Conditions report – tonight it was mostly sandy, dry and dark, with gorse bushes everywhere.

Cheekiest trail down here is along Bournemouth seafront! Speed guns out and nicking anyone over 10mph – sounds like a joke, sadly isn't.

@scaredypants – I would have thought we'll be on the road by 4 ish, so you should be home for 5 i'd have thought. If you need to shoot off early, it would be pretty easy to point you in the right direction of the ferry or someone will probably want to leave to.

It may even be earlier than this (flexible, or should i say winging, it is my middle name)

No problem to pick you up on the other side OF, you're hardly gonna miss us. C_G, it will be plenty slow enough, and pad up if yer scared of re-injuring yerself. Weather's looking good, should be fine.

Finding feet/unpacking – does that mean nursing a hangover from the first night in the union bar by any chance?

Spoilt for choice on the shop front here, other than Ride, good local shops are Bikelab in Poole and Primera who have a shop in Poole (mtb) and one in Charminster (roadie bling).

Sandbanks ferry runs most of the winter (depending on repairs/servicing). Rides keep going all year though, either on Canford Heath in Poole or Wareham forest or similar. Still 40 odd riders out last week in the dark, but this will undoubtably drop when it gets chilly and wet.

Seem to be quite a few switching to s/s at the moment, so it must be do-able, just not with my lack of fitness.

Better break out the mankini then….. oh, did i say that out loud?

@ Bat1, Plenty of free on road parking on sandbanks peninsula, just go past the car park towards the ferry, all the roads are free. Ferry is £1.60 return with bike.

Dave – meeting at the ferry at 9.30 for a 10 or 10.20 ferry. Would have made it the sandbanks car park, but it's still summer rates. Should be plenty of parking on the peninsula i reckon.

Franks is definetely on the hit list, down and possibly up depending on the route back.

Rich – Scott arms is in Kingston, out the back of Corfe, but not as far as the compass. To be fair to the compass, i've only been there a couple of times and it's been a queue for a drink each time, maybe i'll give it another go now the holiday makers have gone home. Just prefer the views and garden of Scott arms.

Any chance you can bring that weather with you next week (and the cake if you want to).

Not sure we're gonna fit that many in/outside the model village cafe, hence the sandwich proposal. Pub at the end will be the Bankes, controversially i much prefer the Scott Arms to the compass.

Shouldn't have too much trouble with the route. Got most of it in my head, and we'll just wing it a bit depending on wind directions, mechanicals and pace. I think Rich, Johnny and Dave from Ride are coming along, so guiding shouldn't be an issue. Cheers though, the more locals the better.

Just hope it doesn't rain.

about 15 confirmed so far then,including a few locals. Sandwiches mid route and pub stop near the end, or cafe stop mid ride?

7 days to go.

Dive in to Ride Cycleworks in Ashley Cross Poole and speak to Rich or John. They run weekly evening rides in the Purbecks for all abilities and fitness levels (50+ riders some weeks!) decent lights will be needed this time of year though.

Also most Sundays there will be a few leaving the Sandbanks ferry about 10ish that should be happy to show you around.

Forum ride on 27th Sept, meeting at Ferry at 9.30ish, (very) roughly organised by me.

Alternatively, just drop me a line and i'll show you around. Rigid ss is ok if you're fit and have strong wrists. If it's an old one, there's a retro ride down here in a couple of weeks time too.

Know nothing about chameleons, but liking the username. On burning heart records weren't they?

So probables
Hairychested, C_G, Mulletus, oldfart, Lovell, RichPenny, DrP, olderthandirt, Reallyoldgit, ChrisP_ss(can't remember your username), local John

possibles
Knottie, johnners, Bat1, eviljoe, Kona-ona, oldgit, dobo, rocketdog, luke, annabanana, PeterPoddy, elliptic, buzz-lightyear, Ride Rich

Any advance on that? Possibles likely to be probables? Any +1s?

I quite like it, apart from the seatpost/seat. Matching rims would be nice, but who cares really. Mind you, i've got a thrown together 456 too, so its right up my street. Thinking of putting white bars on it too, and the negative comments on here mean i probably will – stuff 'em.

Mind you, if i had a spare couple of grand i'd get something blingy too.

@Hairychested – the amount of sand around this time of year, a paddle tyre could be usefull in some sections! But seriously, anything allround should do the job. Conditions vary from deepish sand, to hardpack, to chalk, to rock gardenish to grassy, with a bit of tarmac thrown in for good measure. My summer set up has been a conti vertical pro on the front for some grip, and a bonty revolt on the back for a bit more speed.

Any other special requirements – plenty of cake, a slightly warped sense of humour and the ability to ignore the locals when they're miles faster than us despite being on rigid singlespeeds!

sounds good to me Dave, i'll check in with John and Rich this week too.

Probables so far then –
ReallyOldGit, Cinnamon Girl, Mulletus, Hairychested, oldfart, eviljoe, Dr P

Few locals likely to be turning up too. Anyone else?

Any bike will do, locals ride any thing from 5 inch bouncers to rigid singlespeeds.

One group only, as it's a social ride/gathering not a race. Pace will be whatever suits everyone. If anyone wants to go quick extra bits could be added to suit, but that's not really the point of these rides is it?

Distance likely to be about 20-25 odd miles more or less depending upon weather, length of food stops, pace, mechanicals etc. Route will be flexible enough to lengthen or shorten to suit.

Boring avensis for missus to drive to work and for family trips, because it was cheapish second hand, reliable (hopefully) and has a big enough boot for pushchair, luggage and either bike or golf clubs.

Rough old transporter van for my general running about and bike duties.

I think the car park prices change in October. Once parked, we can meet at the ferry.

Plenty of free road parking on sandbanks peninsula (unless you were here this weekend when animal windfest was on).

Bump. Ok, two weeks to go, better have a bit of a roll call to give rough numbers and plan potential food stops.

Did a bit of a preview ride today, and can report sandy, dusty trails and plentiful cream teas in Corfe.

Sunday 27th Sept, 9 – 9.30 meet up, to catch 10.00 (or 10.20) sandbanks ferry to Studland.

I've got loads, and a shaven head. OH NO! I'm a stereotype.

Does 40 odd mph downhill (road) with no saddle and a seatpost trapped between my cheeks count as skills? If so, then i had skill on Saturday.

Other than that, bunnyhop pretty high (much easier on flats than spd's), crap wheelies, manual ok, ride no-handed forever, used to ride mini ramps and bowls a bit (bmx), old school bmx frame stands (standing on toptube no-handed, several hundred yards on a bmx, not tried on mtb), endos, no foot endos, small doubles (bmx only). Oh and i'm really good at sitting around criticizing other people skills, even when they are miles better than me.

Shame i'm a fat biffer who struggles when it starts going uphill.

Mulletus, what you doing this weekend? Riding perhaps?

I may bring my mechanical deathtrap to your birthday party, unless it destroys me before then (unless it's raining…or snowing… or cold… or windy)

Watch those waistlines! Can you have too many cream teas? May head down your way sooner rather than later, like the look of the riding.

CG – i was tucking in to the starter about an hour after leaving the pub, no problem (apart from a sore bottom).

feels like it!

Aching everywhere today, from such a small get off. Could have been worse, at least i didn't need a trip to casualty to have a bike removed from my bottom.
40 miles an hour down that road with no saddle was potentially lethal looking back on it. Never mind, at least i was first in line for a scone.

Thankfully no pictures of me laying on the floor with a seat post stuck in me.

Good luck to them i say, i wasn't criticising the farmer or what looked like his son. I grew up just down the road from there and was mates with loads of farmers kids. It was just a casual observation that he looked a bit young. I'd rather see a teenager (if thats what he was) helping his old man on the farm than staring at a tv or hanging around a shopping centre.

He looked about 13, lucky git driving around the country side at that age. Mind you, with all that fresh air he might have just been a healthy looking 25.

I didn't think he was rude, just a bit concerned with having us lot on his land. Once he realised we were half sensible and knew what we were on about he cleared off. I personally didn't take offence to him asking, and it's not like he swore at us or warned us about anything.

His mate looked a bit young to be driving that other 4×4 didn't he.

I'm up for this. See you in a few weeks in the Purbecks hopefully.

Mulletus, how's the cricket looking for Saturday after the rain this week? Will you be joining us for a cream tea?

Purbecks down the road, 1/2 hour away. Look out for angry horsey types in the New Forest.

pencil me in for this one.