Next week I move to Bournemouth to take up a post at the university. Although the missus is very happy about this as we'll be living by the beach, my biking is going to suffer having been blessed with living in Cardiff and the hills of South Wales. Does anyone have any good bike and Bournemouth-related news? A search of the forum for Bournemouth only tells me about a Honda Civic Type R for sale, albeit with low mileage 😕

stag / hen night city at the weekend. I went on a stag doo in August and it was a scene of carnage – booze Britain on top form

He's from Cardiff – that's not going to faze him

Only 32000 miles too…. 😉

Lost of good riding around Bo'mo – Purbeck Isles has some fantastic riding, as well as plenty of 'local heaths' too.
Where about's you moving to?
I live between Poole and Bournemouth (quite near the Uni too actually), and have only lived here a few months, so would be keen to meet up – Rusty Trowel lives just down the road too!

DrP

Think there are a couple of guys on here who ride on the Purbecks? (to the west of Bournemouth), loads of very nice country side round that way (Kimmeridge, Swanage, etc) for long XC hacks, you could always take up surfing as there are some very nice (natural) reef breaks. Seem to remember a DH place around Blandford??

Blandford DH thing is UK bike park near Shillingstone. As said, Purbecks is on doorstep and you've also got Wareham forest, Puddletown, New Forest and Canford Heath.

Big healthy scene down here too, lots of group rides – 50+ riders on summer nights! 15-20 riders winter night rides, plus weekend stuff.

Also spoiled for choice for bike shops. Ride cycleworks, Bikelab and Primera all stock top kit, and all 5 minutes drive from me :-).

We also were about the only place not to get snow this year so that should make a change to Wales.

This one? http://www.moredirt.co.uk/trail_info.php?id=7

Mail me when you've moved down if you want, and i'm sure Dr P will join us for a ride or a cuppa. (Once our wifes have sorted out their childbirth commitments!) 😛

Wow an unexpected positive response!

rusty trowel/DrP, it'd be great to meet up for a ride. All of a sudden I'm looking forward to this move a whole lot more!

ctznsmith, err, that's North Wales 😉

megastream, you did see the Cardiff photos posted up a here while back, right? 😯

Spent 5 years at Uni in Bournemouth…happy, happy days.

Lived in Boscombe for a fair bit which had a bit of a rougher reputation but we loved it…The Sandy Bay Guest House followed by living above the BHF shop opposite McDonalds. Also Charminister and Winton were good student living areas as well. Living in Parkstone was a bad mistake.

Aside from cycling along the front and to Uni, no idea about mtbing…fell to the wayside after arriving although sea canoeing was fun.

I probably haven't help at all but it was nice to reminisce. Enjoy 😀

Aaaaah, Boscombe!….where junkies came to score & hang out, and scousers came to set up charity shops 😮
I did similar nuke. I miss the beach now 🙁

ahem what was that about 'reading' before you post in the other thread.

http://www.moredirt.co.uk/trail_info.php?id=78

managed to delete the '8' when I copied it.

Rocky terrain is sparse.

There is riding, some of it pretty good, but its no Caerphilly/valleys/South Wales.

On a negative note, it's lashing down today so despite popular belief it's not sunny EVERY day.

On a positive note, Corfe castle tea rooms. 😀

Rusty – you around at the weekend? Fancy a blast on the heath?? Anyone else too for that mind!

DrP

Free on Sunday Dr. Need to do something as i've stupidly entered myself in a 10k run in the summer having not run for years. Give me a call Saturday and we'll see what the weathers looking like.

Will do 🙂

DrP

Try http://www.ridepuddletown.co.uk

I went to Uni there. I had bl00dy brilliant time. Good riding around the coast as well.

hey dude, i live in poole (4 miles away) i ride the purbecks every week,there are organised night rides etc can introduce you to a lot of other riders, there's a good scene down here you'll enjoy it,you'll find my e-mail in profile let me know when you're in town we'll get you sorted.

Thanks mnb, will do.

It's already looking like I'm gonna have more people to go riding with then I do in Wales 😀

I moved down from Sheffield two years ago and there is a lot more fresh air here.
Being able to trundle along the prom to the Purbecks is great and there is a lot of pleasant countryside around.
Check out the Dorset Rough Riders. They are a very friendly and active club

there'll be be more for sure, i know of at least 40 other local riders most of whom i've ridden with at some point. in the summer there are some great pubs with beer gardens some overlooking the bay, i came here 6 years ago on holiday went back sold my house packed up and came to live here, it changed my life so much for the better i can't tell you.

mmb, do i know you? Do you go out with the ride lot?

yeah dude,i did go out on a lot of the wednesday night rides,not been for a while though mostly sunday morning rides now,i used to ride a gary fisher cake then snapped it,got a fisher hi-fi in white now and a black chameleon, who are you by the way

hey im over in poole, canford heath, building my fitness at the mo riding to work/weekend rides. but ill be getting right into it come spring. would love to ride in a big group but i think ill hold people back/be left behind.

well if any of you guys fancy a ride some time email me.

Hi Slogo
You should join me with the DRRlot on one of the Wednesday Wobbles.
I can guarantee that you wont be left behind. Plus the ride ends at a pub 😀

slogo don't worry about the speed thing man i'm damn near the 19st mark and as slow as it gets, just ride and enjoy,i'm riding tomorrow afternoon small group tho,1.30 pm chain ferry sandbanks see if you can make it.

strangelove
thats great ill have to think about that, i guess its a night ride where do you ride?

mmb
im riding over wareham forest tomorrow but ill send you an email.

ok dude,we'll hook it up soon tho.

The Wednesday Wobble starts and ends in Broadstone, takes 2 – 3 hours and goes over Canford heath, Upton Heath, Lytchett Matravers, Delph Woods etc.

Harrah – I live near canford heath too (well, nearer Bearwood).

Fancy meeting up for a ride on sunday chaps? You oculd take me ona tour of the secret heath bits I've yet to find!

DrP

great place to live. Riding in Purbecks, UK Bikepark, Puddletown (Freerding). Canford Heath is good for a local blast too. Good street riding at night surrounding the beach.

See you in the morning Dr.

mmb – I used to ride a light blue 456 and am a beardy tattoed oik. If you've got a midlands? accent, then yes i know you.

If the DRR lot go out on Wednesdays as well as the ride lot, then there are far too many riders around here.

one negative-my folks have a holiday home down there and i'm quite often about during spring/summer/autumn 😉

tbh I also got bored not having london to play in.

you'll need a windsurf board and rig too, poole harbour rocks for island hopping.

Website with the dates of the uplifts and races at the uk bike park is this http://www.ukbikepark.moonfruit.com/. You will be quite far from the bike park in Bournemouth probably about an hours drive, puddletown also is in the middle of being reinvented so to speak after a large period of logging/ felling trees that I believe happens every 10 years so there isn't much to ride there at the moment, still more than enough singletrack to fill a day though but not thriving as it once was. Also all of the stuff in puddletown isn't legal to ride (bar the fireroads) the forestery commision doesn't encourage riding but sort of tollerates it as opposed to destroying every trail in sight. There is quite a few good bridel ways just an OS map away.

Iain

A quick list for you.
Merrick park is illegal
branksome chine
Ashley Heath
take the ferry to isle of purbeck
great urban riding down the steps on the cliff
new Forrest is a tad dull for riding but very pretty.