Visiting Isle of Wight next weekend

Des49 · Post by **Des49** » 7 Feb 2015, 3:12pm

Hi,
I am attending an event in Bournemouth next Sunday 15th Feb, arriving in Portsmouth by ferry at 0630 on the Saturday.

The plan is to catch a ferry to the IOW from Portsmouth then cycle clockwise to Yarmouth, getting the ferry to Lymington (maybe 1605 or 1705 boat), then cycling onto Bournemouth where I have a B&B booked. When I am free on Sunday late afternoon I will then cycle down to Weymouth where I have a night at the Portland YHA booked.

Ferry back home to Guernsey on the Monday morning.

My main question is which is the best ferry from Portsmouth to the IOW, Ryde or Fishbourne? Is it advisable to book a ticket in advance and is space likely to run out on the Ryde service for bikes?

I notice there is a 0715 boat to Ryde but I am not sure if I will have time to get there and buy a ticket, may be feasible if my boat is on time and disembarkation is quick.

Any other advice or tips on how to get the best out of this brief visit will be gratefully received.

Thanks.

robing · Post by **robing** » 7 Feb 2015, 9:02pm

I've cycled around the Isle of Wight several times as a day trip, always by the catamaran from Portsmouth to Ryde. You don't need to book and there's always bike space even in the summer. So you won't have any problems this time of year! Also you get to cycle on Ryde pier which is fun.

Des49 · Post by **Des49** » 7 Feb 2015, 9:31pm

That's great info, thank you.

Unfortunately I won't be able to say I went all around the island, just 3/4ths of the way! Unless I find I have made such good progress I get back to Ryde then double back to Yarmouth, but that might be too ambitious.

robing · Post by **robing** » 8 Feb 2015, 5:17pm

Well you'll do the most scenic part. I would head out to Bembridge, then Shanklin, Ventnor, Niton then follow the Military Road. When you get to Freshwater you can head to Yarmouth or if you have time you could go to Alum Bay and the Needles.

Heltor Chasca · Post by **Heltor Chasca** » 8 Feb 2015, 5:41pm

[emoji102] Hope you don't mind me looking into your thread. I'm off to the IOW in May for 4 days. Can't wait...hc

sail&fish · Post by **sail&fish** » 8 Feb 2015, 6:07pm

There is a fast catamaran to Ryde and a vehicle ferry to Fishbourne further West. We have only ever booked when travelling with a vehicle. I think you can book on line. Operator is WIghtlink. http://www.wightlink.co.uk/iow/do/cycling

Des49 · Post by **Des49** » 8 Feb 2015, 7:53pm

robing wrote:Well you'll do the most scenic part. I would head out to Bembridge, then Shanklin, Ventnor, Niton then follow the Military Road. When you get to Freshwater you can head to Yarmouth or if you have time you could go to Alum Bay and the Needles.

Thanks. Yes a visit to the Needles would be good to fit in.

Des49 · Post by **Des49** » 8 Feb 2015, 8:03pm

Heltor Chasca wrote:[emoji102] Hope you don't mind me looking into your thread. I'm off to the IOW in May for 4 days. Can't wait...hc

Not that all, looking forward to it a lot myself, be good to see somewhere different.

I did visit probably well over 25 years ago, don't remember it that all. It was for a May Bank Holiday cycling event, and when you are racing you really don't appreciate or get to see much scenery.

Des49 · Post by **Des49** » 8 Feb 2015, 8:08pm

sail&fish wrote:There is a fast catamaran to Ryde and a vehicle ferry to Fishbourne further West. We have only ever booked when travelling with a vehicle. I think you can book on line. Operator is WIghtlink. http://www.wightlink.co.uk/iow/do/cycling

Thanks, I am going to try to get the ferry to Ryde, quicker. After spending 13hrs on the boat getting to Portsmouth, sleeping on the floor overnight, I think I will have had enough of slower ferries.

I will try and book online, may make the difference between getting the 0715 boat or not.

Des49 · Post by **Des49** » 20 Feb 2015, 2:27pm

Thanks to all for the tips. I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend jaunt and it all worked out well.

The ferry trip overnight to Portsmouth was pretty rough, this resulted in a late arrival and so I ended up on the 0815 boat to Ryde. I would have liked to have done a few more miles on the IOW, but the late arrival, stopping to take a few too many photos plus a bad puncture that needed the rear tyre to be patched too cut down the time a bit.

I saw a bit of the island, Ryde to Yarmouth clockwise with a couple of inland excursions. It was a bit wet and mucky, but a great place for cycling, except some atrocious roads.

Now I have to go to Bath at the end of April for a day, so will have to see if it's feasible to go by bike...

Heltor Chasca · Post by **Heltor Chasca** » 20 Feb 2015, 3:03pm

STUNNING photography! Wow!

I can't wait to go in May. Give us a shout if you want a cyclo-meet if you do go to Bath. Highly recommend a trip through the 2 Tunnels. Canal path is still pretty muddy.......hc

Des49 · Post by **Des49** » 20 Feb 2015, 4:26pm

Heltor Chasca wrote:STUNNING photography! Wow!

I can't wait to go in May. Give us a shout if you want a cyclo-meet if you do go to Bath. Highly recommend a trip through the 2 Tunnels. Canal path is still pretty muddy.......hc

Thank you.

May be well worth getting in touch about Bath in April, some local knowedge could be useful as it would be great to have a good long ride on some quiet hilly roads nearby. Not sure about muddy canal paths though, I'll most likely be on a road bike with a couple of panniers. Depends on workload etc. But can always PM you on this.

I need to be in Bath all day on Tuesday 28th April, so could cycle up from either Poole or Portsmouth a couple of days beforehand. Then a boat back from Poole Thursday morning. Need to find a good route to avoid as many A roads as possible, did enough of those last weekend going to Bournemouth then Weymouth, mostly at night.

Heltor Chasca · Post by **Heltor Chasca** » 20 Feb 2015, 9:47pm

Cripes! Proper distance then? If it's hills you want there are plenty round here. Wellow to Hinton Charterhouse is a goody so you could do a loop with the 2 Tunnels. Another one out of Batheaston which is famous but I haven't done it. Think another near Solbury Hill. I might just lag behind on my Surly DT...hc

meic · Post by **meic** » 20 Feb 2015, 10:16pm

Des49 wrote:
Heltor Chasca wrote:STUNNING photography! Wow!

I can't wait to go in May. Give us a shout if you want a cyclo-meet if you do go to Bath. Highly recommend a trip through the 2 Tunnels. Canal path is still pretty muddy.......hc

Thank you.

May be well worth getting in touch about Bath in April, some local knowedge could be useful as it would be great to have a good long ride on some quiet hilly roads nearby. Not sure about muddy canal paths though, I'll most likely be on a road bike with a couple of panniers. Depends on workload etc. But can always PM you on this.

I need to be in Bath all day on Tuesday 28th April, so could cycle up from either Poole or Portsmouth a couple of days beforehand. Then a boat back from Poole Thursday morning. Need to find a good route to avoid as many A roads as possible, did enough of those last weekend going to Bournemouth then Weymouth, mostly at night.

I have often thought about a similar journey for getting to and from the New Forest CTC camping site, especially since they built the two tunnels. I always drive the route as I have family camping to do and the A36 sometimes had cyclists on it and I thought "not for me", your post inspired me to run it through cycle.travel and it gives a reasonable looking option running near to but not on the A36. Though with my start point in Bath it didnt use the two tunnels.
It was 67miles with 800m of climbing.

Des49 · Post by **Des49** » 21 Feb 2015, 6:48pm

Heltor Chasca wrote:Cripes! Proper distance then? If it's hills you want there are plenty round here. Wellow to Hinton Charterhouse is a goody so you could do a loop with the 2 Tunnels. Another one out of Batheaston which is famous but I haven't done it. Think another near Solbury Hill. I might just lag behind on my Surly DT...hc

Thanks a few ideas there already.

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