs. Alternatively, Hampton Ridge itself can take you through to Hasley Inclosure and thence to the Red Shoot Inn and Milkham Inclosure before riding back through Slufters and back across Stoney Cross to Minstead.