Neck of the New Forest

I was blessed to be brought up on the edge of the New Forest. Here you notice the passing of time in the seasons and the slower pace of the people and animals that share the 219 square miles it covers. This place is far removed from the ‘finger held down on the fast forward button’ pace of London that drags me riding and screaming along with it.

Coming back to the New Forest, this time as a cyclist, the forestland takes on a new feel to it as the roads take you through 360 degrees of uninterrupted vistas to then suddenly be swallowed up by dense forests. Your eyes taking in all the diverse flora and fauna whilst watching out for the wild fauna that have right of way everywhere and will remind you of that if you don’t keep a look out. Don’t feed or pet them, though the Donkeys do enjoy a good scratch behind their ears.

Leaving the road behind and putting on your CX tyres there are tracks and fire trails to explore and get happily lost on. No path is the same with the each season offering ever changing surfaces to test your bike and skills on.

Part of the forest sits on the coast and being further blessed with a spot right on the beach post ride activities invariably involve the drinking of beer, swimming and a barbecue whilst watching the sea traffic navigate the estuary and each other. The big shipping containers always winning over the yachts in any unintentional game of chicken.