Forest

New Forest Ponies

Ponies,
cattle and 
deer wander freely
among the New Forest
trees.

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My apologies; the photo is a little out of focus as I had to zoom in quite a long way. I didn’t want to risk going any closer as there were foals with them and I might have upset them or driven them away.

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Home again after best part of a week in the heart of the New Forest. I now have a deal of catching up to do. I have been trying to write something poetic about our time away but the muse has not so far returned with me.

However we did take part in the Tandem Tarts Ten Time Trial and came a magnificent 15th (which I guess was probably last) in a time of 38 minutes, which my son informs we was about 16 mph – not bad for a couple of oldies over the ten mile course, we usually cruise at around 10-12 mph. As I had expected, most of the others took it all rather seriously, with several in full time-trial mode with pointy backed helmets etc. Unfortunately it was a wet day and we did get rather soggy. Photos not yet available but if and when any turn up I will try to post here, maybe with some witty verse attached!

We did have a wonderful break away. The New Forest is amazing; ponies, cattle and deer freely roaming. There are masses of trails and tracks, some obviously caused by the livestock activity, and we had a great time riding some of these on the solo bikes we took along with us as well as the tandem.

Camping in the forest, among all those trees, was amazingly refreshing. I could happily have stayed much longer but sadly other commitments called.

Away Again

Just dropped by to let you know I will be off-line for a week from today. I should be back here next Wednesday. We are off with our motorhome and a load of bicycles down to the New Forest where Saturday sees us take part in the ‘Tandem Tarts Ten Time Trial’. Yes, it’s a race, on the tandem! We are taking our most recently renovated one, a Peugeot, as the electric assist on our main one will be unlikely to be permitted and it is also a much heavier tandem than the Peugeot.

We have never time-trialed before, certainly not on the tandem, and we don’t expect to set any records over the 10 mile course. The event is only semi-serious, although I imagine some ‘competitors’ will take it more seriously than others. It is a bit of a fun event being run alongside a ‘proper’ time-trial, in aid of charity and judging by a few photos we have seen of previous events some of the teams dress up as ‘tarts’. We will hint in that direction but not be going overboard!

As well as the tandem we are taking a couple of solo bikes and will hopefully get out and about along some of the tracks and trails in the area – a part of the country I haven’t visited since I was a teenager camping with the Girl Guides.

The campsite we are staying at is very quiet and secluded, with no facilities and no electricity or WIFI connection so I am not taking my laptop and I don’t do the Internet on my phone (can’t cope with the small screen), hence why I will be off-line. Just keep your fingers crossed for us that we may get some good weather! See you soon.