Weekly Round-up: 9 Mar 2025
All the latest news, events, and results from NFCC Members from this week’s two-wheeled adventures…
Saturday Club RideAs it was International Women’s Day today, the NFCC demographic managed to represent this in the usual manner. Twenty-one riders out and all male! Hopefully we can redress this imbalance soon. A beautiful day for a winter club ride, sunshine, temperatures in double digits and roads dried out after yesterday’s showers. This was enough to bring some bare legs out for the first time this year. The route was just over 100Km and kept to forest roads this week after last week’s venture north. We set off south through the recently re-opened Burley Road in two pelotons. |
 We had the first contender for the barrel this week as Chris F had misjudged the headwind from Fordingbridge and missed the start again.There were others in the frame in Group One with at least three riders not giving a stuff about their fellow riders being without any form of mudguards for a winter ride. Joe was on a new bike and had spent all the money on the bike with none left for mudguards. Phil H in a “dog ate my homework excuse” moment had not refitted his after whatever mechanical episode he was rectifying this week. |
 Group One set off at a furious pace, which was maintained for most of the day. Group Two was brisk but steady and maintained by some great turns on the front by a number of riders so thanks to everyone for all the hard work. We all convened at the Community Shop at Minstead for coffee at the halfway point. Apologies to the good folk of Minstead as the high turnout of hungry cyclists managed to clean out the shop of it’s cake supplies and thanks to the lone volunteer who managed to serve us all. |
 Despite the efforts of others to get in the barrel, there was a slam dunk this week. This rider’s sartorial inelegance exceeded the barrel threshold, and the only option was to conveniently place them in the stocks at Minstead. Club mileage monster Axum had the club colours of red, green, black and white as usual. His chosen combo to go with the Celeste of his Bianchi-coloured bike was some purple leggings, red shoes, and maroon socks… Colours like this have not been seen since the fashion disasters of shell suits in the late 1980’s / early 1990s. |
 Post coffee, the groups headed off to the second half of the ride. With the warmer weather, there was a reconvening of the Second Coffee Club at The Absent Pony at ride end. We then had a good number of riders rounding up to 100 miles plus, including Robert, Phil G, Graham, Axum (of course), and Ben T, all taking the opportunity of the clement conditions. |
| Great day, good company, no mechanicals. Kudos to all. – Barry |
Sunday Club RideAnother cool start, but with the promise of actual warmth, a bumper turnout of 19 were tempted to the start-line for this week’s Sunday club ride. It’s that time of the year when difficult choices have to be made. Shorts or long tights, summer or winter bike, isotonic drinks or cocoa so it was an odd assortment that gathered, taking over half the car park for this week’s jaunt out east. Really good to welcome back Ed P after a long lay off following a bad crash and prospective new club member Jobey who coped admirably with group riding and the pace of the group. We split into three groups and set out on the st Leonard’s + Lepe loop route. The going was pretty tough at the front on the outward leg. Thanks to the riders who felt able to take some turns at the front, I’m sure it was appreciated by those behind. |
 After turning at Lepe we were all to receive the award of a tailwind pretty much the whole way home. As far as I am aware none of the groups suffered punctures ir mechanicals and all set a relatively lively pace. Only thing that slowed us down this week was the speed of service at the cafe. Perhaps they haven’t heard that a new rival cafe is opening in Brock or perhaps they have grown tired of the riches that we give them every Sunday. What we were rewarded with at the cafe, however, was some real life warm sunshine which was greatly appreciated by those who hadn’t recently been lollygagging abroad.Lovely ride with great company as always. – Phil H |
Gorrick Spring XC2Perfect weather and conditions presented a tight & twisty course for round two of the Gorrick XC MTB series on Sunday. Jay T took the holeshot but managed to lose a couple of places on the first long uphill drag. Sitting in for half a lap and recovering from his fast start, he then made his way to the front for a couple of laps before some good back and forth racing on the final lap, unfortunately losing out in the end and settling for second place. |
Hurting on Harting Time TrialTwo NFCC regular time trial riders were reported in action at the Hurting on Harting Time Trial in Midhurst West Sussex on Sunday. Sam Dorkings and Sien vdP were in action with Sien recording the fastest women’s time of 01h04m27s and Sam crossing the line 10th in the open category in 01h05m27s. |
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. |
