Author Archives: humberhillpete
Sunday May 8th 2016 – Blubell Bonanza
Gmaps ref: 6862276
Cyclo-Art
With Tom and Rick both injured, it fell to Pete x 2 to carry on the Sunday routine. It was pouring with rain at 0730 when Pete T arrived at Bere Regis, but the weather forecast said it wasn’t raining. We thought we must be imagining it and set off. By 0815, the weather obeyed the forecast and we soon dried out, (apart from feet x 4), as the temperature rose.
26 miles covered around Bere Woods and Wareham Forest , quite a lot of mud collected on the way.
Pete. T gave his bike a swimming lesson at Morden Decoy Pond but the technique was all wrong! – see photos.
Just relax
Bluebells looked and smelled fab, same could not be said for Petes.
Sunday 20th March 2016 – Road Circuit through Litton Cheney
Gmaps ref: 6822871
Tom and Pete were the only starters this week. A cold grey morning greeted us!
The route was from Poundbury through Martins town and Winterborne Abbas, up the hill towards Portisham , but turned right near the brow heading mostly down hill to eventually arrive at Litton Cheney. A devil of a hill up to the A35 beat us and we had to dismount!
We crossed the A35 and headed to the Roman road and back towards Dorchester. Turned left after the fast down hill section towards the A37 at Grimstone; from there , it was cycle path all the way to the Industrial estate at Dorchester and finally back to where we started. 25.5 miles. Good route with plenty of climbs that we did achieve!
Sunday 6th March 2016 – Rick and Petes Trip out
We decided to start from Cattistock Church, went on an old tried and tested route via Rampisham, Corscombe and quick break in Petes Paddock in Halstock, the tough ride up Adams Green from Halstock, then Yetminster, and the road that tracks South to meet the A37 at Evershot. 200 M South down the A37 then right back onto quiet roads Frome St Quintin and finally Cattistock
26 miles , a great days riding, a good mixture of hills and flat, nothing too troubling
Sunday 28th February 2016 – Circuit from Piddlehinton= 28/02/2016
Gmaps ref: 6808229
Pete M Rick and Pete T set off on a very cold morning ( 4 layers required) from Piddlehinton, with MTB’s. North to Buckland Newton and Dentist, Glanvilles Wootton and the the road through Boys Hill. We crossed the A352 and headed to Chetnole, from Chetnole it was due west and across the A37 ; this first 14 miles was on road, but things were about to change!
We headed on the Bridle way east past Melbury Osmond and followed it to Evershot. It was a pleasant trip except for a tough up hill pull on a loose gravel surface track towards the end. It was back on road then from Evershot to the top of Batcombe hill, and then onto the Wessex ridgeway- which was really muddy for the first half mile- Tom would have been in his element if he had been with us- we did reflect on this ( a couple of times!) . A 15 minute stop for a well earned snack and then we decided it was a pretty simple 6 mile trip back to Ricks house. Hear none of it, we headed off on the bridle way south and west towards Up Cerne, we lost a lot of altitude on the downhill section, and right at the bottom, Rick got a front wheel puncture!. My iPhone tells me we took 14 minutes to change inner tubes and we were off again. We hit the A352 for 200 yards and then uphill through Mintern Parva, then an unbelievable climb up the escarpment. It was tough, even pushing a bike. Pete M whilst pushing, ran over a flint that punctured his front tyre( see photo)!! So there we were, mid field, 25 degree slope, changing another inner tube.( here we thought of Tom again!) this change took 16 minutes!. After this it was onwards and upwards onto the B road along the ridge and down the track back to Ricks house.
A very tough 29 miles
so here we have it , best time for a puncture repair is now held by Rick at 14 minutes.
Sunday 14th February 2016 – Circuit of Hardys monument!
Cold morning, but Pete M Rick and Pete T braved the elements on hybrids. started in Poundbury and followed the road through Martins town and along to Winterbourne Abbas, then up the climb to the western approaches to Hardys monument, then down the exhilarating hill to Abbotsbury. From Abbotsbury we headed east along the coast road towards Rodden, and then right along a very Muddy road to Langton Herring. We diverted here and followed the coast guards road down to the shore overlooking Chesil Beach and had a breakfast of sausage roll, drop scone and kitkat, all washed down with an assortment of beverages!
Back up the gravelly track to Langton and the right to meet the B3157, left on that for half a mile and then right to Nottington and Upwey. We then picked up the Weymouth bypass bike track and at the top of the hill took the bridleway towards Hardys monument, then down the hill to Martins town and then Poundbury
26 miles.
We did notice Hardys monument throughout the whole trip was either directly inform of us or on our left shoulder at a steady distance of 3 or 4 miles, so it turned out the be a circuit of Hardys monument!!
Sunday 7th February 2016 – First of 2016! on 7th February!
Late start for us this year due to a list of reasons, so we took it easy. Pete M, Rick and Pete T.
MTB’s to Wareham station and off to do a pretty comprehensive circuit of Wareham forest. We did venture off the main drags into some interesting small, but challenging tracks that were first created by a person, or thing that couldn’t keep a straight line. But very entertaining..
We finished with a tour on the tops of the old ‘wall’ around Wareham, and declared the year open.
15 miles, but felt like 20 odd.
Sunday 29th November 2015 – First golf club visited!
Pete 2 and Rick met at Poundbury on a wild and windy Sunday morning. Just to make it interesting, the route started against the wind for the first 6 miles, up to Hardys monument and then down to Abbotsbury. The coastal route from Abbotsbury was followed with a fantastic tail wind and 40 mph was achieved on downhill sections. We travelled up through Cory Yates and onward to Upwey. We all love Upwey hill and at the top, (which was easier to reach than normal due to the tail wind), we followed the track towards the Weymouth road. Over the top of the Weymouth road and onwards. We had to have our stop for snacks and warm drinks . We asked at Came Down golf course if we could sit on a bench outside looking over the hills to the North.” just this once” was a curt response. ( no wonder I don’t like golf!) It rained as we ate our food, we mutually commiserated with some golfers and finally headed off down the hill, and headed towards Winterbourne Monkton, then Martinstown and the climb back to Poundbury.
24.5 miles no incidents
Sunday 22nd November 2015 – To Toller Porcorum
Gmaps ref: 6755071
Tom, Rick and Pete T set off on a pretty chilly but bright morning and headed down through the industrial estate in Dorchester to pick up the cycle way on the A37. We continued to Grimstone and then turned left to Maiden Newton , then up the hill and left at the top to Toller, 10 miles covered well within the first hour! a delightful breakfast of sausage roll, Yum Yums and chocolate biscuit, washed down with a variety of hot drinks whilst sitting in the sun on the eastward facing churchyard.
We then set off up the gradual climb to the top of Eggardon Hill, stopped to admire the views, which we attempted to catch on the photos, then down the Roman road, through Winterbourne abbas to Martinstown and up the final hill to Poundbury. 26 miles, a great morning ride.
Sunday 18th October 2015 – Pleasurable Trip to Sturminster!
Pete 2 and Rick set off from PIddletrentide and started up hill on the road to Plush, just to warm us up! Through Mappower then Hazelbury Bryan and the back roads from Hazelbury to Sturminster. 14 Miles covered in a respectable time, we ate pies, Yum Yums and something Pete had made, but forgot to bring the custard. We then discovered it will be difficult to avoid Bulbarrow hill on the return journey, so steeled ourselves, picked up the cycle path towards Blandfold for 2 miles and turned right at the road it first crosses after about 2 miles.
Okeford Fitzpane was next and then the long slow climb up to Bulbarrow summit, we found 40 odd cyclists doing hill climbing competition, but declined their offer to participate. Then it was exhilaration all the way down to Ansty and then Cheselbourne, and back to Piddle. It seemed quite tame on the map, but there was a lot of climbing!- 3000 ft to be precise
29.6 Miles!
Gmaps ref: 6737223
Sunday 6th September 2015 – End of Summer BBQ
Full peleton turned out for this great event!
Armed with a variety of meat products, we set off from Cattistock and headed uphill to Evershot, across the A37 and a quick left turn to pick up the road that took us to Chetnole, then Yetminster,here we headed towards Halstock by picking up the cycle way, crossing back across the A37 and taking the high road through Closworth and down the steep hill to Halstock. A great hour in Petes paddock saw some really impressive alfresco cooking, using Petes super speedy charcoal BBQ!
It was then back up the hill a right at the top on cycle route 26 ; we then followed the road to Rampisham and onwards to Cattistock.
24 miles, a good mixture of hills, food and company
Cycle Dorset and Wiltshire 