Shaftesbury Century Friday 25th March 2016

As has become tradition these last few years, Good Friday will be the annual Shaftsbury Century ride. Two reasons for the Friday ride, one it gives riders doing the Easter Sunday two up an extra recovery day and secondly where we stop for lunch in Shaftsbury the road is a lot quieter on Good Friday so our bikes don’t cause so many problems when left outside the café.

I’ve made a couple of change to the route this year, firstly taking out the road through Hillstreet which is very rough at the moment and secondly taking out the main road stretch between Downton and Odsctock.

So the plan is:

Meet at the usual start point in the main car park, Brookley Road, Brockenhurst at 0820 for an 0830 depart. Note the earlier start. Ride out via Balmer Lawn, Hatchet Pond, Beaulieu, North Road, Ipley Cross, Colbury and then to Ashurst Station Car Park. There will be a second depart from the station car park at 0930 for anybody wishing to join there.

Then through Woodlands, Bartley, Newbridge, Furzey and then to the Lamb at Nomansland at approx. 1000.

Then up Pipers Wait, Roger Penney Way and Fordingbridge. If required, we will stop for coffee in Fordingbridge but if not delay the stop to the halfway point at 80K at the community shop in Broad Chalke that has been popular before.

From Fordingbridge we will head north towards Brookheath, then Rockbourne and towards Coombe Bissett and pick up the valley road we normally use.

Then its head west along the valley road, possibly stopping at Broad Chalke and onwards to Shaftsbury for lunch at the café. Remembers to bring a small lock for leaving the bike at the café. The café will refill water bottles and is very bike friendly.

Then after lunch there’s 65K to go and we’ll return via Zig Zag Hill, Tollard Royal and Sixpenny Handley where we’ll turn off the main road. Cross country to Alderholt and last chance to top up supplies at the supermarket there. From there back to Brock via familiar roads through Harbridge, Red Shoot, Bolderwood.

That should make a round hundred miles / 160K.

Route for Garmin’s at: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/11869064

The ride will be slightly slower than usual club rides due to the extra distance. Please check weather forecast and be prepared for change in conditions, bring extra food, money for café stops and lock for the stop in Shaftsbury.

Barry