The ride started from Itchen Valley Country Park with BrianC, SueC, DavidE, Carol, Brian, Mike, Gary, GrhamB, Greta, Helena, JohnR, JohnH, Clive, Mick, Lin, David and Alistair on an unusually hot sunny morning. The first part of the ride was on shared paths beside the main road to Mansbridge to pick up the NCN23 that runs beside the River Itchen in the scenic Riverside Park in Bitterne. We were in two groups and unfortunately David, in the second group, had a puncture within the first mile. The first group stopped by the river but after a while decided to carry on to the end of the park where we might find a cafe where we could wait on the second group. No cafe, but after phoning to check that the second group were OK, we decided to carry on to Hamble for the passenger ferry. After we crossed the Cobden Bridge the route wandered through the back streets and along a walkway beside the river to the Itchen Bridge Toll Bridge to Woolston. The route then followed the edge of the Solent past Netley Castle, through Royal Victoria Country Park to Hamble. All twelve of the first group were able to fit into the Hamble Ferry for the crossing to Warsash where we stopped at the High Tides cafe for lunch where the second group joined us - the cafe, staff and food were excellent and coped with the sudden influx of seventeen riders without missing a beat.

 

After lunch, we continued on the NCN2 through Hook and Chilling to pick up the coastal road at Meon Shore. We rode into a headwind along the coast to Gosport then picked up the NCN224 cycle path that leads to the Fareham-Gosport busway and turned off to the riverside at Lower Quay, where we stopped at Tides cafe on the quayside for coffee and cake. Refreshed, the route headed inland through Knowle to Wickham on the NCN224 before taking a series of mainly back roads skirting Hedge End back to the cars - though as it was now rush hour, the traffic was heavy on some of the roads. Overall, a great day out with varied scenery - 46 miles and 538m ascent