Dorset Miles, Bear Cross Sunday Ride!

Only five today, a very disappointing turn out on a benign winter’s day, that had “4 hours” written all over it. For those with ambition next season, the foundations are laid now. A weeks training before Christmas is worth two weeks after, the inevitable hangover of January will see to that. Lecture over, the small knot of riders dropped down to Longham and out to Canford Bottom, briefly on the A31 before left to Broom Hill, God’s Blessing Green and on to Horton. Across the A354 and we were already four, Farnham and Tollard Royal, the climb up to Win Green is steepest at the bottom and drags on in an obvious sort of way. With every pedal crank the Cranborne Chase unfolds before us, the view is honestly earn’t, on a day like today why would you want to be anywhere else? Dropping down to Ludwell we are now just two, left to Charlton then up to Shaftesbury. We thread our way through the side roads to Bimport; the saxon hill-top town is holding its Christmas fayre. The descent of St Johns hill is steep & fast, the glass is half full today for sure but not for long. Stour Row, a rear wheel puncture, a small piece of wire is the culprit. Somehow we manage to break both pumps, there was talk of a credit card digging us out but some compressed air supplied by two guys on fixed wheels came to the rescue. On to Todber with our new best friends, then Manston, Fontmell Parva, Child Okeford and Stourpaine. Saying our goodbyes we turn right across the river and the climb out of Durweston then fast down to Bryanston. Langton Long, the Cowgrove & Wimborne, blah,blah,blah,you know the drill. 4hrs 17