Isle of Wight - how hard can it be?

ashleymp777

I'm doing a 100km ride this Saturday around the Isle of Wight with my local bike shop and would be interested to know how easy/hard the riding is over there!?

phreak

Obviously it's all relative, but my folks live there so ride around it quite often. It's reasonably lumpy but I wouldn't say it's that hard. A sub 4hr ride should be do-able.

Mad Roadie

if you have ever seen the Wiggle sportive which includes a lap of the island you would know - the stretch from Chale to Freshwater is on long almighty haul - normally into a headwind and exposed - go anti-clockwise if you can.

otherwise its good - lumpy and bumpy as someone said, so some little hills to attack

ashleymp777

Thanks guys, appreciate your comments. Soesn't sound too bad at all. Looking forward to it actually.

phreak

If you fancied, I normally do a figure of 8 type loop. I start in West Cowes, head down to Freshwater, along the military road to Ventnor, come back to Newport, head out through Ryde to Bembridge, go over the downs and back to East Cowes.

Works out at around 115km, with a few nice drags.

Monty Dog

WE do a mid-summer Fleet-Freshwater-Fleet ride which includes a lap of the Island. The stretch from Ventnor to Freshwater is the toughie as it's usually into a headwind and by the time we reach the Military Road the pace is over 40kph getting ready for the blast up the hill and the prime for the cafe! Whilst it rolls, there's nothing too fearsome to worry about.

Jay dubbleU

I've done quite a lot on the Isle of Wight - we were touring there in Septemberon folders - its a bit lumpy as someone has already said but the roads are decent and reasonably quiet - beware of the climb out of Carisbrooke towards Freshwater.