Cycling Around Poole/Bournemouth Area

[cosmicbike]

My van and me are off down to Poole in a couple of weeks as she needs to be lowered and have some bits fitted. I'll be dropping off at 0830, and anticipate having most of the day to play with, so likely to try and do my metric century for the month somewhere different.
I've had a bit of a Google, and thinking an amble along the beach promenade to the East would be nice, before backtracking to Sandbanks, chain ferry over the water then picking up NCR 2 all the way to Dorchester, before a similar return path back to the van. Should be about 70 miles or so, comfortable on the CX in 7 hours or so available.
Anybody here local? Good places to ride, places to see, likewise bits to avoid?
Ta

 

[Broadside]

Personally I would skip the heading east bit, it is very built up and not a lot of fun. I would get the chain ferry straight across to Studland and spend the day in The Purbecks.

Go over through Bovington and beyond Weymouth before coming down and hugging the coast on the way back hopefully with a prevailing wind to push you along the exposed bits!

The cycling around the tank firing ranges is great and very scenic but checks the roads are open, they are closed on some weekdays but the schedule is published online.

 

[cosmicbike]

Thanks @Broadside . I'd like to go East simply to go to Hengistbury Head, fond memories of the 'Noddy Train' as it used to be some 35 years ago. I've got the whole day so having had a gander at Google Maps it seems there's a nice 45 or so mile loop around the Purbecks that I can add on.

 

[ianrauk]

@StuAff is in Pompey. he'll have some good riding routes I would guess.

 

[Broadside]

Thanks @Broadside . I'd like to go East simply to go to Hengistbury Head, fond memories of the 'Noddy Train' as it used to be some 35 years ago. I've got the whole day so having had a gander at Google Maps it seems there's a nice 45 or so mile loop around the Purbecks that I can add on.

Fair enough, the ride along the beach is nice if you haven't done it before and if the weather is kind. It sounds like you know some of the area but while in The Purbecks drop in to Lulworth Cove it's a beautiful spot right down by the sea and there is a nice pub for lunch/coffee just at the top of the pedestrianised lane. It's a fairly hilly part of the countryside but lovely and should be nice and quiet at this time of year.

 

[Ajax Bay]

My van and me are off down to Poole

@StuAff is in Pompey. he'll have some good riding routes

Poole. Portsmouth?
Like @Broadside I'd get across the Sandbanks ferry to Isle of Purbeck. I have sketched out a 100km route on RwGPS - and I have ridden all of these roads. As he says, some cheeky climbs in there and I've put in the cafe at Lulworth Cove too. Plenty of opportunity to shortcut if you've already hopped out to Hengistbury Head and back.
Isle of Purbeck loop (from Poole)
Some of this route is covered by the Dorset Coast 200 audax - on 9 April this year. My route for that in 2016 is here.

 

[ianrauk]

Poole. Portsmouth?

Your point being?
I live in London, happy to show you a ton of nice routes all over the south east. Get my meaning?

 

[Ajax Bay]

My point being, @ianrauk , that Portsmouth is a long way from Poole, in fact it's closer to Richmond Park than Poole (Edit: by bike)!
Hope you liked the route I suggested.

 

[ianrauk]

My point being, @ianrauk , that Portsmouth is a long way from Poole, in fact it's closer to Richmond Park than Poole!
Hope you liked the route I suggested.

And my point being @Ajax Bay is that some one like Stuaff knows the area well.

 

[Ajax Bay]

@StuAff knows the area well. He'll have some good riding routes I would guess.

 

[Bollo]

As an alternative to going west, you could head north east. One of my imperial century routes is from Winchester to Bournemouth and back through the New Forest. It's much more pleasant for the cyclist in winter - in summer the roads can be congested and the locals get all pitchforky. There's plenty of wildlife to see and the scenery is surprisingly varied. If I had 100km to use up, I'd head towards the Bolderwood (deer) and Rhinefield (giant redwoods) ornamental drives.

Downside is that I'e never found a good way of crossing the A338/A35 to reach the Bournemouth/Boscombe/Christchurch coastal sprawl to and from the NF. The A35 is a sugar rush, but I usually have my best TT legs fitted.

 

[cosmicbike]

Poole. Portsmouth?
Like @Broadside I'd get across the Sandbanks ferry to Isle of Purbeck. I have sketched out a 100km route on RwGPS - and I have ridden all of these roads. As he says, some cheeky climbs in there and I've put in the cafe at Lulworth Cove too. Plenty of opportunity to shortcut if you've already hopped out to Hengistbury Head and back.
Isle of Purbeck loop (from Poole)
Some of this route is covered by the Dorset Coast 200 audax - on 9 April this year. My route for that in 2016 is here.

Cheers for that. I've followed some of it on Streetview, looks like my kind of riding so will upload to the Garmin. I'm hoping it's reasonable weather or I may be taking a book...

 

[Ian H]

Going East would involve some urban sprawl to Christchurch, but then you're into the Southern part of the New Forest, which should be quietish this time of year. Purbeck is lovely, but I dislike the route from Poole to the ferry (just a personal thing).

 

[Ajax Bay]

looks like my kind of riding

One afternote: check whether Lulworth Ranges are in use (diversion adds 10km buts roads are good). If open the climb out of 'Steeple' takes one over Whiteway Hill, above (vacated in the war) Tyneham village, and west to Lulworth Cove. The descent is superb (a bit of care a few 100m down with a right and left) - not a dry eye in the house.

 

[cosmicbike]

One afternote: check whether Lulworth Ranges are in use (diversion adds 10km buts roads are good). If open the climb out of 'Steeple' takes one over Whiteway Hill, above (vacated in the war) Tyneham village, and west to Lulworth Cove. The descent is superb (a bit of care a few 100m down with a right and left) - not a dry eye in the house.

That explains the 'Steeple Hill open' sign I spotted on streetview then. Cheers for the heads up.