Dorset Miles, Reliably Wet Perhaps?

Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers cautious decision to postpone their 75 mile reliability trial left us with something of a dilemma, where do we ride today? Problem solved, we ride the Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers 75 mile reliability trial route of course. Three of us took advantage of a cold south easterly as we headed towards Wimborne, the wind would get its own back later. We knew the Cowgrove would be flooded, so we opted for the "off route" Badbury Rings road, a great road that unfortunately carries too much traffic. Fast down to Blandford, the temperature dropped as we headed into the “sticks”, ice on the edge of the road at Turnworth but it was melting. The village of Hammoon had been submerged midweek, the road closed; it was passable now and with some ease. St Johns Hill elevates the heart rate beyond level 3 as it climbs up to Shaftesbury, the town shrouded in a damp January mist. Dropping down now, it should be easy but the wind that was with us is now against us and it feels hard. Conversation ebbs away as the miles take their toll; only the judicious use of energy gels saves us from the man with the hammer, but only just. Roads flooded to the left & right at Coombe Bissett but thankfully not the road ahead. Rockbourne has the worst of the water but it was never deep. Damerham, Cranborne and back to Wimborne, talk of post-ride food sustained us “the best scrambled eggs I ever had”. We had found dry roads, enough for 90 miles; all three had Saturday mornings 2 hour Chaingang in the legs, a good weekend block of intensive & extensive endurance work, with the added bonus of dry feet (well almost).