It seems I’m on a riding roll!

Just a couple of days after arriving home from the US, I was out riding familiar stomping grounds (as well as new-to-me terrain), on the pretext of photographing a route lovingly crafted by Tom Faz, co-owner of the wonderful Woods Cyclery – a bike shop packed with goodies, both two-wheeled and culinary, that’s tucked away in the heart of New Forest.

Tom’s a Hampshire/Dorset local and a BMXer to the core. Over the last couple of years, he’s been channelling his knowledge of the finest riding nooks and crannies into a truly fabulous route, that includes a healthy dollop of unconventional and inquisitive singletrack. Connecting a National Park, a World Heritage Site, and an AONB (Area of Outstanding National Beauty), it claims an enviable stat: the Woods Rat Run is almost 80 per cent off-road across its 180-mile length… music to my asphalt-shirking ears! To achieve this, Tom’s unearthed and cleverly knit together one forgotten (and often overgrown) bridleway to another, linking forest tracks, ancient drovers’ roads, Neolithic hill forts, crumbling castles, many-a-pub, plenty-of-cream teas, and all the swimming spots you can make time for. A bridleway ‘rat run’!

I’m saving all the nitty gritty details for the follow-up Bikepacking.com post that he’ll be putting together soon, so I’ll stick to sharing photos for now. In the meantime, thank you Tom for your hospitality (including that delicious sandwich made in the fabulous Woods Cyclery, and a tasty pour-over too, see photographic proof below). And thank you for your companionship during the ride – I had such a blast hanging out with you.

As someone who resolutely refuses to own a car, I was also delighted to see how accessible this route will be by train, from a number of different towns and cities in the UK. In fact, I think it has all the hallmarks of being a Southern English classic, and I’m looking forward to seeing people get out there to ride it.

Last-minute coffee drinking at the Woods Cyclery… So many cycling and culinary treats. Hanging overhead, I spotted Singular, Crust, Riv, and Stooge frames, to name but a few…

And they’re off!

Happily, our first few miles coincided with the last few miles of the Woods’ Sunday shop ride, which draws cyclists from all over the realm.

Everyone was looking sharp in their Sunday best. Rigs were looking fully personalised and fondly dialled.

Vish and his well-loved 26er, complete with classic Carradice baggage, may have pipped the pack to the style prize, though.

It was time to get rolling. First, Tom and I cruised some classic New Forest gravel, then connected a series of trails and bridleways to Bournemouth.

Tom’s Stooge Rambler. I’m not a curly bar person per se, but what a handsome bike!

And what a handsome lunch too: goat’s cheese, walnut, and hot honey on focaccia. My mind was officially blown by this sandwich. (You too can have that experience if you go by the Woods Cyclery)

Next, we were battling a headwind along the blustery seashore, flanked by a legion of beach buts painted in the full Pantone colour spectrum.

Note to self: bikes are only allowed along the Bournemouth seafront before 8am and after 6pm in July and August, so time your day accordingly!

We hopped on the £1 chain ferry to the Isle of Purbeck to seek out a discreet camping spot.

Golden hour on the Purbecks.

Eeking out that last day of the day…

To quote the stoic and adventurous Bob Harrison, of the Rough Stuff Fellowship: “I never go for a walk without my bike”.

Slice of singletrack, anyone?

Singletrack that’s best served with curly bars and knobbly tyres, if you’re Tom.

A fine spot to spend a slow morning drinking coffee, fixing the world’s ills, and packing up our worldly possessions for the day.

It’s always sunny in the Purbecks!

Beyond the isle lay Wareham Forest…

And then we were striking up to North Dorset.

It seemed like a good idea at the time… Did I mention the nettles? Apparently, they’re good for circulation… Not pictured: the bazillion thorns embedded in my knuckles.

Suggested additions to the packlist for the Rat Run: machete and gauntlet!

More bucolic, Dorset bliss.

Please excuse my obsession with sighthounds… I must be missing Huesos.

To the last light of the day, we climbed up and over Hambledon Hill. At the bottom of this shirt-flapping descent, we caught the end of a cricket match, then we ate dinner in a pub with a photo of Queen Elizabeth II outside the loo.

English vernacular to help describe the ride, when chatting in the pub:

• Spinney: a small collection of trees, as seen on the chalky ridges along Cranborne Chase
• Squall: a strong gust of wind signalling impending rain, suggesting a pub visit is imminent
• Ox Drove Way: A strenuous cross-country cycle trail, once a drover’s route for cattle.
• Drovers’ road: a trading route once used to move livestock, that can be traced back to the 13th Century.
• Nadgery woodland singletrack: challenging, twisty-turny trails, once the staple of British mountain biking.

Just two ‘mids tucked away in the woods.

Tom awoke to a slug tracing the contours of his face, while I was regaled to a snail race.

Were Bedrocks the best choice of footwear for this trip, I wondered? My feet-fingers were taking a beating!

Loading up the Bag of Many Things, aka Ron’s mighty Fabio Chest.

The tree tunnels that morning were off the hook.

Just look at it! Apparently, Dorset has the highest density of bridleways of any county in England, and Tom has a real nose for finding the good stuff.

Locally made grub is extra nourishing and replenishing. This waxy disc of mature cheddar and veritable brick of bread pudding really hit the spot.

Coffee Coffee Coffee (and an upper body workout).

Back in the scratchy-scratchy undergrowth, but still smiling. The hedgerows were awash with butterflies and bugs and blackberries and bunnies, while red kits and harriers circled and dived overhead.

What a Wall & Bike pairing. The Stooge seemed especially suited to both the terrain and countryside aesthetic. Note ‘dinglespeed’, svelte Middleburn cranks, and that biplane fork…

Gearing-wise, Tom ran a 36/21T and 36/19T on his Stooge Rambler, quickly adjusted with a flick of the chain, via a tensioner. Combined with a 2.5in rear tyre and a 650b rim, this worked out to a gear inch of around 51 for lost lane cruising and 48 for hilly rollers (sounds massive to me!) It was actually Tom’s first bikepacking trip on a singlespeed, but you wouldn’t have known it. As it turned out, me spinning my smallest gear (20in or so) was about the same speed as his walking pace.

Riding a singlespeed meant more than a few grunts up steep, stony climbs. But if you see reframe them as chances to stretch legs, enjoy a change of view, and banter, they just add to the experience. As Tom said: “Nothing’s changed much. When I was a kid, I’d be pushing my BMX through the woods with a shovel in my backpack, digging jumps where no one could find us. Now, I’m pushing my bike through the same woods with my camping gear. And still riding out of the saddle.”

This dinglespeed setup is giving me an itchy brain, so I might just need to try it…

More singletrack = more smiles.

Cranborne Chase marks the highest point of the Rat Run, and offers sweeping vistas, the old Ox Drove, chalky triple tracks galore, and if you’re Tom, opportunistic wall rides.

Digging deep in the massive Wizard Works framebag for remaining supplies.

Might I suggest sir sample a piece of chocolate crunch with a dollop of honey and peanut butter, served on a roughened oak cake?

Still debating that footwear choice… Look at that skin patina!

A quick dip to soothe tingly, stinging nettled legs and scour bodies for burrowing ticks…

This is England.

Back in the New Forest again… the loop is almost closed.

Tom showing off his BMX skilz again…

Time was running a little short for the route’s finale, and the weather was rapidly caving in, so we made a gravel dash for the Cyclery and my train home.

And last but not least… the celebratory self-timer selfie! Two happy, weary gents. (pic by Tom)

Field Notes

Do check the Woods Cyclery out on Instagram, as they’re always up to interesting builds, plus they organise a Sunday shop ride that draws cyclists far and wide. And did I mention they’re a coffee shop too? High community vibes all around!

There’s no map for now, as Tom is finalising the route details. The plan is to post the Rat Run soon to Bikepacking.com, so you can get out and enjoy it before summer comes to an end.

We took 3 days to ride the loop, which included multiple photo stops and a general desire to enjoy the good life. Still, they’re hard-fought miles, so personally, I wouldn’t recommend tackling this 180-mile loop any quicker. In fact, spreading it out over 4 days (more swims! more pub stops! more coffee stops!) makes good sense too.

Logistics are super easy, as there are a number of train stations that you could use to connect with the route. And, there are resupply points aplenty, with official camping spots to pitch your tent, as well as more discreet copses and micro woodlands to spend your nights. As I say, all the nuts and bolts details will go up on Bikepacking.com.

Thanks for reading! Any questions, fire away!