After Yesterday i thought I would try and do justices to a super day in the saddle, which would not have been possible without our tour guide and tour mentor who has maintained a sense of calm on the whole event Chris or orange leader as he was named today.
So on to the ride, we left Dorchester via a different route today and it wasn’t long before the first climb of the day was before us and it was a brute so I was grateful a tractor decided to come down the steep bit as we were going up so it turned into a good walk for some and Ken did a tactical fall as he was going to slow.
But once over we followed the valley for awhile with the daunting hills on either side but the roads were reasonably flat until we started the second climb of the day from the valley up past Durdle dor and on to the fownhilll to the beach at Lulworth cove if anyone would have said I would ride to Lulworth Cove 10 years ago I would have said no way but there we were.
So coffeee ice creams and Maggie leaving her helmet in the table we were off on the longest climb of the day , out of Lulworth up on a busy road before turning on to a quiet road but no less hilly, this was a brute climbing up through beautiful countryside to a view point over looking Mod land used for target practice but today was a day off do it was safe for us to ride, Ken finding his sense of balance had made it to the top and we were all supposed to meet at the view point but Peter and Andy shot down the other side missing the view point and stopped at the non view point view point. But now we were dropping down to Corfe castle, a walk along the back of the ruin and the view you don’t get on the tourist trail but we emerged in the square in Corfe and a quick break we pushed on to Wareham, Chris had found the most beautiful road from Corfe to Wareham quiet flat through national trust land and we even helped out a guy with a chain problem.
A lovely lunch in Wareham was very much deserved and Doc even had the Dorset cake with clotted cream so I was expecting a drop Performance from here on in. Now we headed for Bovington where there is a tank museum and where my uncle was demobbed to during national service so it was quite a personal place with a family history, but today we had poem by Peter, after Last years Albert and the lion this years also had a lion theme but it was not suitable for young ears so it was decided that we would not video it , well we tried but evidentially videoing isn’t a strong point in the club, enough said.
So now the profile flattened out which was good for my legs after a night of cramp the roads the lanes Chris had chose to get us back to Dorchester we’re absolutely fantastic beautiful villages and scenery through the lowlands. Iteasno gbefote Dorchester came into view and the sanctuary of a pint and a shower not necessarily in-that order but we all met up in restaurant got an evening meal and a recap of the days ride which by the sound of it rates up there amongst the best, hard but rewarding I call it. Tonight is Docs Birthday something which we have ignored all day so he thinks we don’t care, but we do, and we have a cake for him because he is a top man so it a very happy birthday to Doc 59 years old I think but that’s to be confined.
Now we have had a tour manager this year Ian who couldn’t ride turned up with Frank and participated in the tour which is great and much appreciated.
I must finish by thanking everyone who toured this year, and Chris who single handedly organised this years tour and we owe him a huge vote of thanks.
So the only thing left to say is where is next years?
Yellow leader.
