Best rides from the CW5000 - The Forest of Wonders

From heathland to seafront to, yes, forest — James Shrubsall explores the various charms of the unique New Forest in southern England, a favourite stomping ground of CW5000 rider Steve Rowe.

(Image credit: Cycling Weekly/Dan Gould)

"It's a bit flat." As I churned up the 10 per cent slopes of Godshill on the New Forest's western fringes, I mulled over this statement. It kept me occupied while I tried to ignore the burn in my quads and put the many miles still to ride to the back of my mind.

In fairness to CW 5000 participant Steve Rowe, who had issued this particular declaration — and designed the route upon which my CW colleague Vern Pitt and I were basing the day's ride — the New Forest is, indeed, a bit flat. It's just that we had somehow managed to unearth one of the area's most testing slopes and on top of that we were riding it completely unnecessarily, having missed a turn at the top of the hill, ridden down it, and only then realised our mistake.

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