The ever popular Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers reliability trials run over the winter months returns for another year. The series of four reliability trials offer a good test of rider condition during the off season. Each trial gets successively longer, as riders - hopefully - build up their fitness over the winter and helping them maintaining a focus in training.

The rides start from the HQ at Merley Community Centre, near the town of Wimborne, just north of Bournemouth and Poole. They mainly run along quiet country roads around the Dorset countryside or skirting into the New Forest. While not mountainous, the routes are best described as 'undulating' with a few stiff climbs. On a good day you won't find better! We could call this a sportive and charge £50, but reliability trial and a fiver are what we are about.

The club also organises three further reliability rides on the first Sundays in December (66 miles), January (75 miles) and February (100 miles)

Info for Riders

The term ‘reliability trial’ dates back to the early years of the 20th century when cycling equipment was not so reliable, road surfaces were poor, sign-posting was even worse, and mobile telephones had yet to be invented. Reliability trial riders needed to be resilient, able to navigate, capable of dealing with minor mechanical problems, and fit enough to complete the course.

While carbon bikes, phones, road signs and Garmins have made our lives a lot easier, riders need to be self-sufficient: this is not a ‘Sportive’, in the sense that there are no feed stops, marshalls or broom wagons. Riders need to be able to repair a puncture/complete minor running repairs, be able to contact someone to rescue them in  a 'worst case' scenario and to carry their own 'fuel'. Please make sure your bike is well serviced/maintained beforehand.

All participating riders will wear a helmet: no helmet, no ride. Please check the weather forecast beforehand and make sure you are suitably dressed

Refreshments are available at the HQ at Merley Community Centre, Harrier Drive, Merley, Nr Wimborne, BH21 1XE.

The rides are non-competitive and riders will ride at their own pace. However some riders will ride quicker than others and that is their choice. No group of riders is obliged to wait for another rider. While not a race riders are expected to complete the trials within a set time. For the 50 mile event this is 4 hours.

Entry is £4 online or £5 on the day. There is parking at the HQ as well as toilet facilities.

Garmin and Ride with GPS downloads of the routes are available on the Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers website, as is an 'old fashioned' written copy of the routesheet!

http://www.bjw.org.uk/reliability-trials/