Dorset Coast 200, 2008

[Chris S]

New start (Parish Hall, Wareham Quay) so slightly different route.

Not exactly conducive to transposition to GPS.

"continue on A351 over several roundabouts".

 

Luckily the start tends to be "follow the large bunch of cyclists to Sandbanks Ferry", so I'll wing it to the ferry...

[scampi]

That first bit to the ferry is like a road race. Inevitably the large bunch of 50+ cyclists hammering it at 20+mph to Poole ends up waiting 15 mins for the ferry to get in...

[SimonB]

New start (Parish Hall, Wareham Quay) so slightly different route.

My very first school (well, play school).

I'm really not ready for the DC this year (last 200 was mid-December).

Ho hum. See y'all Sunday.

[Paul D]

Well spotted Chris - I hadn't bothered looking at the routesheet yet.

Simon - Is that actually in Wareham? That's an extra mile to ride from home

[Ian H]

I shall be controlling at Axminster.


So behave yourselves.

[SimonB]

Simon - Is that actually in Wareham?

It is. Started there a couple of years ago as well.

[Chris S]

Don't know about you chaps, but I'm intending to wrap up warm for this one.

I remember shedding layer after layer on the climbs between Bridport and Axminster last year. Methinks it'll be the reverse this time around.

[Paul D]

The man on dat der BBC has just told me it's going to snow. On Sunday. In Dorset.

Should make those 25%ers interesting in both directions.

[velocitizen]

Don't know about you chaps, but I'm intending to wrap up warm for this one.

I remember shedding layer after layer on the climbs between Bridport and Axminster last year. Methinks it'll be the reverse this time around.

Chris
I remember you were looking forward to this ride at Christmas on the East Midlands ride, Fixed?

[border-rider]

The man on dat der BBC has just told me it's going to snow. On Sunday. In Dorset.

Should make those 25%ers interesting in both directions.

Blimey

It was good weather last year

[Chris S]

Don't know about you chaps, but I'm intending to wrap up warm for this one.

I remember shedding layer after layer on the climbs between Bridport and Axminster last year. Methinks it'll be the reverse this time around.

Chris
I remember you were looking forward to this ride at Christmas on the East Midlands ride, Fixed?

Things have not gone entirely to plan. All being well, I'll be doing the ride, but not on Fixed.

[Paul D]

Things have not gone entirely to plan. All being well, I'll be doing the ride, but not on Fixed.

The lobotomy hasn't been completed. The surgeons say they should be able to finish it in time for Chris to sound enthusiastic about doing the Kernow and Southwest 600 fixed.

[Treewheeler]

Lift available for 1 person+machine.
 Portsmouth area and general route to Wareham.
Call Stue 07813 444772

[Hummers]

Well?

I thought to myself a few times today "at least I'm not doing the Dorset Coast tody..."

How was it for you?

H

[Ian H]

Well?

I thought to myself a few times today "at least I'm not doing the Dorset Coast tody..."

How was it for you?

H

Mr Vorsprung and I enjoyed it.

We were manning the control at Axminster.

It snowed.

[iddu]

Sad.

Felt like shite, wouldn't even hold the wheel of an non-legged unicyclist. DNF'd at 60K, came home, and slept all of the afternoon.

Not good; going outside to administer a slapping & "pull yourself together!"

[Ian H]

...wouldn't even hold the wheel of an non-legged unicyclist...

He came in with minutes to spare. Amazing, really.

[Paul D]

The opposite of Iddu for me. An amazing day on the bike, mostly for the weather.

Rode to the start, then we had an hour of solid heavy snow round the harbour to the Sandbanks ferry. Plenty of snow at the side of the road at the top of the Purbecks, but no ice importantly, and proper sunshine by the time we got to Weymouth. The North-Westerly made itself known on the way up the coast road towards Abbotsbury, but happily the hill itself gave us some shelter as I spun my way up.

Had a 10 minute stop in Bridport then started the lanes to Axminster. The audax joke ‘if you’re not climbing you’ve taken a wrong turn’ certainly applies, the kind of singletrack with high hedges and plenty of gravel that means you can never let it go fully on the downs to gather some momentum for the (long) ups. It was consistently sunny through this section, but that didn’t stop it snowing as well.

Dropped down the ruddy great hill into Axminster for a late lunch before dragging it all up the Sector Lane. No walking this year! At the top it was brilliant sunshine, and the woolly hat came off for the first time. 5 km later in Marshwood I was freezing to death in the snow and the hat went back on.

The last obstacle of note was an ascent of Eggardon Hill from the Spyway Inn (Uploders) side. As I passed the inn the snow started again, and it was horizontal blizzard whiteout for the 10 minute climb. At the top the wind dropped and it was deathly silent, still with heavy snow, an amazing moment. The turn towards Dorchester meant the wind was behind us and I hooned along for a trip to the Top O The Town café and the bacon sandwich I’d been looking forward to since Axminster.

The last 20-odd km is virtually flat, certainly compared with the rest, and was done in about an hour to come in at a bit over 10 1/2 hours, much improved on last year when I cracked on the Spyway climb and grovelled home.

A brilliant ride. I shall be back again next year.

[Chris S]

Another Grand Day out, with lots of lumpy goodness. I'm really glad I woke up and realised that only Special People get to ride this on fixed, and I'm not one of them. I took gears, and I needed gears.

I wasn't up to your speed this year Paul; I was definitely in Plod Mode, and I'm not talking Policemen here.

Dorset is a beautiful county, as is the dark corner of Devon we visited too. Yesterday as well as landscapes, we had cloudscapes - vast fluffy Cbs that would turn the day to night, and the ground (briefly) to white.

I found the stretch between Bridport and Axminster tough going, but after Marshwood, it was a blast and the hills seemed easier; even Spyway.

Got back about 15 minutes later than last year. Oh and chapeau to the young lady on the mountain bike  .

[Chris S]

Mr Vorsprung and I enjoyed it.

We were manning the control at Axminster.

It snowed.

Having never met Mr Vorsprung, I had no reason to twig that it was he, sat on your right - otherwise I would have said hello. Sorry 

How's the shoulder?

[Ian H]

How's the shoulder?

Fine, considerin' me age. Edit: Or were you addressing Mr V?

Got back about 15 minutes later than last year. Oh and chapeau to the young lady on the mountain bike  .

I'll tell her that. You should know she's got a PBP, an LEL, and a couple of K&SW600s under her belt, as well as sundry other tough rides.

[PatC]

I did wonder whether it was sensible to continue the ride as I stood at the ferry terminal but the snow stopped as quoicley as it had started. The weather was quite a contrast from when I rode it a couple of years back. It was about 15 degrees colder with a bitter north/northwesterly wind this time around but the stunning views hadn't changed. My favourite bits are the views over your shoulder as you climb Abbotsbury Hill and 'the far as the eye can see' coastline on the section before and after Weymouth.

 

[SimonB]

The weather was quite a contrast from when I rode it a couple of years back.

'twas very odd weather; climbing Sector Lane I had snow and a heat haze off the road surface!

[scampi]

The view from the top of Steeple Hill was stunning - snow-covered hills, a sunny sky, and distant blue sea...staggeringly beautiful.

I have met Vorspung before and didn't realise it was he at Axminster  Funny how it's harder to recognise people when they're not in their usual clothes...

After the early snow on the ferry dash, I only had the odd stray flake here and there. It closed in on the roman road but stayed dry.

I really enjoyed my ride this year. It reminded me why it's my favourite 200k audax.

[Treewheeler]

Well...
 I rode it.
Although I had my doubts on the way to the ferry...
I was first to Weymouth accompanied by a familiar yet anonymous Vet on a carbon Giant what weighed in at nowt to the power of 10.
After oiling Super Vets squeeky jocky wheels (a pet hate of mine)
 Venerable Vet (of Worthing) and I rode ensemble until the last hill before Axminster proved too much for my healing ribs and so he pulled away.
 With my ribs torturing me mightily, I lingered over unlimited tea until a suitable peleton arrived.
 Ian Hennessy  (the unshaven controler) tried to fake concern over my well being but I wasn't going to let him have the satisfaction of my following his alternative route around Sector Lane.
 With the pain in my corpse subsiding to a mere throb, Pinhead, Yorkie, Barry from Romsey, Scampi and I took Sector lane in full sun and a tail-ish wind.
 What proved to be a grim struggle against the elements for the first 132km was now rewarded with a return that was more like a clubrun.
 Dashing pace that hoovered up Mike Stoaling (51 years old going on 70, sells pensions and uses a 6 speed block with down tube levers)
But dropped Pinhead and Scampi.
 Spyway hill climbed with minimal fuss from the rib department to bowl along the Roman road to Dorchester. Alton C.C just leaving as we arrived, no stopping for puddings so 3 of us pulled out as Pinhead stopped for the pudding he had been fantisising about since Axminster (in fact the pudding he wanted was off the menu which ruined his day entirely)
 Its was again a mad tail wind dash for Wareham with the Tuggo sitting in behind riders with more form(and less sense) in time for unlimited tea and medals.