'Cycle the Wight' - this Sunday

alansmithy

Just wondering if anyone else is doing the 'Cycle the Wight' challenge this Sunday (http://www.sunseaandcycling.com/cyclethewight.asp) - and if so, if anyone has sourced a decent map of the route? (I'm doing the 65 mile edition). All I've found so far is the 'round the island route' available here: http://www.sunseaandcycling.com/routes.asp

But cartographically, leaves a lot to the imagination (like, what roads does it follow). If it's just a printed map of this handed out at registration on Sunday morning, I'm set for an interesting day of navigation....

ricadus

I got the confirmation letter through the post today. I am going to have to work two extra long days this week so that I can take Monday off to travel back home, but yes I'm going.

Riding down there from Greenwich early-ish Saturday morning. Probably a 10 hour trip, including taking the short ferry from Lymington over to Yarmouth, so a pleasant afternoon trundling down the Test Valley from Basingstoke and across the New Forest – just so long as I leave early enough.

alansmithy

That sounds like a really pleasant route down Ricadus - the latter part of the run down to Lymington is especially good and the weather forecast doesn't seem too bad either. I'm going to start from Ryde on Sunday and I'm really looking forward to it, there's some pretty good riding to be had on the island. Have fun.

captain_oakley

I know the post is a bit late but.....

I did the ride a couple of years ago and apart from the section from Ryde to Bembridge, the route is very well signposted, just follow the Blue Round the island cycle route signs.

Beware it is not flat!! and good luck ith the Cowes ferry.



"You are a poor scientist Dr Venkman"[/quote]

alansmithy

Thanks Captain Oakley.

You're right that the route was well signposted, though there were a couple of exceptions (I think the checkpoint in Yarmouth in particular caught some people out). I decided to GPS the route and have posted the result here -->

http://freespace.virgin.net/alan.smithy/maps/wight.html
Undulating it was , but it made the ride really interesting. Good weather, ever changing scenery, great day - would recommend to anyone considering it next year

A

ricadus

I think I saw about twelve other riders the whole day. The May bank holiday version is better in that respect.

I enjoyed the weather – even the last bit along the coast road to Freshwater when the weather turned a bit "challenging" (strong headwinds blowing off the sea) – and seeing the island in early autumn colours as leaves on trees were just beginning to turn.

It was the first time I have done a clockwise route, though I have ridden anti-clockwise a couple of time. Still managed to get lost due to non-signage issues a couple of times between East Cowes and Bembridge. Odd how the visual cues seem so different when in a different sequence caused by going in the opposite direction.

The permanent signage is annoying because sometimes there wouldn't be one on a junction for the clockwise route, yet look back and there would be one pointing the other way for the opposite route, so one has to look out for signs on both sides of the road. Out in the lanes it's not such an issue, but in the suburbs on the North-east of the island they need a few more better placed route signs.

phreak

Yeah I did the ride this year as well. I think seeing other riders depended on the time you started. I set off from East Cowes around 9am and there were a decent number of riders then, not as many as the one in May but still a decent number.

The weather was nice too which helped (wind along military road excluded), I just wish they didn't insist on sending you down so many god awful country lanes.