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Sat Sep 6th 2025

Isle of Wight (second attempt)	3*

Leader: Sharon Bedford	Start Time: 7:15 am	Start Location: Lymington Ferry Terminal
Description: Another attempt at our annual trip to the Isle of Wight - due to having to cancel the ride on 30/08. Unfortunately not everyone who was booked on 30/08 are able to do the revised date, so places available if you are interested. Let me know. We will plan catch the 08.00 ferry from Lymington which gets us to Yarmouth by 08.40. Please be there by 7.25am at the latest. Please book your own return ticket - £24.20 or £18 if you are over 60. Wightlink.co.uk website insists you also book a return time - so please opt for 18.05. This year we are going to deviate from the official "round the island route" to cut out the north east corner (which over recent years has become a bit of a rat run) and the chain ferry (which can be a bit of a bother). Instead we will take some dedicated cycle paths to cut across the centre of the island. I tried these out in early July and they are mostly tarmac and fine for road bikes. The new route adds c10k in distance but is c150m less climbing so should equal out. Due to the availability of cafes we will have a relatively early coffee stop at MJ's in Niton (30k) . Lunch will be at the Pedallers Cafe (where we lunched in 2024) at 72k. If we are making good time there is the option of ice cream in Cowes (90k).
Riders: Andy Pixton Chris Bailey Jan McCabe Jo Little Katherine Boyce Nicole Pethybridge Sharon Bedford Riders = 7 Report: Delaying the Isle of Wight ride by a week definitely paid off as we had a gloriously sunny late summer day. I could perhaps have ordered a tad less headwind on the Military Road, - but even this didn't distract from the fun. [Sorry to those who couldn't make the new date though]. There was the potential for a slight issue mid morning as the coffee shop in Niton has closed down - but luckily Katherine spotted there was a cake sale in the village hall - so we were able to sample fantastic home baking and support the local community at the same time. There then followed a slightly busier stretch before the sweep down into Bembridge, (after a glimpse of the windmill) followed by a few steep climbs before lunch. The Pedallers Cafe was an excellent location for a rest and we then joined the Red Squirrel Trail all the way to Cowes. The cycle paths were delightful with (mostly) a good surface and no cars! We made good progress so had time for an ice cream in Cowes - and we still made it back to Yarmouth to catch an earlier ferry than planned. Great to try out a different route this year with such a fantastic group. Makes ride leading easy when everyone is so chilled!
Distance: 115.00 km (71.46 mi)
Proposed Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/51681597"
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Start Locations: WMP
Wantage Market Place; OMH
Old Mill Hall, Grove

Categories: 1* - Suitable for irregular, social, beginner or family riders, pace will match the slower riders. Not hilly or long. Expect rides up to 3 hours. Gentle exercise.; 2* - Suitable for regular riders who prefer to cover some distance but at a more relaxed pace. Likely to be half-day rides. Solid exercise.; 3* - Suitable for experienced riders, may be hilly, long, quick, or any combination! Likely to be half or full-day rides. Challenging exercise.; 4* - Suitable for athletic riders who can ride safely above the 3* standard. Quick rides for the fit.; More Information