Route Details - MDL Penton Hook Marina to Ocean Village Marina

[oGaryo]

A thread to discuss anything and everything to do with the route we'll take. This post will be updated with route details once ogaryo has driven the intended route to mark points of interests, including cafe / pubs that are willing to offer their support along the way so we have places to fill water bottles, take on some carbs and have a rest.

Here's a suggested route to start the discussion, I intend to drive it with my dash cam on to check it out.. I'll post my findings here along with the video (speeded up)

 

[Aardee]

Thanks Gary

It's probably worth working out where we all live so we can share lifts to the start (or ride in convoy, for the real masochists amongst us) - I'm in Wokingham.

 

[rafiki_]

I will be coming down from the Midlands. Will have to start very early to get to Penton Hook in time to start on my bike . Will also either have to encourage SWMBO to scrape me up at the end, or bum a bunk somewhere in Soton.

 

[oGaryo]

I will be coming down from the Midlands. Will have to start very early to get to Penton Hook in time to start on my bike . Will also either have to encourage SWMBO to scrape me up at the end, or bum a bunk somewhere in Soton.

that's a very good point as it goes Paul having driven from Milton Keynes to our Weybridge office on many occasion.. 57 miles and it's taken me upwards of 3 hours on a number of occasions due the the M25 and the congestion in Chertsey/Woking/Weybridge.. will need to think this one through in terms of logistics on the day

 

[rafiki_]

Don't tell anyone, but I've had a look at the trains, and I can get to Windsor from Leam Spa for about 10.00. I just need to pursuade MJF to get me to Penton Hook on his rib, Ave 30 mph ��

 

[fireball]

that's a very good point as it goes Paul having driven from Milton Keynes to our Weybridge office on many occasion.. 57 miles and it's taken me upwards of 3 hours on a number of occasions due the the M25 and the congestion in Chertsey/Woking/Weybridge.. will need to think this one through in terms of logistics on the day

Quicker on the bike then! Although you won't be in a fit state for a meeting afterwards!

 

[oGaryo]

Quicker on the bike then! Although you won't be in a fit state for a meeting afterwards!

Andrew, there's been some days I'd have happily abandoned the car after drumming the steering wheel sitting stationary on the M25 car park, to jump on the push bike instead

 

[fireball]

Andrew, there's been some days I'd have happily abandoned the car after drumming the steering wheel sitting stationary on the M25 car park, to jump on the push bike instead

I can't think of a day where I'd wished I'd taken the car instead of the bike ... even the ride home in the snow storm a couple of winters ago was fun - partly because it made the hill practically impassable for vehicles and for once I was overtaking them on my way up! But then I don't work far from home nor travel for work so my transport needs are very simple

 

[fireball]

Andrew, there's been some days I'd have happily abandoned the car after drumming the steering wheel sitting stationary on the M25 car park, to jump on the push bike instead

I can't think of a day where I'd wished I'd taken the car instead of the bike ... even the ride home in the snow storm a couple of winters ago was fun - partly because it made the hill practically impassable for vehicles and for once I was overtaking them on my way up! But then I don't work far from home nor travel for work so my transport needs are very simple

 

[oGaryo]

I've had a bit of a play on Strava tonight to find us a route with the minimum amount of climbs but then it takes us down potentially dangerous dual carriageways (A31).. I've manually rerouted to route us off those stretches as much as possible. Here's what I've come up with, there's still a short run down a stretch of the A31 around Farnham so will look to see if that can be avoided too (if needbe).

Hopefully you can access this to view it for yourselves: http://www.strava.com/routes/1230951

Will be good to agree the route using Strava as it can be uploaded to compatible GPS devices once agreed

Here's a pictorial comparison between the London to Brighton route (approximate) and our route.. it looks a smoother ride to me i.e. the gradients aren't so pronounced but still challenging enough to make it an achievement to be proud of.

I'm not an expert in this so maybe one of the club riders can comment on the route?

 

[rafiki_]

Good work Gary, the route looks ok to me, but it is not one I know from practical experience. The comparison with the Brighton run is useful. Is there a goto list of Strava compatible devices?

 

[DJE]

Some of that route is close enough to Fareham to be in my training area (once I get the mileage up a bit).
One change that I would recomend would be to take Allington Lane from Fair Oak to avoid Eastleigh town centre. Then down to Bitterne and either Cobden Bridge or Northam Bridge to avoid the Portswood Road. If there is a match at St Marys it might be worth going down to Woolston and over the toll bridge - a tough climb right at the end of the ride though.

 

[oGaryo]

thanks both, I'll factor that in and rejig the route.

Here's the list of compatible Strava devices BUT CHECK THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DISPLAY GPX maps first else you'll just be able to track statistics: https://strava.zendesk.com/entries/20927811-Supported-GPS-Devices

and here's some blurb about downloading GPX maps to your compatible GPS device (it mentions devices that can display maps): http://blog.strava.com/new-premium-feature-gpx-download-functionality-5426/

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

That looks very doable Gary... the climbs are pretty small, and not too long either.

 

[rafiki_]

G

thanks both, I'll factor that in and rejig the route.

Here's the list of compatible Strava devices BUT CHECK THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DISPLAY GPX maps first else you'll just be able to track statistics: https://strava.zendesk.com/entries/20927811-Supported-GPS-Devices

and here's some blurb about downloading GPX maps to your compatible GPS device (it mentions devices that can display maps): http://blog.strava.com/new-premium-feature-gpx-download-functionality-5426/

Gary, have you created a group on Strava? Not sure if I can get the app on either my iPad or Balckberry Z30. Will keep looking.

 

[oGaryo]

G
Gary, have you created a group on Strava? Not sure if I can get the app on either my iPad or Balckberry Z30. Will keep looking.

Just had a stab at doing so mate.. here it is: http://www.strava.com/clubs/119263

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

i've joined.... cupboard is looking a bit bare at the moment!

 

[oGaryo]

i've joined.... cupboard is looking a bit bare at the moment!

that's spooky Neil, I was just typing in your email address to invite you and noticed a second member had joined :encouragement:

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Will try and get a ride in tomorrow, to log at least one effort on there!.... my bike and I have been on distinctly frosty terms for a few weeks now...... been doing lots of running instead... and just getting back into using Strava after a period of getting a bit bored with it (too many 'idiots' cheating on the best segments). I did manage to log a good few thousand miles earlier in the year on there though.... so hopefully its not all gone from my legs!

 

[jhr]

It looks like the route goes past the Flower Pots in Cheriton. A terrible, wicked place, with a microbrewery on-site and gravity-fed cask conditioned ales behind the bar. A den of Satan, best avoided.....