Weekly Round-up: 31 May 2026
All the latest news, events, and results for NFCC Members from the previous week of two-wheeled adventures…
Gravel’n’GroggOnce upon a time in a car park not too far away, three riders gathered for a gravel ride to end their day… but unlike in a fairy tale, the rain started just 3km into the ride. More riders were signed-up than turned-up this week, with Barry W and Phill G making their excuses before departure time was reached. Fortunately, the rain was just a passing shower and it soon eased as Emma S, Richard B, and Phill B made it to Brockenhurst to collect Matthew K to complete the quartet. |
 Following the revised version of the Dilton Farm route this week, three of the four were sensible enough to use the bridge to cross the Lymington River while Phill B rolled through it at his usual snails pace and ended up getting a very soggy foot! Mostly a trouble free ride full of good chat before the p-word was mentioned and the curse stuck with just 3km to the finish. Richard B engaged all of his newly found 1,616 watts for his repair and the group were rolling again in no time. |
Chain GangA superb turnout this week with 14 at the start. 9 started in group one which also collected Joe O on route, on his first chainy of the year. 5 started in group two. Usually one strong rider leads the group out of the village before turning flicking the arm and moving onto Chaingang mode. Hamish did the honours this week. We got off to an unfortunate start with several foals enforcing a go slow but we soon got going in earnest. With ten riders things can either be really smooth or really not smooth. Luckily everyone riding this week was fairly well attuned to Chaingang so it was pretty plain sailing. This weeks group was also fairly evenly matched so we stuck together until Wilverley where Hamish had an unfortunate mechanical and was of course dropped without mercy. Everyone else reached Wilverly’s summit more or less together. As all chainganger know, this is where the fun begins as we hammer it back into Brock. Despite having to stop at one of the pinch points we still averaged 45 kph over the final 4.5 kilometers. Considering that we had to stop or slow several times the average pace of 36.3 kph was pretty respectable. Group two also made it around together averaging 32.4 kph. |
Saturday Club RideAfter last week’s heatwave this week we had perfect conditions for the club ride. Despite a number of regulars being away we still had the right numbers for two well stacked pelotons for a 125Km Forest ride. We started on time despite Bus Pass Graham (BPG) and myself coming across a stricken Matthew K on the way to the start. He was dealing with a tubeless puncture at the side of the road which was not altogether surprising seeing how worn his front tyre was. |
 He was claiming penury having two offspring with bike habits that stretch the cycling budget to breaking point. Eloise was chaperoning him and even offered him her wheel. Bringing your child out for a ride purely to act as domestiques cannot be condoned and Social Services have been informed. In fairness Matt did not fully live up to his reputation by having a plug and a pump to effect a repair. He is not normally equipped to deal with such situations as carrying spares is off limits for an inveterate weight weenie. |
 The ride headed east as planned for the first part which was a loop around East End, East Boldre then Lepe and Calshot before meeting up for coffee at Steff’s in Beaulieu. Here group 1 came unstuck on a cattle grid. Matthew had put more air in the tyre than the plug and sealant could withstand and as he crossed a cattle grid a full tubeless failure cost him his sealant and caused his inevitable indebtedness to his fellow riders. Why carry tyre leavers and a spare tube when Phill B is burdening himself with that extra weight? Negotiations were completed for the hire of tyre leavers and the sale of an inner tube and all was well and Group One continued to Steff’s. Only one word for Matt this week – BARREL! |
 After coffee Group One did it’s usual disintegration and a larger Group Two was formed for a loop westward around Poulner and Bransgore. Barry had broken a cleat on his shoe and headed home for a pit stop and managed to meet up with the group again at Emery Down. His diversion came at a price as it meant climbing Bolderwood twice which is not something he would ever choose to do. The second half of the ride continued as planned. A second water stop was very much welcomed at Burley. Second Coffee Club met in Brock where Phill B, and BPG plotted their extra miles and rounded up to 100 miles plus.Chapeau all. Splendid way to spend a Saturday. – Barry. |
Women’s ride |
Sunday Club RideOn a somewhat overcast morning another pretty good turnout of 16 for the start line. Unusually, group 1 was rather oversubscribed with 8 starting, the Goldilocks 5 and very unusually the gnarled veterans group was well behind numerically having only three riders this week. Group one headed out at a fair lick with long stints at the sharp end by James A and Dan, followed by Steve W and Richard B. Hamish L and I (Phil H), on a rare outing with the big boys then took our turn into what proved to be a surprisingly unreasonable head wind. We picked up Rich W on route and after a lengthy spell at the front reached the long drag upwards near Bransgore where I got off the front, imagining a nice comfortable climb at the back. I had of course not reckoned with the regular group one-ers who like nothing more than to put the hammer down at the first sign of an incline. As the group surged into the distance I started to have some regrets. Luckily they took pity on the aged veteran of the group and let me rejoin them chastened but unbowed. From Bransgore on we were treated to a fairly helpful tailwind with the average speed ticking up nicely towards the twenty mph zone. |
| The Goldilocks group was also making great progress using group one as ‘rabbits’ and apparently having us in their sights for much of the way around. With Big Steve B taking a day off from group one and in-form Mallorca veteran duo Stuart W and Graham M in the group they buzzed around in an impressive 30kph. Group one had, so far been very well behaved but ‘The stinger’ on Longslade, a short steep hill that follows immediately after a short downhill section proved too much of a temptation for some. Unsurprisingly it was Richard ‘Watts bomb’ B and Dan S who made the top of the leaderboard with Richard just taking the crown. After a pacy ride the cafe was a very welcome sight and group one hadn’t even got their orders in before group two arrived. The undermanned group three arrived just as most other riders were leaving but had in fact averaged a decent pace as well. Quite a few from group one + Luke R made our various ways home via Ipley cross and again it was hardly a walk in the park. Hamish L has become something of a machine recently and is a proving a good wheel to sit on. Steve W also took a great turn at the front before heading eastwards. Cracking mornings ride in good company as always. – 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. |
