advice please - Planning a round IOW boys trip

[mattman]

I've been 'volunteered' to arrange this years cycle 'event'. After doing a few years of L2B and similar charity rides we want to try our own route and have decided that a route around the IOW would be a good starter.

So calling on the PH knowledge for advice/suggestions of routes, places to visit, stay etc - we are thinking of doing it over a weekend with a stay on the Saturday night. There are 5 of us with skills/stamina ranging from not a lot to daily fitness freak!

This is not a race, its a social thing for us - some have road bikes, others mountain bikes and a couple of Hybrids so recommendations on best suited equipment for the terrain would also help

Thanks in advance

[il sole]

the IoW is great for bikes...i've ridden around it a few times and traffic is light and some of the roads very quiet. There are some nice challenging hills especially in the south in and around Ventnor and at the end of the military road coming up to Freshwater. I can't advise on accommodation as I only ever day trip there, but I would recommend a clockwise route ending up in west wight as it's quieter, more rural and more picturesque. the main resorts of sandown, ryde and shanklin aren't that nice...

[GarryDK]

they have the island completely sign posted for the "loop" both clock wise and anti clockwise. The loop is 100km and is easily do able in a day. I really like Cowes itself some good pubs, never stayed on the island though, living only a ferry away so never needed to.

The sign




Personally I found the clockwise route better. the south of the island Military road is great fun.

Edit to say, that route above is the randonnee route which is held every year, its all road bar 1 mile stretch that goes on a old railway line. Hybrids and road bikes would be preferable but it would be do-able on a mountain bike.

There are lots of MTB routes around the island, but they are more inland.

Edited by GarryDK on Monday 12th January 14:04

[curtisl]

il sole said:

the IoW is great for bikes...i've ridden around it a few times and traffic is light and some of the roads very quiet. There are some nice challenging hills especially in the south in and around Ventnor and at the end of the military road coming up to Freshwater. I can't advise on accommodation as I only ever day trip there, but I would recommend a clockwise route ending up in west wight as it's quieter, more rural and more picturesque. the main resorts of sandown, ryde and shanklin aren't that nice...

I have been a couple of times, once stayed in shanklin and cycled teh east part and then stayed in Freshwater and done a bit of thwe West side and what Il Sole said is spot on. It's a great [place to ride and i'm planning on returning this year to do the full lap and bits in the middle that i have missed. When I stayed in Shanklin, it was hard going as the hills up to and out of Ventnor, which is the next town heading clockwise are the most challenging I have faced on the Island so you may want to stay elsewhere but the town itself is nice I thought.

As for the route, it is pretty well sign posted anyway, with bluwe costal route signs up for you to follow. I have heard that the off road routes are pretty decent too but I have only sampled the roads.

I'm sure you will all have a good trip. You may also want to think about finding a place to park up on the mainland and heading over on the ferry as a foot passenger as a cost saver.

[il sole]

curtisl said:

You may also want to think about finding a place to park up on the mainland and heading over on the ferry as a foot passenger as a cost saver.

this is a top tip!! the ferries are ridiculously overpriced!!

[mattman]

Thanks for the advice - we're going to do the loop (clockwise) in May. Taking the top to park at portsmouth and go over as foot passengers comes in at £88 for 5 people return

should be fun - better get the bike out of the garage and pump the tyres up now to get some practice in!

[Craivold]

Did this exact sort of thing last summer - stayed overnight on the Saturday in Ventnor (the climb out of Ventnor after brekkie had a couple of the lads in trouble!), we had a mixed group of riders ability wise. One on a CX, one on a hybrid and two of us on MTBs. Our route was 99% road but I had some real fun on the Tennyson AONB on the nobblies - a nice decent over rolling grass tracks there. We headed anti-clockwise from Cowes and I think the biggest mistake was not thinking about where we'd stop for lunch on the first day. In typical man style we just thought somewhere would be open in Freshwater at about 3pm in mid summer.... But alas the hotel there had shut their kitchen till the evening and we had to make do with a few pints, peanuts and some crisps.... Ventnor was ok as a place to stay, a few pubs/restaurants and a lovely cafe on the esplanade for brekkie in the morning. For quaint pubs Shanklin looked like the better bet for an overnight stay but we only passed through there fleetingly.

Here's the routes on strava;

https://www.strava.com/activities/181823899
https://www.strava.com/activities/181823870

Planning to do the island a few times this year, this time on a road bike

[scubadude]

IOW is great cycling, I did this- http://www.ukcyclingevents.co.uk/events/wiggle-wig... in 2013 and it was a fantastic day out.

[DeuxCentCinq]

Why not do the Randonnee then? Closed roads in some areas, and loads of cyclists all doing it with you.

[Raven Flyer]

We stayed at Warners, just outside Yarmouth. It's meant for old people but they were fine with our mixed age group staying (ages 22-55).

It was very cheap, included all food (which was good), had a good/cheap bar and was only a 5 minute walk from the pubs in Yarmouth. You could cycle from Yarmouth ferry with your luggage, if you didn't want to take cars on the ferry.

It's on the circular route but is also a good base as it offers plenty of shorter options for morning or afternoon only rides.

IoW is a great place to ride.