e2e.bike

Cycling adventures across Britain and beyond

Menu
  • End to Ends
    • Britain
    • Ireland
    • France
    • Spain
    • Portugal
    • Belgium
    • Netherlands
    • Luxembourg
    • Austria
    • Switzerland
    • Denmark
    • Czechia
    • Slovakia
    • Poland
    • Latvia
    • Cuba
    • Sri Lanka
    • Taiwan
    • Isle of Man
    • Faroes
    • Liechtenstein
  • Coast to Coasts
  • Yorkshire Ridings
  • Others
  • Writings
Menu
← PreviousNext →

Isle of Wight 1: Round the Island

Posted on 5 August 202230 August 2022 by Rob Ainsley

The round-the-island cycle route is the keynote bike ride of the diamond-shaped island off the south coast. And it is indeed a gem. Because it’s got many faces. And it’s hard. It’s sixty-odd miles of ups and down giving some splendid views and scenery along the way, but it also misses a trick or two if you ask me. Which they obviously didn’t.

Planks constant: Ryde Pier

I arrived on the fast cat ferry from Portsmouth and camped at a farm site outside Ryde. It’s the IoW’s largest town, famous for its historic wooden-planked pier out to the ferry terminal. It’s just a shame there are no puns on, say, popular song titles about the expensive ticket there.

Signs for the Round Island Route

The route is pretty well signed, with two patterns. Blue bikes on a white island denote anti-clockwise; white bikes on a blue island clockwise. This is easy to remember with the mnemonic BBOWIACWBOBIC.

Floating ideas: Cowes ferry-cum-bridge thing

I did the route anti-clockwise, to benefit from the prevailing westerlies for the long eastward stretch across the south coast of the island. Another ferry – well, the ‘floating bridge’ – got me across the River Medina in boaty town Cowes, another place name that sadly has little potential for amusing puns.

A rising tide lifts all boats: Shalfleet, north of Cowes

Sunny lanes cut inland, past the historic Old Town Hall in Newtown, which was relatively new (it replaced an older one) but still quite old, though not as new as it looks. Confused by this, I rook the rather rubbly railtrail from Yarmouth went down towards Freshwater. From there the standard route heads east, but I wanted to see the iconic view of the island: the Needles.

Not Great, but pretty good: Railtrail at Yarmouth old station

The chalky stacks can be well viewed by bike. From the tourist honeypot of Alum Bay, a road ambles up west from the car park along the headland. Just over the top is a discreet sign pointing to a viewpoint, achieved by a short steppy section which I hiked my bike along for the featured image of this post.

Colourful journey: Road from Alum Bay up to the Needles
Dentists look away now: The Needles from the viewpoint

Progress had been slow, and the detour to see the Needles had added an hour to the trip, but I could now cash in on the tailwind which scooted me east past the beach at Freshwater, and along pleasant, quiet back lanes with that off-Britain island feel, like Jersey.

Thatcher’s legacy: Church at Freshwater
Fangs for the memory: Freshwater beach

In Alverstone I stopped at a house invitingly offering free fruit and veg. The occupier – Richard, a cyclist – spotted my tourer, and came out to talk bikes. He was full of excellent advice about places to ride and to avoid on the island, and supplied me with apples from his tree and a water-bottle top-up. Cheers, Richard!

Help yourself

On Richard’s encouragement I therefore side-stepped again from the round-island route and took the lane up to the top of Culver Down, with beautiful views out to the sparkling blue Channel and chalk-white ships. I also acted on his recommendation to have a pint at the curiously isolated hilltop pub there.

Not bad to accompany your drink: View from Culver Down

The round-island route threads its way along the east coast, past some houseboats and along the expansive village green of St Helens, and then follows minor roads back towards Cowes, and right past my campsite.

I noticed it also went close to Ryde Wetherspoon; it was tempting to detour again and have a pint as reward after a long hot day, but of course I didn’t. That would have been silly.

I had two.

Previous
←   Otterburn Ranges: Remote possibilities
Next
Isle of Wight 2: Red Squirrel Trail →

You are here

e2e.bike > Other > Route research > Isle of Wight 1: Round the Island

Recent Posts

  • Czechia 9: Frýdek-Místek to Třinec 22 May 2025
  • Czechia 8: Olomouc to Frýdek-Místek 21 May 2025
  • Czechia 7: Brno to Olomouc 20 May 2025

Random Posts

  • Cuba 9: Bayamo to Guiámaro7 April 2015
    A big-mileage day today, thanks to yesterday’s rest day, flat smooth empty …
  • Britain 19: Aviemore to Invergordon23 June 1997
    A dreary morning haul through yet more freezing cold rain and gusty …
  • (Switzerland 4: Interlaken–Grosse Scheidegg–Interlaken)23 June 2024
    No progress on our End to End today, by design: we’re staying …

Search e2e.bike

Find me

        
Facebook • Twitter • Linked In • Email
© 2025 e2e.bike | Powered by Minimalist Blog WordPress Theme