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Cycling in Dorset
Going to Dorset in a couple of weeks. Staying near Bridport. Anyone ride around there? Would you recommend the road bike or should I take the xc MTB? Any local tips appreciated. Am googling for routes but always find it a little hit and miss.
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Thanks for the advice everyone. As I don't have a GPS, I went with NCN 2. It was pretty good, bit gravelly in parts but nothing too choppy. Took the route from Bridport and went via Coney's Castle. Turns out that involves a mile long, quite steep in parts hill. Not too taxing for mountain goats, but pretty taxing for me. More cycling in Dorset in my future!
Might be worth checking on Komoot for "road less travelled" routes. Be warned though - its proper lumpy. And stay away from the coast road, driving standards are appalling.
There are a few pages:
https://www.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/travel-dorset/cycle/routes
http://www.gps-routes.co.uk/routes/home.nsf/county-cycling/Dorset
https://www.visit-dorset.com/things-to-do/activities/cycling-and-mountain-biking
Away from the main roads there are many very quiet lanes and B-roads. Avoid the A35, A37 and A30.
"I've discovered NCN 2 "
hope it's better than NCN4
There's weekly rides out of Symondsbury (outskirts of Bridport) from the Bridport Cycles shop http://bridportcycles.co.uk/contact/, MTB on Wednesdays at 10.30, and Road on Thursdays at 11.00, back for late lunch, good crowd and friendly welcome. Also evening MTB rides from Autobitz in Bridport Centre at 6.15pm http://www.facebook.com/Auto-Bitz-Cycle-Dept-831217313620647/?fref=nf.
Spoilt for choice bewteen road and MTB ... quiet lanes and hills on road, and wonderful ridge rides with sea views and plenty of hills on MTB. You can hire MTBs at Bridport Cycles. Also lots of good pubs/ cafes where you meet up with the rest of the family if you want to go solo. There's a good cafe where you have lunch at Symondsbury Yard where Brisport Cycles is based (I don't have any financial interest in B Cycles but Dan there will sort you out (not open Monday and Tuesdays so check times).
Here's couple of loops form Symondsbury
Road http://www.strava.com/activities/721021740
MTB http://www.strava.com/activities/968987894
Thanks everyone. I've discovered NCN 2 runs from Bridport over to Axminster via some quiet and beautiful roads. Covers c. 30miles (there and back). Not huge, but factoring in the hills (which I'm slowly getting better at) and the fact that it's part of a family break so I can't disappear for the day, that seems my best bet.
Any other route suggestions gratefully received.
I took both road and XC mtb bikes to the area between Bridport and Seaton last year, around Easter, and found the road riding to be more enjoyable. It may have been the weather to some extent though - some bridleways and byways were impassable by bike.
My top tip for finding good routes (especially off road) is to look on Strava with the segment explorer and find the people with KoMs on local roads/bridleways, and look at what route they cycled. You often have to zoom right in to find the off-road segments though, as Strava only shows the most popular in the view.
Bridport, over to lyme regis, Sidmouth via Branscombe up Peak hill, Ottery St Mary, Chinbeway to Colyton and back into Bridport nice ride.
Quite often ride over that way as I live just down the road in Exeter.
XC is pretty mediocre without heading up to Quantocks.
Road bike. It's a beautiful area for cycling
There is loads of great riding around Bridport, it's hilly mind.
Definitely take the road bike as there are loads of routes along the coast or you can head in land. I grew up down there so if you let me know what sort of distances you're thinking off I can probably recommend some routes