Where to ride is Aldershot.

[Dixie]

So it looks like I'm going to be stuck in Aldershot for a week this month.

Does anybody have a suggestion where I might ride? Ideally I'd like to take my road bike but there looks to be a decent amount of trails round there so the MTB might be better

Anybody local care to offer some advice?

[Fourmotion]

I think yellowjack is your best bet here, but I rode an xc race at Tunnel Hill and that was pretty enjoyable terrain.

[ALawson]

You on Strava? There are a few of us including YK in the area.

Plenty of MTB and road.

[ecsrobin]

Yellowjack is your man. A lot of MOD training areas that are good for a ride, and if your happy for a short drive Swinley forest is just down the road which is a great evening out. If a little busy at times.

[Dowks]

Can't speak for MTB, but road wise there are loads of nice routes, especially south of Farnham. I am between Farnham and Guildofrd

[MadDad]

Aldershot is only about 20 mins by car from Swinley Forest if you fancy some trail centre type riding.......

[Gren]

Head east. Plenty of natural trails to ride. Tunnel hill, Porridgepot hill, Frith hill.

Races held at each of these several times a year so there are plenty of trails to ride. Check out Strava.

[yellowjack]

Seeing as how my name has been put forward, I'll have a go...

I'm also 'yellowjack' on Strava, so easy to find if you are on there. If not, you can sign up for free pretty quickly - then search for local segments and via them on to whole rides, although you can't download GPX files unless you go 'Premium' (AFAIK).

My profile is here... http://www.strava.com/athletes/2402388 ...and you're probably best looking at the end of last year, from about October for the 'peak' in my activity. You can also find a couple of the other PHers who've posted above, as I'm following them on there, but I'll let them post links if they are happy to.

'Dowks' is out east, Guildford way, near Normandy
'MadDad' is to the north, Bracknell area
'ALawson' is out west, Fleet way
I'm in Farnborough, near Jct4a of the M3

Road Bike:

West, into the area bounded by the A30, A339, and A331. Especially Odiham, Well, Crondall, Bentley, and Froyle. 'ALawson' is the authority on this part of the world, unless he knows of another who rides that way.
South, toward Frensham, Bordon, Hindhead etc.
Go East for climbing - car parking (and toilets/cafe) can be had at Newlands Corner, then just ride around in the area encircled by the A25, A24, A246. Combe Lane, Staple Lane (views of London on a clear day), Crocknorth Road, and White Down Lane will occupy you until you get to the 'iconic' Box Hill. If you still have the time, and the legs, Coldharbour Lane and Leith Hill Road will take you back to the A25 for a relatively easy spin back to the (nasty at the end of a ride) climb back up to Newlands Corner.
North, I'm not the best one to ask, that's 'MadDad' territory, but Windsor Great Park is nice, and thence West toward White Waltham, Wargrave, Henley, Twyford, and back down through Arborfield, Eversley, Yateley, etc.

Cross style:

Caveat: I don't have a cyclocross bike, so have ridden these on my MTB. But you are spoiled for choice for a cyclocross style of ride. The Basingstoke Canal towpath runs right through Aldershot, (get on it at Queens avenue, between the army football stadium and the garrison church). It also meets up with the Blackwater Valley path at the Aquaduct over the A331.
Canal Towpath will take you:
West, out toward Basingstoke, via Fleet and some really pretty countryside, and there are pubs along the route. The canal ends at the Greywell Tunnel. Use this also to get out to the MTB trails around Long Valley, Beacon Hill and Fleet Pond.
East/North East the canal heads via Deepcut, Brookwood and Woking after it which it joins the River Wey navigation near the M25 (and Mercedes Benz World/Brooklands Museum).
The Wey Navigation will take you north, over a footbridge, to the Thames at Weybridge, or south toward Guildford, although the path alongside is not so suitable for bikes heading south, as it is northwards.

Off Road:

Others have mentioned some of these already, and there are many small areas of woodland trails known only to 'locals' that I'm unaware of, but the main targets for me (if I were based in Aldershot) would be:

Long Valley/Beacon Hill/Caesars Camp, off the A323 opposite the runway of Farnborough Airport. Long Valley is very sandy, and you'll have to cross the Bourley Road to get to Beacon Hill/Caesars camp, where it gets firmer under wheels and then simply head for the high ground, into the woodland over toward Church Crookham. Follow the canal towpath toward Fleet, and you'll find a route through to Fleet Pond. Here, there's a pleasant (and flat/easy) route around the pond (largest freshwater lake in Hampshire, and a wildlife haven, too) or some (ever so slightly) more taxing gravel tracks around the MOD land.
Either side of the A327 minley Road, you'll find Hawley Woods (and lake) to the east, and Minley Woods to the west of the road. Parking can be had outside the Sail Training Centre at Hawley, and the Crown and Cushion on the Minley Road can supply post-ride rehydration
Both Hawley and Minley have been used by events and races, including the '12:12 TORQ in your SLEEP', and the 'Merida Brass Monkeys Winter Enduro Series' most recently. There's a good mix of pine forest, deciduous woodland, mixed plantation, open heathland and gravel fire roads on both sides of the Minley Road.
North from Aldershot, there's Swinley, which has a good selection of waymarked and maintained MTB trails, starting out from 'The Lookout' discovery centre off Nine Mile Ride. Probably best to drive there if you are pushed for time - I tend to ride up from Farnborough, via Broadmoor and the Devil's Highway, but it means a 24 mile ride, with about 10 of them on tarmac, to get an 8 mile lap of the 'Red Trail' ridden at Swinley.
Tunnel Hill is another one you could ride to along the Canal Towpath. Accessible at the Basingstoke Canal Visitor Centre, it's in the area south of the canal/railway line/B3012 Guildford Road and north of Mytchett Place Road. I've not ridden this area yet, other than to pass through, but I've used it on military exercises and it looks like it's very good - very popular with MTBers judging by the numbers I see offloading bikes at the various parking spots along Mytchett Place Road.
There are many other small local woodland 'trails' including Alice Holt Forest, near Birdworld, south of Farnham on the A325, which is quite 'family friendly' but I think that given only a week, I'd pick something more 'mainstream' from the list above.

I hope that lot has been of some help

[Dowks]

yellowjack said:

'Dowks' is out east, Guildford way, near Normandy
http://www.strava.com/athletes/219198

My profile above

[Silver940]

I've got a fair number of Road routes in the area

http://app.strava.com/athletes/350852

Some pretty good road riding to be honest.

[Dixie]

Wow. Cheers guys. I totally forgot about the top 100 climbs (Road Bike it is then). I'll make an effort to bag a couple of those. In fact I might see if I can get 5 in in one ride.

Probably have to drive out to Dorking as i'll only have the evenings to ride.

Is there a race circuit in the area that might do practise sessions?

[MadDad]

yellowjack said:

'MadDad' is to the north, Bracknell area

Here is mine, mostly Chilterns or local loops near Windsor recently, earlier in the year quite a few rides out through Surrey Hills;

http://www.strava.com/athletes/149183

[yellowjack]

Silver940 said:

I've got a fair number of Road routes in the area

http://app.strava.com/athletes/350852

Some pretty good road riding to be honest.

Damn it, I was trying to remember your PH username, but couldn't get 'Scott940' out of my head

[yellowjack]

Dixie said:

Is there a race circuit in the area that might do practise sessions?

Not sure about a 'race circuit' nor whether or not anyone does 'practise sessions' on it, but Eelmoor driver training circuit is fairly accessible. http://www.strava.com/segments/821301

It's exactly what it says it is - a self contained (closed) road circuit, built by the Army for the purpose of introducing trainee drivers to the basics of car control in a safe environment. Parking is an issue, but it's close enough to Aldergrot to ride there and back. It's easily accessible on a bike, and seldom used by driving instructors these days as most of the Army's basic driver training is done centrally at Leconfield.

I know that there are races held there at least one night a week, but I can't remember which club it is that runs them.

There are two road cycling clubs in the immediate area that it might be useful to enquire with re: riding with them as a guest?

1. VC Meudon - "The best French sounding cycling club in Britain" http://www.vcmeudon.com/ who seem to be more into the competitive side of things.
2. F&CCC - Farnborough and Camberley Cycling Club http://www.fccc.org.uk/ which seems to have a more 'all encompassing' air about it.

There are several other clubs too, as well as 'shop' rides and suchlike, but other folk on here may well know more about them than I do...

[Fourmotion]

Dixie said:

Is there a race circuit in the area that might do practise sessions?

There is a practice session on Monday nights at Eelmore, but I'm not sure who runs it. I know WyndyMilla practice there then, so might be worth contacting them to see if you can come along.

The race series started last Wednesday, and is on for the next 7 weeks. I raced (in the wet!) - it's a 1 mile circuit, two straights, two hairpins. It's run by Pedal Heaven, and the details are on the BC website.

[Dixie]

That's literally around the corner from where I'll be working (Royal Pavilion). I'll have to pop round after work even if just to spectate.

Certainly keep me from going mad in my hotel room.

[Gren]

This is me http://app.strava.com/athletes/994471

I spend a few hours a week arsing around on MOD land on the hills I mentioned above. Never the same route twice

[Janosh]

Looks like there are quite a few PH'ers in the area, here's me: http://www.strava.com/athletes/1847478

Thanks for posting the link to FCCC, I think I might join their chaingang on Thursday eve

[Fluffsri]

Nicely covered yellow Jack. I would over to show the op around ceasers but I won't be on a bike for the next this year by the looks of it.

[G0ldfysh]

Another PH'er over in Farnborough area as well.
http://www.strava.com/athletes/986639