Is anyone doing/has done the IOW Sportive on 2/12

Gazspurs

Is anyone doing or have done the Isle of Wight Sportive which takes place on the 2nd December.

This is one I am yet to do but thinking about entering as I'd imagine you'd get some decent views around the island.

I'm no racer but can keep up, just wondering how serious other people take this as its a bit more of an effort to enter with the ferry trip etc than other sportive's, dont want to be left behind by club teams, I.e, would like the element of fun to be there.

Any course knowledge, hills etc

I'll be doing this on my own as mates have found various excuses not to join in but would like to get a final one in before the year is out.

jameses

I haven't done that particular sportive, but in general there's a pretty wide range of standards on that sort of ride, so you're unlikely to be left starggling at the back.
Assuming it follows the 'round the island' sustrans route, it's a pretty nice ride. There's nothing too steep, although there are a couple of climbs along the way - I remember the section between Cowes and Ryde being a bit on the lumpy side, although that may just be because I started/finished the loop in Ryde, so was right at the end and hurt a little bit more than if it had been at the beginning! There are a couple of good climbs around Sandown/Shanklin/Ventnor, not sure if they're on the actual 'round the island' route or not (I took a couple of diversions when I rode it over the summer). The only stretch that may give you some trouble is Military road if there's a headwind, as it's really exposed. Great fun with a tailwind, though 8)

smidsy

The roads on the island are terrible (surface condition) so make sure you have some decent/robust wheels and good pad in your bibs.

Watch out for the craters (sorry potholes) - there are some monsters.

I go over every December for the wifes family xmas shite and have never once considered taking my bike - bloody awful place to cycle round I would say - driving standards over there are attrocious too.

jameses

I would agree about the drivers over there! Didn't think the roads were particularly bad, though. Not any worse than typical north hampshire, and certainly better than those around Cardiff. Maybe the round the island route deliberately follows some of the better roads?

aw1808

I rode it last year and going to doit this year too , it's a lumpy course with a few little steep climbs . It's exposed in places and generally windy but a great ride.

tiredofwhiners

I guess road conditions are all relative. I did about a third of the route last year a couple of times while on holiday and while there are rough bits in places, there's nothing I would have taken any extra precautions with. certainly, living near the Hampshire/Surrey border, the roads on the IoW were an improvement on the grey stripy things they call roads around here.

Gazspurs

Cheers guys! Being from Basingstoke way I'd say I'm pretty well trained to avoid the holes! some of them around the lanes near me are a complete joke, they'd course a car damage let alone my bike!

I think I will do this then, have one last health blast through November before the drinking & food that December always brings

Pumpkin Positive

smidsy wrote:

The roads on the island are terrible (surface condition) so make sure you have some decent/robust wheels and good pad in your bibs.

Watch out for the craters (sorry potholes) - there are some monsters.

I go over every December for the wifes family xmas shite and have never once considered taking my bike - bloody awful place to cycle round I would say - driving standards over there are attrocious too.

It's not that bad!

I did the summer version of this event and they'd closed off part of the course because a tree had come down and the crappy weather that they'd had the day before had washed debris onto the road and had left some flooding. But if the road surfaces were particularly bad I don't remember it.

The climbs are not too bad but I do remember thinking that it was a tougher ride than I was expecting. But the views are great - particulalry on 'the back of the Wight' - the section along the coast road from the south of the Island to the Needles.

I'm tempted to do it again in December.

elderone

theres a cpl of vids on utube from last years event or wiggle event not sure if there the same event,