Christchurch Bicycle Club
Dorset, England 
Group leader: David Orme
saturdayoffroad@christchurchbicycleclub.org
Group coordinator: Marina Johnson
saturdayoffroad@christchurchbicycleclub.org
These off-road rides run at the same time and are separate from the Saturday Morning Social Ride.
These regular offroad rides take place every Saturday, weather and available ride-leader permitting. Club members wishing to take part need to be added to the CBC Sat Off-Road WhatsApp distribution list – contact Marina to sign up or with any queries. This is a friendly ride and no one gets left behind.
Outline details for upcoming rides are listed below. Rides/routes are subject to last minute changes or cancellation due to adverse weather and will be communicated by WhatsApp, so it is important you check for messages on the CBC Sat Off-road WhatsApp before you head out to the ride start.
The majority of rides start at Holmsley and will take place in the Burley area. A selection of rides are planned in other areas. If you need help to transport your bike to the start points, please reach out to the group via WhatsApp.
Confirmation of routes and the ride leader will be sent via the WhatsApp group at least 24 hours in advance of each ride, along with a weblink to the route via ‘komoot’ which is free to register with and from which the GPX file can be downloaded.
Starts at Holmsley car park are at 0930. There are informal meet ups at 0900 at Bashley Stores, and at 0855 at the Oak Inn, Burton (neither of which are led) for those wishing to ride together to Holmsley. See Meeting Points Information. Start times for other start locations are shown on the schedule below.
A café stop is included in all the rides. Ride distances shown don’t include distances from home start points, Burton/Bashley informal meeting points or riding home from the café (unless indicated). For most people total ride distances tend to be between 20-30 miles long. We typically reach the café late morning. IOW/Purbeck rides may finish later.
Speed is around 7-10 mph depending on terrain. You will need a mountain bike or hybrid/gravel bike with robust tyres. Please make sure you wear a helmet and you are properly equipped according to our CBC Ride Etiquette and Safety guidelines.
Saturday Off-Road Group Summer 2025 schedule
Ride leader info is rough for guidance only.
| Date/ Time | Start | Cafe | Description | Distance | Ride Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24-May 0930 | Holmsley car park, Forest Road | Sammy Miller or Orchard Lakes | Via Holmsley Passage and old railway line, through Wilverley, rejoin railway line, Sway, Tiptoe New Lane, café. Mixture of tracks | 12.7 miles | Mark |
| 31-May 0930 | Holmsley car park, Forest Road | Shappens, Burley | Through Brownhills to Wootton Bridge, Wilverley, cross A35, into Burley via Creek Bottom. Mixture of tracks. | 10.9 miles | Mark |
| 07-Jun 0930 | Brownhills car park (return by train) | Happy Cheese Pub | A nice one-way ride to Ashurst with the option to return to New Milton or beyond by train. Start at Bashley or Brownhills, the car park just before you reach the A35 heading north from Bashley. Old railway line to Brockenhurst and through the enclosures towards Beaulieu Road then Ashurst. | 17 miles | Mark |
| 14-Jun Meet 0845 for 0900 ferry | Lymington Wightlink Ferry | Chessel Café, Shalcombe | From Yarmouth out to the Needles back along the stunning scenery of Tennyson Down ridge to Freshwater then Compton Down ridge to Brighstone Forest and back north via farmland to Yarmouth. | 22.3 miles | David |
| 21-Jun 0930 | Holmsley car park, Forest Road | Shappens, Burley | CANCELLED Across A35 through Brownhills to Wootton Bridge, Wilverley Plain, Rhinefield, east back to Burley. Mixture of tracks. | 12.1 miles | Mark |
| 28-Jun 0930 | Holmsley car park, Forest Road | Shappens, Burley | Across Holmsley Passage to old railway line and to Burley via White Buck, enclosures north of Lyndhurst Road, including the ‘Faerie’ woods. | 12.4 miles | Mark/David |
| 5 July | Holmsley car park, Forest Road | Shappens Burley | Towards Burley west via old railway line, north via Castle Hill towards A31 and loop back to Burley. Mixture of forest tracks | 11 miles | David O |
| 12 July | Wootton Bridge car park | Brockenhurst | East along the old railway line, through Brockenhurst, north to Lyndhurst, south via Balmer Lawn. Mostly gravel tracks. | 19.3 miles | Mark |
| 19 July | Holmsley car park, Forest Road | Sammy Miller or Orchard Lakes | Via Holmsley Passage and old railway line, through Wilverley, rejoin railway line, Sway, Tiptoe New Lane, café. Mixture of tracks | 12.5 miles | David O |
| 26 July | Sandbanks Ferry Meet at 0945 or earlier for coffee, 1000 ferry | Corfe Castle | Meet at Sandbanks ferry for a ride across the Purbecks. | 20 miles | Mark |
| 2 Aug | Holmsley car park, Forest Road | Shappens, Burley | Through Brownhills to Wootton Bridge, Wilverley, cross A35, into Burley via Creek Bottom. Mixture of tracks. | 10.9 miles | David O |
| 9 Aug | Holmsley car park, Forest Road | Station Tearooms, Holmsley | Cross to south of A35, Brownhills, Wootton Bridge, old railway eastwards, back through Wilverley to café. Mixture of tracks. | 10.1 miles | Marina |
| 16 Aug | Smugglers car park. Location information will be sent in advance. | Hockeys, Ringwood | Nice route to the north east of Ringwood, heading up to Frogham and back via Ringwood. not too hilly! | 19 miles | Mark |
| 23 Aug | Holmsley car park, Forest Road | Shappens, Burley | Via Holmsley passage and railway through Wilverley, north across A35 into Burley via Bisterne Close. | 12.5 miles | Mark |
| 30 Aug | Waitrose, Christchurch | Ringwood | Cycling north from Christchurch, through the forest around Hurn and to Avon Valley and Ringwood then back along the Castleman trail to Ringwood then Christchurch. Slightly longer adventure but includes a stretch home on the road. | 22.6 miles | David O |
| 6 Sept | Sandbanks Ferry Meet at 0945 or earlier for coffee, 1000 ferry | Middle Beach Café, Studland | From Sandbanks ferry lovely ride over Purbecks including great scenery from the Purbeck Way ridge heading down to Old Harry Rocks and home via Studland | 16 miles | David |
| 13 Sept | NO RIDE DUE TO CBC AWAY WEEKEND | ||||
| 20 Sept | Holmsley car park, Forest Road | Shappens, Burley | Across A35 through Brownhills to Wootton Bridge, Wilverley Plain, Rhinefield, east back to Burley. Mixture of tracks. | 11.2 miles | Mark |
| 27 Sept | Holmsley car park, Forest Road | Shappens, Burley | Across Holmsley Passage to old railway line and to Burley via White Buck, enclosures north of Lyndhurst Ro ad, including the ‘Faerie’ woods. | 10.3 miles | David |