Traditionally seen as the winter season opener in East Dorset, the Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers 50-mile reliability trial may have lost some of its appeal in the 50 odd years since its inception (nobody seems to know) but is still capable of drawing a crowd. Seventy signed on for the latest edition of this classic ride on a benign, windless November morning. Little changed over the years, the route, ridden anti-clockwise today, headed north to Gaunts Common Chalbury Common, Horton and Woodlands before turning to Knowlton and the church ruins. The right hander at Gussage All Saints always catches a few out as does the climb out of the valley up Parsonage Hill, the conversation quickly coming to a halt. Down to Long Crichel and briefly on the A354 before turning left through the Tarrant Valley, a selection is made through Tarrant Monkton with 10 or so pulling clear and disappearing up Ashley Wood to the golf club and the scream down to Blandford. The climb up New Road alongside Bryanston School is the longest of the day before the fast drag through the Winterbornes to Red Post. Waved across the A31 by a considerate car driver gives us all a nice warm feeling before we hit the always mucky lanes around West Morden, the drags of Lytchett and Pardy’s Hill allow some to show off then its back to Wimborne before burning one last match on Rowlands Hill. Tea and cake for all courtesy of lifetime member Bruce Cameron and Maggie Kirk, bacon butties courtesy of Rob Pilato and Mark Hitchcott all overseen by 1990’s reliability trial organiser, Mike Walsh, thank you all! The Bournemouth Jubilee would also like to thank all the members of Bournemouth CycLeworks, Bournemouth Arrow CC, JP Morgan, Poole Wheelers, VC ST Raphael and the Wessex Road Club who supported the ride. Well done to Brett Wheeler & Matt Todd, the first two back at the Reef, signing in at 10:57, now that’s reliably fast!
Mike Walsh kindly took some photos although he missed the front of the pack! You will find them here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/145844545@N03/albums/72177720321677770/