Humbug Audax

Welcome to the Humbug Audax.

I’ve been riding Audax events for over 20 years and running the Cambrian Permanent series events for the last 15. I’ve finally got around to organising a calendar event. This picks out as many of my favourite little lanes, nooks and crannies of the Hampshire and West Sussex countryside as I can find. 

Why Humbug? These are the roads that I practice on for events like the Wessex SR series, the Kernow and SW, the Cambrian Series and various Bristolian epics. It goes through places the locals never existed. It has gratuitous hills, free gravel strewn around blind corner, mud, wet leaves and, if it’s been raining huge puddles. But the rewards for those who persist are a sense of Audacious achievement.

The route starts at Basingstoke Station. There’s parking at the station – current £3 on a Saturday and trains from London (usually about 6.30am – if they aren’t on strike, doing engineering work, or half the line has collapsed in a landslide).  I will be in Cafe Destino at the front of the station. 

After a short unavoidable 2km section to get out of town heads out onto the rolling hills of the Hampshire Downs. After 23km there is a short climb to Alice Holt Forest and then progressively sandy lanes culminating in an exploration of Whitmoor Vale, which feels more like Wales than the Hampshire Surrey border. A sharp climb brings to Grayshott and up to Hindhead where there is a free control (37km).

A rare fast smooth descent on the A287 takes us into tiger country – more narrow scenic lanes and the precipitous descent of Quell Lane (take care if wet) before heading to the quiet side of Petworth Park. A flattish section follows to Houghton before climbing out of the Arun Valley to the next control at Whitewalls (74km)

A very fast descent of Bury Hill leads to the steepest and gnarliest hill I’ve found in SE England. George V’s last words weren’t Bugger Bognor, what was meant to be written down was his aide’s comments, having taken Stane Street to Bognor and ascended this hill, it should have been Bugger Bignor. The route goes up to a checkpoint at the top (82km) where I will welcome you with a smile and a warning about the descent you have just come up as the hill is way too steep for British tarmac to stick to it properly. 

Having survived Bignor the route takes a beeline across the South Downs to Butser Hill (126km) and another manned control, where you may get refreshments at the Roundhouse Cafe (closes at 4pm). This is one of my favourite hill training routes, apart from Duncton there is nothing too fierce but there is not a lot of flat. There is a shop and cafe just off route in West Dean (101km) if you’ve skipped Whiteways or just need some recovery food. 

The descent of Butser is narrow and likely to have gravel and new holes, but it leads to another of those secret areas you wouldn’t know existed, first the long climb of Stoner Hill, and then an exploration of ill-surfaced but beautiful lanes to Newton Valence, info control at 146km. These are lined with field maples that should be at their best autumn colour during the ride. From there there is only one more climb to a Co-op control at Four Marks (152km).

The terrain is easier as far as Overton, where there is a free control (shops, cafes, and pubs) at 182km, before a series of drags up to Hannington and a fast descent to Ramsdell to reach the finish at St Mary’s Church Old Basing via a low traffic route.  Be warned, somewhere on this section is the motherlode of p#nct#re faires. There will be hot cooked food at the finish, so please stay and have a chat. There is no parking at the finish but Sustains 23 gives a 3km almost traffic-free ride back to Basingstoke Station.