This is the sustrans route but made a little better starting and finishing in Ryde.
We stayed overnight in Portsmouth and made a trip of it, taking the Wightlink ferry 9.15 there and 5.45 back.
Here is the route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52082528 hugely recommended.
The Calon Cafe: (call to book) https://maps.app.goo.gl/nhTn4rz3EGNi6hQp6
The Hot Box Bakery for breakfast in Bembridge: https://maps.app.goo.gl/K3dU5FYdtwZKbFov6
Audio rights:
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I’ve always wanted to do the aisle of white rand but haven’t managed to time it right so far. So I decided to do it by myself by driving from Worersha to Portsmouth, catching a ferry, riding the route and driving home. I asked cycling friends if they wanted to come along and we decided to stay overnight in Portsmouth after the ride. I wanted to do the sustrans route or the rand route, but I would also modify it for the best experience. It’s already pretty lumpy. If I could avoid hills, I would. And if there was somewhere which was nicer to ride, that would also be included. I also looked at heat maps to see where the locals ride and followed local knowledge if possible. The end result was more or less the Sustrans Rand route, but a bit easier and nicer in my opinion. [Music] We got the Portsmouth to ride ferry and started the loop there. Instead of going out onto the main roads, this route stays along the flat coastline until Sea View, a pretty village on the northeast of the island, where it climbs gently up and then down around Benbridge Harbor. Another little rise up into Benbridge for some breakfast at the brilliant Hot Box Bakery and then over an undulating quiet road until an actual designated quiet lane out of Ybridge. After a few gentle rises, you start climbing up above Ventnob without really realizing it. You take a sharp right onto the cliff road and get a great view of the English Channel. You get a fun, long, steady descent to Nitton where you start the Black Gang climb. Like most clones on this route, it never gets steep and rewards easy pacing. The descent through Chale and past Black Gang Chine is thrilling, but take care not to miss the right turn to take you off Military Road and back in land. Here you’re transported to Flanders with flat farmland and windy open spaces. Nothing goes up or down much and very soon you’re at the perfect place for a lunch stop, the Kalon Cafe in Bri. Excellent quality food exactly halfway through the ride. Then it’s a bit of up and down to go back onto Military Road and the two climbs that look much worse than they actually are. Again, steady pacing is rewarded and they’re quickly dispatched, ready for a spectacular descent and view of Freshwater Bay. [Music] Coming out of the resort like freshwater here is where we significantly deviated from the rand route and chose the flat gravel freshwater to Yarmmouth cycle path instead of more hills. This was a welcome distraction, but some members of the group were less than happy about stones hitting their expensive carbon frames. As we get off the cycle path on the north side of the island, we turn east and lightly now have a tailwind. So, some flat and fast roads to get to the National Trust village of New Town. We now start to undulate a little again as we near cows, but still nothing gets very steep or long. We descend into Gernard and turn into a sudden hill that begins very steep, but soon rolls off. A quick sprint out of the saddle at the bottom is in order here. Now the route goes around the busy coastline of cows and onto the high street. There are two sections of the high street that are pedestrianized. And even though there are no specific no cycling signs, the signs say pedestrian zone. Straight after the second pedestrianized high street section, we have the chain ferry, a floating bridge over the river Medina that’s 1 pound50 for foot and bike passengers and it’s fine for contactless payments. Another pleasingly gentle climb out of cows and through some housing estates to a busy road through Wooden Bridge and then Fishborn. Here we deviate again from the usual routes and take a bridal way near the ferry port to avoid the busy main road which leads us all the way in on pleasingly quiet cycle paths back to ride. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] Heat. Hey, Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music]