Group ride with Neil Escott.

7 riders started at Ower services where major road works were taking place with the entry road closed and also McDonald's. The weather was perfect at 23C with cloudy blue skies. We headed to Compton Abbas Airfield cafe for a coffee break through the New Forest.

On Sunday there was a vintage airshow, with entry tickets only to access the cafe, so an adjustment was made to stop at the next Shell garage for refreshments.

We enjoyed sweeping roads with amazing views heading to West Bay for lunch. The place was packed full of motorcycles and tourists, enjoying the clear blue skies and 27C sunshine.

After a good lunch and plenty of liquids for hydration, we headed east around Dorchester, Bere Regis to Wimborne for a coffee stop at Aunt Fanny's cafe. We arrived 15 minutes before they closed, but they were happy to serve us.

We were now on the last stage of a journey back to Ower and started encountering more traffic queues with people returning from the beach. A diversion through Emery Down, allowed us to avoid the bottleneck at Lyndhurst. 2 riders peeled off early to head home, so 5 of us ended the ride at Ower Services.

A great day was had by all, after the 183-mile ride and not a single pack of cyclists! Hot, and weary, with lots of smiles. Thanks to Nick Lee for covering the tail end.