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125 miles, Seaton-Devon to nr Basingstoke-Hants. Lumpy terrain most of the way with 4 or 5 buggers (Stepps Lane, Seaton. School Hill, Cucklington. Semley to Berwick St John.)

Tour Bike, Rack top bag, 2 x 1L water bottles, refilled twice & needed more. 13 hrs (including 2 nav errors.)

Abstained from helmet to reduce fatigue, went with old school audax cap. At Basingstoke station, didn't need to book bike, just showed up.

Whoo-Hoo! as they say, these days

Hi,
Thats two tons init
200 K any way

Sounds like a nice ride. Hope your audax cap wasn't too fatigued.

I rode to down to West Cornwall from Bristol the weekend before last and back this weekend also quite lumpy. I was thinking of taking my touring biking but changed to an aluminium road bike. The road bike loaded (Saddlepack, bar-bag, frame-bag, sleeping bag, bivy-bag, ground sheet, sleeping mat, spare shorts, down jacket, headtorch, toiletries,...) weighed 1 kg less than the tourer without any luggage. Helps to flatten those hills.

Excellent!
Well done!

Well done. There are some absolute nightmare hills just outside of Basingstoke too. The climb up to Farleigh Wallop up Farleigh hill is a real leg burner, and the climb up to Ellisfield green is a test as well. Which train company did you use from Basingstoke?

Which train company did you use from Basingstoke?

South Western Railway (not aware there is another company serving Basingstoke?) The bike rack arrangement was twin floor hoops to hold the front wheel - causing the bike to fall over once, around sharp bends at Gillingham. Prefer the trains to Waterloo where the bikes are secured with straps to the fold down seats.

Marcus Aurelius wrote: ......There are some absolute nightmare hills just outside of Basingstoke too. The climb up to Farleigh Wallop up Farleigh hill is a real leg burner ..............

Been looking at the OS maps.

Where are the chevrons?

I have cycled in the Basingstoke area and can't remember any "leg burners".

Mick F wrote:

Marcus Aurelius wrote: ......There are some absolute nightmare hills just outside of Basingstoke too. The climb up to Farleigh Wallop up Farleigh hill is a real leg burner ..............

Been looking at the OS maps.

Where are the chevrons?

I have cycled in the Basingstoke area and can't remember any "leg burners".

It’s outside Basingstoke after you pass Cliddesden. Anyone who’s found it would remember it, it’s an inverse ski slope, and it hits 20 percent at the top. If you have cycled around Basingstoke in Hampshire and not found any big hills, you clearly have been riding somewhere else called Basingstoke. There are loads ( of hills, not places called Basingstoke). They are known as the ‘Hampshire Alps’ for a good reason.