My friend and I have just bought road bikes and decided to set a challenge of cycling to the Isle of Wight from Watford. There are 3 ways to get over to the island.. Portsmouth, Southampton or Lymington.. I was just wondering which would be easiest/best one to cycle to (preferably not too much major road) and if you guys had any tips in general for a long ride, I think the total distance is around 90 miles.
Lymington: very affable by bike, the quietest of the three ports, but is the furthest from Watford by some margin.
Southampton: you'll need to get right through the city to get to the port, plus it's the longest crossing.
Portsmouth: is a little better served by cycle paths, or if you want you could jump on a train on the outskirts of the city and jump off it again at the end of the line where the catamaran leaves literally a stone's throw away.
So my advice would be, if you want to extend your route then Lymington, otherwise Portsmouth. Obviously they all end up at different places on the Island, too, so that may influence your choice.
I would have thought that your least pleasant roads are going to be in the first half of your ride as you go through or around Greater London and then through the more densely populated bits of Berkshire and Surrey; beyond that it's certainly possible to thread a relatively calm route with a bit of care.
Cyclists have a choice of two ferry services from Portsmouth to IOW
The Fast Cat leaves from Portsmouth Harbour Station, carries pedestrians and cyclists (space for about 12 bikes) & takes about 30 minutes to get to Ryde Pier.
The Car ferry departs from the other side of Gunwharf Quays, 5 minutes cycle ride and easy to find. Lots of space for bikes & you'll be first on and first off. Crossing to Fishbourne takes about an hour. Its about £1-£2 cheaper than the Fast Cat.
When you book your tickets you'll be asked to specify what time ferry you want. For outbound they'll only hold you to this if lots of bikes are booked on (e.g. if there is a big cycling event on the island). For the return trip they don't worry at all, just turn up and you'll be put on the next departing boat.
Vitara wrote:Cyclists have a choice of two ferry services from Portsmouth to IOW
The Fast Cat leaves from Portsmouth Harbour Station, carries pedestrians and cyclists (space for about 12 bikes) & takes about 30 minutes to get to Ryde Pier.
The Car ferry departs from the other side of Gunwharf Quays, 5 minutes cycle ride and easy to find. Lots of space for bikes & you'll be first on and first off. Crossing to Fishbourne takes about an hour. Its about £1-£2 cheaper than the Fast Cat.
When you book your tickets you'll be asked to specify what time ferry you want. For outbound they'll only hold you to this if lots of bikes are booked on (e.g. if there is a big cycling event on the island). For the return trip they don't worry at all, just turn up and you'll be put on the next departing boat.
IOW is a great place for cycling.
Thanks, I think we're going to head to Portsmouth!
I would guess you are avoiding central London so you will probably end up swinging out to Twyford, Berks. While I cannot comment on roads local to that town the path to Portsmouth is best navigated south of the M3 via the Basingstoke to Alresford road. Then on to Bishops Waltham and Fareham. Wonderful countryside. What you must try to avoid is the A339 Basingstoke to Alton road and the A32 south from Alton. Beautiful roads to ride, no doubt, but they suffer from excessive traffic speed. Its not unusual to drive along there at 50 and to be overtaken as if you were stood still. I believe the Ferry from Gosport takes bikes and that will avoid the drag through north Portsmouth.
Of course, you could go via Lymington. Extra miles but the last 20 or so are through the New Forest.
The older I get the more I’m inclined to act my shoe size, not my age.
There a two good routes to the Portsmouth ferry terminal if you have time, both distinctly pleasanter than ploughing through the middle of Portsmouth, which is pretty horrid, cycle paths or no and whichever cycle path. In both cases use a good map.
1. (The best, imho.) Head South along the river Meon, through Posbrook, all the way to where it empties out into Southampton Water. Then follow the road SE alongside Southampton Water to the Gosport ferry, which lands at the catamaran terminal (i.e. Portsmouth Harbour railway station). (Avoid accidentally getting onto the main road through Gosport: stick to the most coastal road, nearest Gilkicker Point.)
2. Head South through Havant and out onto Hayling Island via the cycleway along the old Hayling Billy railway track, and then W along the island to the ferry over to Southsea. The ride along Southsea front is quite pleasant, unlike most of Portsmouth. Do check out the ferry before committing: it has had a slightly chequered history and in any case is not particularly frequent. Yes, small though it is it does (or used to) take a limited number of bikes.
tony_s wrote:1. (The best, imho.) Head South along the river Meon, through Posbrook, all the way to where it empties out into Southampton Water. Then follow the road SE alongside Southampton Water to the Gosport ferry, which lands at the catamaran terminal (i.e. Portsmouth Harbour railway station).
From Titchfield south and then east, this is a reasonable route (and this may be what Tony means). But in case you were thinking of applying the advice to "head south along the Meon" north of the M27, my advice would be don't. That'll take you down the A32 and then Titchfield Lane, both of which are fast and busy and (IMO) best avoided. My preferred southbound route near there tends to be from Wickham via Knowle to Funtley. It gives you a short sharp climb up out of Funtley but is pretty quiet.
If you do find a good route to Basingstoke I would suggest keeping to the east of it and coming through Mapledurwell, Farleigh Wallop, Preston Candover, Alresford, Cheriton, Beauworth, Bishops Waltham, Shedfield, Titchfield, Lee on Solent and Gosport. A good compromise of quite roads and easy navigation. And spare some time for an ice cream at the Blue Dolfin at Lee on Solent. They are HUGE !
The older I get the more I’m inclined to act my shoe size, not my age.
tony_s wrote:There a two good routes to the Portsmouth ferry terminal if you have time, both distinctly pleasanter than ploughing through the middle of Portsmouth, which is pretty horrid, cycle paths or no and whichever cycle path. In both cases use a good map.
1. (The best, imho.) Head South along the river Meon, through Posbrook, all the way to where it empties out into Southampton Water. Then follow the road SE alongside Southampton Water to the Gosport ferry, which lands at the catamaran terminal (i.e. Portsmouth Harbour railway station). (Avoid accidentally getting onto the main road through Gosport: stick to the most coastal road, nearest Gilkicker Point.)
2. Head South through Havant and out onto Hayling Island via the cycleway along the old Hayling Billy railway track, and then W along the island to the ferry over to Southsea. The ride along Southsea front is quite pleasant, unlike most of Portsmouth. Do check out the ferry before committing: it has had a slightly chequered history and in any case is not particularly frequent. Yes, small though it is it does (or used to) take a limited number of bikes.
Used the route throufh havant and hayling ferry last year - room for 6 or so bikes, but only runs once an hour, and only in good weather. Timetable and info here https://www.haylingferry.net/
tony_s wrote:1. (The best, imho.) Head South along the river Meon...
From Titchfield south and then east, this is a reasonable route (and this may be what Tony means). But in case you were thinking of applying the advice to "head south along the Meon" north of the M27, my advice would be don't. That'll take you down the A32...
Tony certainly didn't mean anything involving the A32. He hates such roads. I was talking about the unclassified roads on the W side of the Meon, roads for which you certainly need something at least as good as the Landranger map. A quick glance thereat brings back to mind Mislingford, going SW, pass just W of Wickham, Cold Harbour Fm, Tapnage, under the M27, Titchfield, Meon, Hill Head, Lee on Solent, etc. How to get to Mislingford I leave as an exercise for the reader...
