Isle of Wight
weekend, 18th May 2013
Another great weekend on the Isle of Wight. Matt and I decided
to ride a bit further this time and we were joined by Steve and Denise to give
us moral support. Unfortunately
y Foz couldn’t be with us as he was having to work, keeping London safe.
Upon arrival, the first job was to visit Rosemary Vineyard to purchase the
necessary liquid moral support!
We managed to ride 80
miles on Saturday and it was fantastic! The
weather forecast wasn’t looking very good
for the weekend but unusually it
was completely wrong... We had glorious sunshine with a mostly light Westerly wind.
We set off from Ryde and took the usual route through
Bembridge, avoiding the designated round
the island cycle route that takes you along a residential road with speed humps. This proves the route was designed by a non cyclist. We then passed Bembridge International Airport and through Sandown then along the sunny
sea front promenade to Shanklin. We then had the long climb of about a mile into Ventnor, up Cowleaze
Hill, which is quite a cheeky rise in elevation. As a result of our training,
this testing hill appears to be getting easier, which bodes well for the 15,000 feet total climb over the Pyrenees (we hope).
We continued round and got to our
favourite car park at Blackgang Chine where the Ice Cream van sells amazing
homemade ice-cream from nearby Chale Farm.
When Matt ordered I said ‘I’ll
get these’ to which Matt said ‘ OK, if your paying, I’ll have a large one - and
a Flake’.
Matt
and I after his ‘large’ Ice Cream
Whilst sitting looking at the amazing
view over West Wight, a couple, Wayne and Stephanie, came over and we started talking bikes and
about the Lejog. Wayne had completed the
Lejog in 2008 and his 15 year old son was one of the riders, a brilliant achievement.
Suitably refreshed, we set off
along the Military Road, still with the words ‘We won’t go mad and keep the
ride steady’, ringing in my ears, we averaged about 24 mph for the next 5 miles
with a slight headwind – it was fantastic!
We eventually slowed down to a ‘steady’
pace and stopped at Gossips Cafe in Yarmouth for a big pot of tea and a bit
of grub. I recommend this place as the food is great and you won’t have to re-mortgage your
home to pay for it.
We set off again and we were amazed how cold it felt and it
took a couple of steepish hills to get warm again and by the time we got to
Gurnard we were boiling hot!
On into Cowes and
we took a sharp right just before the Chain Link
Ferry and joined the designated cycle track, which old railway track bed
without the sleepers and rails, to Newport . We then stayed with the cycle path
all the way to Sandown. It was great to ride for 10 miles without traffic but
it would be even better if they put tarmac down for the whole length.
From Sandown, we returned to Ryde via Bembridge along the
quiet roads, bathed in sunshine all the way . Sitting in the garden with a
large cup of tea and dark chocolate digestives (2 each only) had the desired medicinal effect and we were
ready to ride another 80 miles...
Peter 19th May 2013
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