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This is a lovely short break for cyclists who want an attractive sightseeing tour, with a mixture of town and country. Almost half the island has been designated as an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Distances are fairly short giving you time to stop and explore. The route is undulating and there are a few hills but nothing particularly difficult. The holiday starts in the old seaside town of Ryde - the largest town on the island. Hire bikes are collected and the ride starts on mixed surfaces passing the interesting brick built Quarr Abbey and past Osborne House and Cowes, famous for its regattas. After the beaches of the north, the route tracks inland on fast roads through some attractive forest and farmlands and the estuary around Newport to the old town of Yarmouth. The route then cuts the busy western end of the island off by taking a cycle path following an old railway line to Freshwater Bay. You do have the option to take a diversion to ascend to the Needles Park for some splendid views. In good weather follow the Tennyson Trail to Brighstone and onto the ship wreck capital of the island - Chale. There is a final mix of hills around Bembridge Down, passing inland to visit attractive villages and a unique windmill and harbour before the last coastal stretch back into Ryde.
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12kg of CO2-e PP per day
(47kg of CO2-e PP entire trip)
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Day 1
Arrive Ryde
Ideally, take the train to Portsmouth and then the ferry or hovercraft (world's last year-round passenger service hovercraft!) over to the island. Ryde is a typical seaside town, take your time to explore and maybe try traditional fish 'n' chips on the promenade. Accommodation: The Dorset Hotel is situated close to restaurants, cafes and pubs and easy access to the beach and bike rental shop NB: You can collect your bike Mon-Wed & Fri: 9am - 12pm and 1pm - 6pm. Saturday collections are between 9am and 12 midday only. If starting your trip on a Wednesday or Saturday, please note you will have to pick up your bike on your arrival day, there is an extra charge for this (see below). You can return your bike any day of the week. Please take into account shop opening times for your bike collection.
Meals: Nil
Day 2
Ryde to Yarmouth 39km / 24.25 miles
A great first day's ride takes you from the busy suburbs of Ryde and Cowes, to the beach resort of Gurnard and then through the pastoral elegance inland, winding through Newtown and some beautiful small villages before rolling into Yarmouth, a pretty, historic seaside town. On the way, the big attraction is Queen Victoria’s Osborne House. This is a big site, so you will need to watch your time if you visit. There is also Quarr Abbey, St. Mildred's Church in Whippingham, and Cowes. Newtown was the original capital of the island, which was attacked by the French in 1377 and never recovered. The old townhall dates back to the 1690's and is now in the care of the National Trust along with much of the surrounding land. Finally, you push into the old town of Yarmouth with its small pier and castle as well as the attractive square, independent shops, cafes and church. Accommodation: tonight's accommodation is at Bugle Inn, a historic 16th-century establishment located in the heart of Yarmouth's market square on the Isle of Wight.
Meals: B
Day 3
Yarmouth to Chale (via The Needles) 38 km / 23.6 miles
A cycle ride full of beauty with some hills, including an optional couple of steep hairpins up to the New Battery at The Needles Park. From here you can go no further and have great views of the teeth-like stacks (The Needles) jutting out of the headland. It is not such a hard climb, and if you don’t want to cycle up, you could even walk or get the bus from the Alum Bay car park. Freshwater Bay then has a couple of attractions including a thatched church, then there is the (optional) chalky downland ride up and over the grassy downs called ‘The Tennyson Trail,’ this can also be bypassed if you don’t feel like it. The second half of the day is a bit easier with fast country roads, narrow winding lanes and pretty villages such as Brighstone, with some thatched cottages. Finally, returning nearer to the coast, you arrive at the village of Chale underneath St. Catherine’s Down with its medieval lighthouse, the oratory tower. Chale Bay was at one time known as the Bay of Death; sixty ships were lost here between 1746 and 1808. Nearby are the Wealdon Beds which have yielded fossilised remains of dinosaurs. Accommodation: The Wight Mouse Inn is peacefully located with impressive views over the white cliffs from its big pub garden, explaining why this is such a popular place with locals and visitors alike. Rooms are spacious and en-suite with tea & coffee making facilities.
Day 4
Chale to Ryde 42km / 26 miles
The final day is an interesting hilly mix of downs cycling and coastal stretches towards the end of the day. The route avoids the big tourist resorts of Ventnor, Shanklin and Sandown, opting for attractive hilly inland riding until you reach Bembridge. Here you pass around the estuarine harbour and there are a couple of venues for enjoying fresh crab or lobster. Then you are pedalling inland around pretty St. Helens with its harbour and attractive village green, before reaching the coast road at Seaview. The last few kilometres are a relaxing roll into Ryde along the coastal road, before climbing back into town to deliver your bike to the shop and return to your overnight accommodation.
Day 5
End of tour
After breakfast make your way to the pier to catch your return ferry to the mainland.
What's included
What's not included
The hotels described are our usual accommodation, however if these are not available then alternatives are used. Rooms generally do not have baths, the main reason being that they take up a lot of space. Some hotels/guesthouses may have a separate room in the house where a bath is available to guests, but in the main it is showers. Note that for the dates of your tour we may not be able to get you into the accommodation described. We will endeavour to get you into a similar standard of accommodation nearby, but please appreciate that there is limited accommodation in rural England. Also, although we aim to get you into accommodations with ensuite rooms, this is not always possible. At a couple of places on your tour you may be sharing bathrooms, particularly if you are in a single room.
Bike hire is included in the trip cost. You will receive a 24 speed hybrid bicycle. You will also be provided with a lock, puncture repair kit, pump and spare inner tube. The bikes have a rack (but no panniers) and a bottle holder, you will need to bring your own panniers if you would like to use one. While helmets can be provided, we recommend you bring your own well-fitted helmet from home.
You can upgrade your bike hire from a 24-speed hybrid bike to an e-bike (additional fee). Please request this at the time of booking and as early as possible as there is a limited supply of electric bikes. You will also be provided with a lock, puncture repair kit, pump and spare inner tube. The bikes have a rack (but no panniers) and a bottle holder, you will need to bring your own panniers if you would like to use one. While helmets can be provided, we recommend you bring your own well-fitted helmet from home. *Please note that by UK law, you can ride an electric bike if you’re 14 or over.
This trip involves cycling between 4-5 hours per day. You will need a good level of fitness and be in good health. *Please note that by UK law, you can ride an electric bike if you’re 14 or over.
Per Person, Twin Share
If you are a foot passenger travelling to Ryde from Portsmouth and/or if you have travelled by train to Portsmouth harbour, then this feeds directly onto the Isle of Wight ferry. Please note though that once you've arrived in Ryde, you have quite a long walk with your bag off the pier. Alternatively, you can take the hovercraft via a connecting bus from Portsmouth and Southsea station. This unusual form of travel takes you directly to the beach in Ryde and where your first hotel is located. This is the world's only year-round passenger hovercraft service and makes for a fantastic experience.
This cycling holiday on the Isle of Wight doesn't completely stick to the coast. We have designed the cycle route in such a way that you will stay on quieter routes around the island and at times you will cycle inland to get a full experience of the island. This includes sections passing private estates such as Osbourne House - where you will have time to visit.
The Isle of Wight is of course modern, but in many ways the infrastructure dates back and a lot of the set-up is from another era. This gives the feeling that the British isle has a slower, quieter pace of life than on the mainland UK. There is always also the island mentality!
Bike hire is included on this trip and helmets are also provided if wanted. We would recommend for reasons of preferential size and hygiene that you bring your own. Wearing a helmet is not a legal requirement in the UK but more people are wearing them. If you are not wearing a helmet and have an accident, your insurance company may tend to take a dim view as they may try to get out of paying for accidents, however they may have been caused.
Basic stuff for changing tyres etc. is included with your hire bike, but it could be worth bringing with you a reasonable bike multi tool that you know.
Although the bikes come with lighting and even if you do not intend to cycle during the evenings, we recommend bringing some simple led lights with you. Low fogs during the day are quite common at any time of the year and you may want to cycle to/from the hotel and a restaurant in the evening.
Yes it is possible to upgrade your standard bicycle hire to an electric bike on this cycling holiday on the Isle of Wight. The fee for this is mentioned in the Departure Dates section on this page. Please request this with us as early as possible as there is a limited supply of e-bikes.
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
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