The beautiful Isle of Wight, set in the silver Solent, is a mere 147 square miles in area. This, however, does not prevent our fine island from being home to more than 200 miles of cycle routes catering to all ages and fitness levels! Much like our lauded walkers’ paradise, the cyclist will also find great happiness exploring the Isle of Wight. But with so many routes and options to choose from, how should you get started.
The first important piece of advice is where to get good, reliable bikes. If you’re not bringing your own from home, we can recommend a vendor in Cowes, Top Gear Vehicle Rentals, to provide cycles.
The second thing to think about is the route you will take. We suggest taking a look at a website like Cycle-Route to see what’s on offer, and plan in advance where you might go. This page will offer information on distance, time required and difficulty of the ride. Two popular choices with visitors are the Ryde Circuit and the Isle of Wight Challenge. The former, a 13-mile route that should take just over an hour, explores both coastal and inland areas and is perfect for a family planning to pack a lot of different activities into one day. The Isle of Wight Challenge route is a much more daunting 65 miles taking a route around the whole coastline of the island. It will take around 6 hours to complete, with a mixture of street and road riding. The south of the island is a little hillier, but the only big consideration should be the distance, since most of the terrain is very accessible. Big enthusiasts should also keep an eye on the Cycling Festival, which is usually held in September, but is still to be confirmed in 2016.
Bike riding is an excellent cardiovascular exercise that has lower strain/stress on the body that many others can. It’s a fun and efficient way to increase fitness, and can add a little adrenalin to your sightseeing on the Isle of Wight! Why not make Whitecliff Bay your base of cycling operations this year by booking a stay with us 2016.