Cycle the Isle of Wight - From Lymington or Southampton

Come along to the Isle of Wight for a day of cycling around the fabulous landscape that the Island has to offer, or why not make a weekend of it by joining in on A Wight Royal Weekend Hostel event.

***ANNOUNCEMENT***  The chain ferry (floating bridge) linking East and West Cowes was taken out of operation on 31 Aug 17, so anyone sailing from Southampton (to East Cowes) will need to cycle to Newport to meet up (specific details to be notified). Please contact the event leader if you intend to arrive at East Cowes for this event.

It is intended to offer two route options for this event (subject to numbers) – one being a complete loop around the Island (approximately 66 miles) with the other being a shortened version of approximately 50 miles and led by Michael M.  Provisional details of the route maps can be observed from the pictures. The longer route is likely to be at a slightly faster pace and a little more challenging than the shorter option.  Both routes will be clockwise around the Island and will involve hills (some quite steep at times), so be prepared for a challenging but potentially very rewarding and enjoyable day of cycling. Starting from either the Hostel or Yarmouth, we will all meet up in West Cowes, after which the groups will split. Both groups head south towards Newport, with the shorter route continuining south and the longer route then heading off in an easterly direction. It is anticipated that both groups will meet up again at Freshwater Bay or Alum Bay (the Needles).

There will be a series of stops along both routes for refreshments and to take in the views, but it will be necessary to maintain a brisk pace to ensure we cover the distance(s) in good time whilst allowing for any potential problems along the way.  Please help by being adequately prepared for the distance, with a suitable and well maintained bike (preferably a road bike), appropriate gear/clothing and plenty to eat/drink to maintain energy/hydration levels.  You will need pretty good personal fitness for this event, however the day is intended to be an outing rather than an endurance test and we will stop for slower riders to catch up whilst going faster in between stops to allow others to develop their technique and fitness.  Drop-out will be possible by cutting the route short and tracking back to the start point on your own (you’ll probably need a map or some other way of navigating).  As the route will be on road you should be familiar with the highway code as applied to cyclists.

Cycle Hire option available from Yarmouth - Refer to the 'Cycle Hire' section below for details.

Picture 4: IoW Ferry by Andrew Skudder.  Licensed for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license with no changes made.