After a thoroughly enjoyable mini break!
Thursday then. The distance from my B&B to Dorchester is all of 63km as the crow flies, by bike, avoiding main roads and using some 'off tarmac', i had a route of 80km mapped. I woke early and whilst i didn't need to set off too early, the plan was to depart @ 9.00am. However, i was fed, packed and ready just after 8.30 which wasn't a bad thing as events turned out.
The weather was bright, blue skies but perhaps a couple of degrees below optimal as i set out on the first leg to Ringwood using, for the most part quite lanes through the forest and across heathland dotted with ponies. At times i was reminded of Germany's Spreewald, others felt like the fringes of the North Yorkshire Moors, traffic was low and despite a fair chunk of up, i made good time. There didn't seem to be anything worth stopping for in Ringwood so i didn't, instead following the bike trail out of town to pick up the almost arrow straight Castleman Trailway, an offroad section of over ten miles which took me most of the way to Wimborne.
I'd got a schedule worked out which required a 20kph average speed, what wasn't factored in was map reading stops and the generally slower speed of non tarmac riding. That said, i was pretty much on target when i reached Wimborne for my planned half way tea stop, taken in the shadow of the quite tiny Minster (it would fit inside just one arm of York!) The plan was still to meet Ang and Bev for lunch at one, two hours for forty K, no problem.
What i hadn't spotted was another off road section on my route, unlike the earlier Trailway this was out and out bridleway. At the end of the first stretch and with the prospect of a further five miles of very rural riding, i decided to bail and take a longer, tarmaced route to keep myself at least close to the agreed rendezvous in Dorchester, still some 30km away. With the wind at least partially behind me, my speed was good but the extra kilometres meant my chances of being on time were slipping away.
Past Bovington, i was into the lanes east of Dorchester, the time ticking inexorably towards one, finally running out as i crossed the Dorchester bypass! I still had a bit further to go, i was already over 80km, the town traffic lights did their best to delay me but considering i'd done an extra 4 or 5 kilometres i was just ten minutes late reaching the cafe, stopping the clock with 4 hours and a minute riding time. And so we had a pleasant afternoon, eating, drinking tea and chatting before Aunty Bev prompted our departure back to Brizzle.
I have to admit to being quite tired on Friday, i managed a short walk to the shops but the previous three days took their revenge!
It would've been all too easy to use that as an excuse to not ride yesterday however, i am made of sterner stuff which meant i set off into a cooler, greyer morning to do a steady ride across to Chippenham. It struggled for double figures on the outward leg, only gaining a couple on the return leg, turns out the steady ride was still 83km and around a mile an hour faster!
Today has been no more restful, an 8km walk along the river followed by cooking a simple pork roast for Sunday dinner.
Of course it's Sunday so i've already posted the next Gabysode for your delight, chapter 32, Colas Saal sees Gaby having an unexpected 'adventure' ahead of the nights gig.
This week will be a bit quieter, with the batteries recharged, hopefully i can get on with some cash generation work?
Until next time then,
Tschussie,
Madeline Anafrid
