I should have known better..!

Last nights weather forecast was a good one so I decided that I would go for a bike ride in the Purbecks today.

That was a big mistake and I should have known better.......

Within one mile of home I came across nose to tail traffic- it was well stacked all the way to the chain ferry. Not content to block up the roads the cars and vans seemed determined to make certain that a man on a bike would have major problems in passing them by swinging to one side of the road and then the other in what appeared to be a deliberate attempt to slow my progress even more than they already had.

I arrived at the ferry (eventually) and I should have bailed out of my ride at that point. But no-like the fool that I am I bought my ticket and crossed over to the Studland side of Poole harbour.

Off of the ferry and what did I find? More traffic. Cars parked both sides of the road (access to the beaches) cars trying to squeeze in tiny gaps to park - more cars trying to get past on their way towards Studland village Corfe and Swanage. A couple of miles along the road and everything ground to a halt again while cars coming from the opposite direction were trying to find places to park etc..etc..etc I seemed to spend all of my time in and out of the cleats-stop start-stop start.

I'd had enough!

I saw a shady tree set back from the road in a pleasant grassy area. I leaned my bike against the tree sat down on the grass and had a nice doze for over an hour.

On my return trip the traffic was almost as bad-never again! The Dorset coast on a bright very warm August day is not a good place to go for a cycle ride if you want to avoid traffic.

I should have known better....!