Weekly Round-up: 10 Aug 2025
All the latest news, events, and results from NFCC Members from this week’s two-wheeled adventures…
LEL 2025: The big one!After completing LEL, or London-Edinburgh-London as its more affectionately known, in 2022, Ray C and Bill M were looking forward to the next one in 2025. They were joined by Alan W. The 2022 event was characterised by high temperatures and relentless sun. 2017 was noted for the amount of rain. 2025 will go down as LFL. Find out how they faired by CLICKING HERE. |
Ten Series Rd.8A fast night on P170 for round eight of the NFCC Ten Series. Results from the evening can be found by CLICKING HERE. Overall series standings can ve found by CLICKING HERE. Images from the evening can be found by CLICKING HERE. |
ChainGangJust a handful of riders made the start of the Thursday Evening ChainGang training sessions this week. A metronomic pace for the first half of the route to Burley saw the team work well together and stay as one unit until the small rise known as Witch’s Revenge in the middle of Burley. Matt M dropped off the pace at this point, and a 4-up team time trial ensued back to Brockenhurst, only to split in the final kilometre at over 50km/h! |
Saturday Club RideAnother splendid summer’s day for a club ride and another hilly route out of the New Forest this week. Planned route was just shy of 130Km and took us northwest to the ever-popular Chettle Stores. This time without the unplanned 2Km of off-road section that the hapless ride-leader inadvertently put into the route on our previous visit. Twelve riders assembled at the start and set off in two pelotons. Group One added Mark, who intercepted the group at Bolderwood. The route took us on some rarely used roads between Alderholt and Cranbourne. Then another new route for us at Moor Crichel which was signposted as a no through road. Luckily for us the sign was a misnomer, and the route plotted on Plot a Route was good and another nice quiet line added to our list to reuse. |
 Everyone made it to Chettle with not a sniff of anything barrel-worthy. All riders well turned out in club kit, no mechanicals, bikes all purring like well oiled machines. Of course, it couldn’t last and the second half of the ride managed to fill a podium. Firstly, Phil J revealed he cleaned his bike with something that he buys at Screwfix with his trade account and is sold in industrial quantities. This left some unsightly smear marks on his treasured steed on which he then decided to remedy this with furniture polish… This worked aesthetically as his machine looked as immaculate as usual, but unfortunately, he applied it to the saddle, which is not an area where you want to reduce friction. The net result of this was something that those behind him could only describe as five hours of twerking. |
 Serial hill avoider, Smithy announced once that he had Enforced Family Fun again in the afternoon and spookily enough left the ride just before a series of tough hills through Woodlands, Edmonsham, Crabourne and Martin. Considering that this is an area where he has local knowledge, I’ll leave it to you, dear reader to decide whether this is coincidence or not. Given that he has zero credibility in this area my mind is made up. But the top of the podium this week goes to Phill B; assuming this text makes it past his sub-editor’s knife and doesn’t get deleted! Phil B has spent a great deal of time learning the roads around Dorset, and we were grateful for his local knowledge at Horton, where he suggested a route change to get off the main road. This was going well until he applied some more knowledge and took us up some 20% hills that were not appreciated by those of us for whom gravity is a sworn enemy. He then compounded his felony by giving directions down a hill that went something like left, right, left, right, left, right, sorry… I heard left right so often I thought National Service had been restored and I had been conscripted! |
 Chairperson of the Second Coffee Club (Graham F) started bleating at Rockbourne so a small route change was planned and a diversion around Whitsbury and a stop at The Moody Cow in Fordingbridge was convened. Phil J, Matt’s K and M carried on past to get their rides done but Phill B. Graham and Barry gave in to temptation for more refreshments. All in all, another tough day out but with near-perfect riding weather and great company, it was another great Saturday.Thanks to all for the usual cameraderie. – Barry |
Sunday Club RideIt’s exactly 7 years since the inaugural Sunday club ride? Little did I imagine how it would grow. Thanks to all for making it such a successful, enjoyable and for one of us at least, exhausting part of the club calendar. A great weather forecast tempted a potentially record-breaking 28 to the start line for this Sunday’s club ride. As James A joked, the meeting point looked more like a mass event than a club ride. Expecting a pretty busy Forest, we split into four groups and set out East for our flattest and fastest route. |
 Groups 1A and 1B seem to have enjoyed themselves, getting around in perhaps the fastest pace ever recorded on weekend club rides. Hopefully, everyone enjoyed the lively pace. Groups 2A and 2B will always prioritise a speed that is less intimidating to newcomers and gnarled veterans alike, but we set a fair pace today. As far as I am aware, there were no mishaps or misadventures to report today. Just an enjoyable ride in good company and great weather. Thanks again to all who have made the Sunday club ride so rewarding and so much fun.– Phil H |
Get Involved:If you find yourself out and about representing NFCC, don’t forget to jot down a few words, snap a few photos and send them over to press@newforestcc.co.uk. |
