Dorset gravel riding is very different to riding in the New Forest.
The trails are muddier, the distances are greater, and once you’re out, you’re committed. This ride had everything Dorset is known for in winter — slippery leaf mulch, deep mud, farm tracks, old railway paths, and long stretches where you simply keep turning the pedals and accept the conditions.
It wasn’t about speed or heroics.
It was about choosing the right gear, managing traction, and getting on with it — because in the UK, if you didn’t ride in weather like this, you wouldn’t ride at all.
This wasn’t a short spin:
60 miles
1,781 ft of climbing
Nearly 6 hours elapsed time
It wasn’t about speed or heroics – It was about gear choice, traction, pacing, and accepting the conditions — because in the UK, if you didn’t ride in weather like this, you wouldn’t ride at all.
Dorset sludge hits the legs far harder than the New Forest, and this ride shows why.
This is real-world UK gravel riding — muddy, imperfect, and still absolutely worth doing.
Bike: Giant Revolt ALLUX
🚴♂️ Active Retirement – Ride. REST. Refuel. Repeat.
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Gear We Use and Recommend:
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Ride Stats provided by @wahoofitness app…
Strava:
https://www.strava.com/athletes/31550629
https://www.strava.com/athletes/31550485
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11 Comments
In this video:
Contrast Dorset vs New Forest, Poor prep, Weather lies, Mud reality, Accepted mindset “shut up and get on with it”, Local knowledge, Repeated routes and a bit of History
Stem suspension…
1:50 – this why I've not been out this week.
The state of those tracks I would use my hard tail mtb as your gravel bike is taking a lot of punishment. I have a separate road bike so I don’t mix the two.
@9:44 the blue jacket. Yuck. I know mudguards are not trendy and there are practical arguments against them off-road but still…
I seem to say this beneath all your videos – but that looked great fun! 60 miles is good going too given the conditions and so on. Glad the back wheel held up ok, I think you said it's actually a cheap road wheel set, so it's seen some action and can be forgiven for having a minor tantrum!
Something else I always find myself saying – great ride! 👍
Obligations eh..😵💫
I hope Mrs Wheeler didn’t hear the comment about being obnoxious 😮
Oh dear that’s your wheel bearings wet
You're right, grit is better than staying home, seeing some blue sky out the window in the afternoon and wishing you'd gone out. Viva 2x.
As a roadie/graveller returning to Wimborne/Ferndown area, after 15 years abroad, I'd love to know where the coffee stop you mentioned was and also if you could put a link to the ride from Strava. So many of these places look familiar but I can't quite link them up in mind or on the road. Cheers.