IOW Randonee 2010 Sunday 2nd May

[Dave Davenport]

[/QUOTE]

That's Mrs D, back row on the right and you can just see the back of my head infront of the Sotonia guy on the right.

 

[Bollo]

The Red Funnel vehicle ferry from Southampton..... Cafeteria & food onboard is remniscent of a 1970's motorway service station, but the prices are very reasonable, especially as they have a captive audience. I used to travel over to IOW quite regularly, as had business in East Cowes - always had fry-up breakfast.

By the way - anyone thinking of driving down to ferry .... Parking at that end of Southampton is horrendously expensive. Train would be better bet and Station to Ferry is only a mile and flat.

...bearing in mind last year's lack of trains. An alternative is to park at Southampton Common, a mile or two from the ferry. It's free (or it was last time I was there) and there'll be enough space early on. Plot your route to the ferry though, because it's not particularly straight-forward.

 

[Headgardener]

I'm going to try and get there to, not certain what time though yet. Need to put some more miles in my legs first.

 

[automatic_jon]

Ooh, I may indeed be tempted by that, I'll have to work up to it though 60odd miles sounds like a long way when you say it out loud. It'd be nice to have something to train for actually.
Ferry from Portsmouth and cardiac arrest by Bembridge methinks.

 

[StuAff]

Ooh, I may indeed be tempted by that, I'll have to work up to it though 60odd miles sounds like a long way when you say it out loud. It'd be nice to have something to train for actually.
Ferry from Portsmouth and cardiac arrest by Bembridge methinks.

You'll be fine. No need to hammer, and if you do, plenty of opportunities to stop, admire the view, get your breath back, and enjoy the splendid catering of the PTAs (hope whoever did the bread pudding at Bembridge in '08 makes some more this time!). Anyway, the north-east bit's one of the easier sections. Not easy, just easier....Having said that, going round anticlockwise in October on the Viner, Blackgang was frankly easy- it's all the little short-but-steep climbs that really hurt.

 

[Paulus]

I'll be there again, 12th time this year. I get the ferry from Portsmouth and ride up to the kite hill campsite checkpoint for a 9.00 start. I have pre registered the last couple of years, it save a bit of time at the start. See the link on their website.

http://www.cycleisland.co.uk/index.php?page=details&PHPSESSID=93faec75d906c4d0a1bee840a8c023e0

 

[PpPete]

Just been on Red Funnel (Southampton-Cowes) website to look at cost.
No sign of price for bike, only car & foot passengers; so called them up.
Very very nice man on the phone..... "just book as foot passenger - we don't charge to carry cycles"

I'm thinking 08:00 ferry, perfect for 09:00 am start from E Cowes, although chances are there will hundreds thinking the same?

 

[StuAff]

Just been on Red Funnel (Southampton-Cowes) website to look at cost.
No sign of price for bike, only car & foot passengers; so called them up.
Very very nice man on the phone..... "just book as foot passenger - we don't charge to carry cycles"

I'm thinking 08:00 ferry, perfect for 09:00 am start from E Cowes, although chances are there will hundreds thinking the same?

Yup, it's the same from Pompey- most seem to go for the 0800. No charge for bikes either on the car ferry or the cat (for those that don't mind Ryde Pier and the detour).

 

[ufkacbln]

Something satisfying about taking over the ferry, almost like a critical mass.

.. and unlike Cowes the guys on the WighLink are very bike friendly.

 

[Headgardener]

Right I have pre-registered for this event so I hope the weather is good on the day. I plan to catch the 0800 Redfunnel ferry from Southampton so the next job is to see what time the Hythe ferry leaves Hythe and gets in to Southampton on a Sunday.

 

[srw]

Yup, it's the same from Pompey- most seem to go for the 0800. No charge for bikes either on the car ferry or the cat (for those that don't mind Ryde Pier and the detour).

Will tandems be the same? We're thinking of a three-day excursion, staying over at a hotel in Portsmouth.

 

[StuAff]

As far as I know, no problems with tandems. Trikes get on just fine, as multiple owners will confirm I'm sure, so I can't see why a tandem wouldn't.

 

[Riverman]

Something satisfying about taking over the ferry, almost like a critical mass.

.. and unlike Cowes the guys on the WighLink are very bike friendly.

Tis one of the most expensive stretches of water to cross in the world though. Feels a lot less satisfying when you realise that. :/

 

[Riverman]

£13.40 return is scandalous to be honest. People use this ferry as a work commute.

 

[redjedi]

Tis one of the most expensive stretches of water to cross in the world though. Feels a lot less satisfying when you realise that. :/

£11.70 return on Wightlink doesn't seem overly expensive, especially compared to train tickets.

Wightlink are doing a special offer as well 2-1 on foot passengers. Not sure it would work if you've got a bike, but as there's no option for a bike on their website then I don't see why not.
I would imagine that they will soon put a stop to it though when hundreds of cyclists turn up on the Sunday.