Ride Around Dorchester (Conclusion)

From West Milton, I continued on quiet single lanes towards Bradpole and Bridport, heading back towards the water. Bridport didn't look that attractive from what little I saw of it (standard high street with a lot of traffic), so I decided to just resume my route.

(Below: A few miles outside of Bridport)

After turning right to Symondsbury, I found myself going up a torn-up, muddy road. After 20 yards or so, the road turned to dirt exclusively, and my rear tire started skidding. I'm officially deep into my obligatory wrong turn--but this one topped them all. My friends have often chided me about my stubborn refusal to try mountain biking, now I found myself, like Dickens' Scrooge, being forced to experience something I've always ignored. The road was very muddy, and I've had to dismount and walk in places, cyclocross-style, before I finally decided that I've gone off-track and headed back down. I gotta admit though, there was perverse pleasure in tentatively crossing over "to the other side."

(Below: "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." A road biker's worst
nightmare: a dark, muddy, rutted dirt road)

After extricating myself from the muds of Symondsbury, I found my way back and was soon heading north again towards Stoke Abbott. The ridge road towards Stoke Abbott is a long, steady climb. At this point, the sun, who all day had been behind the clouds, decided to come out, as if to cheer me on up this tough stretch.

(Above: A 12th-century church in Stoke Abbott)

From Stoke Abbott, the road descended towards Beaminster. I turned off from near the center of town and headed towards Corscombe. Unbeknownst to me, the moderately steep, residential road I found myself on was just a prelude to the toughest climb in the entire route. The climb up White Sheet Hill is over 2 miles long, but its steepest section is about halfway up, where the gradient is a knee-popping 20%. This climb was easily the steepest of the ride, and I would bet, one of the steepest in all of England. After what seemed like an eternity, the gradient relented. I crested the hill and enjoyed the screaming descent down towards Norwood.

(Below: White Sheet Hill. Sure, it looks inviting, but this is one killer of a hill.
It's the toughest hill I've ridden in England so far.)

The ride continued on in an undulating manner through Rampisham, and then higher up on the ridges heading back up towards Eggardon Hill. I rode the Roman Road heading back towards Dorchester. This fun road is 7 miles long, flat to downhill, and has time trial written all over it. It was a very welcome change of pace after about 70 miles of mostly out-of-the-saddle riding. After a fast stretch on the busy A35, I got back to Dorchester and after catching my breath, caught the train back to London.

(Above: The Roman Road)