England : Isle of Wight IoW Randonnee: Is there a long wait for the Cowes floating bridge?

[lazybloke]

Am hoping the CC collective can give some advice as per the subject; it will be my first experience of the IoW Randonnee and I'm trying to estimate my ETA at each checkpoint.

I know what to expect (hills etc) because I've done some night rides on the island, but I've never been to Cowes. It strikes me that a couple of thousand cyclists descending on the floating bridge could cause queues and delays.

If I allow an hour for this delay, does that sound sufficient?

Really looking forward to riding the island in daylight - and hopefully sunshine . Sounds like a fabulous day out.

 

[Ajax Bay]

https://www.sportive.com/events/isle-of-wight-randonnee/2022-05-01/5735/cycling
https://www.cycleisland.co.uk/
The route is clockwise so would have thought the field will spread out after 106km when they get back to Cowes (West).
The event remains free to enter with 2500 places available for 2022.

 

[siadwell]

When I did it a few years ago... yes, there were a lot of cyclists trying to get on. I felt a bit sorry for the car drivers as the cyclists surrounded them and got on first.

 

[lazybloke]

https://www.sportive.com/events/isle-of-wight-randonnee/2022-05-01/5735/cycling
https://www.cycleisland.co.uk/
The route is clockwise so would have thought the field will spread out after 100km when they get back to Cowes (West).
The event remains free to enter with 2500 places available for 2022.

Hoping that's the case. I'll be going fairly gently and won't reach Cowes until 4pm or later; I should think a lot of riders will have come and gone by then.

The 2500 places have all gone - I got one of the last just over a week ago. Nothing stopping people riding without a place, of course..

 

[BurningLegs]

There is always the option to ride around it - they did that a few years ago when it was closed for maintenance. If there are a lot of people waiting then it won't add much time either!

 

[lazybloke]

There is always the option to ride around it - they did that a few years ago when it was closed for maintenance. If there are a lot of people waiting then it won't add much time either!

That's sort of what I was trying to gauge, but i'm struggling to imagine being so tight for time I'd consider riding around.
Far more civilised to wait in the queue, with an ice cream.

Although if anyone is really obsessed with bridge queues, there is the floating bridge Webcam !!!

 

[T4tomo]

You wouldn't have to ride the "whole" way round, assuming the control is wootton bridge its like and extra 5 miles ish via Newport than straight from East Cowes

 

[lazybloke]

Wightlink have released more tickets on the early crossings from Portsmouth. so I've amended my booking
I can now have a more relaxed day and not worry about delays on the randonnee route.
Cheaper tickets, too.

[updated for clarity]

 

[cougie uk]

Oh that's confusing. Your floating bridge is a chain ferry. Just like on Windermere and other places.

I was hoping for a big floaty bridge going up and down in the waves. 😁

 

[lazybloke]

Oh that's confusing. Your floating bridge is a chain ferry. Just like on Windermere and other places.

I was hoping for a big floaty bridge going up and down in the waves. 😁

Oops yes, v confusing.
I meant I'd earlier an arrival on the island, so will not have to worry about any delays on the route, eg at Cowes.

 

[Shadow]

Look forward to reading your report here afterwards. Including thoughts on day vs night rides.
Have a super ride. Although your wish for lots of sun looks optimistic.

 

[lazybloke]

Randonnee 2022 ride report; 100km clockwise, non-gravel route

According to various blogs the island is famed for quaint thatched cottages, tiny lanes winding through bucolic landscapes and impressive sea views. I had seen these only in very limited fashion on my two previous rides round the island, both being completed at night (shout-out to @StuAff for his "night ride around the coast"). I wasn't really sure what to expect from a daytime ride, or from the route that didn't entirely match Stu's.

Sunday morning arrived, and I'd be doing the ride on my Tod. I was sitting on the ferry and staring at the daily Wordle when another solo cyclist, Tim, sat opposite. We got chatting and decided to ride the randonnee together. At Fishbourne it was an easy wiggle over the A3054 and onto the route, with a quick stop at Kite Hill Caravan park to register, and to snag the first checkpoint in the eBrevet app.

Tim and I were well matched on our bikes and we continued east on roads crowded with cyclists. We passed through woodland carpeted with bluebells, their scent hanging in the air between the trees; all rather pleasant, and still dry at this point, although the cloud was thickening. Soon we approached Bembridge Harbour, our first glimpse of it from a hillside above, prompting a few Oh Wows from other riders. The island was starting to deliver.


There was light rain by Checkpoint 2 ( a mile or so after Bembridge Harbour) , but the route entered a delightful network of tiny lanes between banks of red campion and more bluebells. The route wound round farms and villages in lovely scenery. The island looked spectacular, and there were hills in every direction; in no way did this feel like a small island.

Those hills soon became to challenge my legs, but it was worth the burn when we emerged on a hillside high above Ventnor with views south across a flat sea. The rain stopped in time for the 3rd stop, and we sat in a field with a couple of hundred other cyclists to eat lunch.

The next checkpoint wasn't until Yarmouth, but first we had the descent to Whitwell/Niton. The rain started again and this descent was now wet, and greasy after weeks of dry weather. Some caution was needed, and oh boy it was cold.
The Blackgang climb was fine on fresh legs, but the descent to Chale had shades of winter temperatures; my hands were feeling numb in fingerless gloves. I was glad of winter bib-tights, whilst Tim was complaining about his choice of shorts.


Thankfully the route turned island for a few miles here, and immediately the lanes felt more sheltered from the cold sea breezes. The roads here were gravelly, wet, and slick with mud from farm vehicles, so a little slow and mucky. Light rain showers passed occasionally. Back onto the coast road we stopped a couple of times to enjoy the views, especially from the clifftop above Compton Bay.

The wind off the sea was slightly alarming for the descent to Freshwater Bay, but was behind as we turned North. We'd promised ourselves a cafe stop at Yarmouth so were soon having hot cups of tea. The rain had mostly stopped by now, roads were drying out, and as we headed for Thorley we noticed traffic levels were also dropping away.

There were more hills as we turned northeast towards the top of the island, the route seems unnecessarily twisty here, but eventually a line a beach huts identified Gurnard Bay; the northernmost tip of the island.

The seafront from Gurnard to Cowes was deserted - barely a cyclist or a car, so there was no problem catching the next chain ferry across the Medina. It can take 120 cyclists at a time, but was little more than half full, and only a single car joined us. Cowes was not a busy place.


Over to East Cowes, and the 5th checkpoint; the app congratulated us on completing the Randonnee!
Just the last bit back to the ferry, so we climbed the long hill out of East Cowes, past a string of roads and businesses with Victorian-era name-sakes, then past Osbourne House itself and down to Wootton. One last climb of Kite Hill and into the ferry port.

The staff waved us onto the back of a laden ferry, not even wanting to look at our tickets - probably just as well, since we were booked on later crossings.

By the time we sat down with our coffees, the ropes had been cast off, and we were on our way back to the mainland. We were both buzzing with a sense of achievement; the Garmins did their uploads, messages and photos were sent to loved ones, Tim analysed his power data, and I returned to my wordle puzzle. Ride done!


Stats:
Circa 9 and a half hours to do 67 miles, including circa 2 hours stationary at stops. Nearly 4,700 feet of climbing.
Not a massive climb, not a massive distance, not a fast speed, but I struggled with some of the climbs. I blame lingering Covid symptoms, but the truth is probably just a lack of fitness and maybe I need an easier gear.


Verdict:
The scenery was great, and the views rewarding, it feels a job well done. And there's a bit of a holiday vibe from taking the ferries to/from the island. What's not to like? Well, the hills were a bit much. A friend and his daughter have said they want to join me next year - so I'll probably do it again. Fingers crossed for brighter weather.

@Shadow - The Randonnee route is a lovely network of roads but adds a whole load of hills. I prefer Stu's less-meandering route from the Sept 2020 ride - particularly his way through Yaverland/Sandown/Shanklin/Wroxall. I'll have a think and post some more thoughts in a day or two.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Great report/account. Glad the Island delivered. There is a 200 Permanent from Lymington which does 100km round the island (from Yarmouth) and then, on the mainland, another 100 round the picturesque New Forest. I have a brevet for it which I aim to ride this summer.

 

[ColinJ]

Yes, that makes the island sound well worth a visit - it is not somewhere that I had ever considered going to before!

Doing the New Forest as well sounds good.

Maybe one day...

 

[BurningLegs]

Nice write up there @lazybloke

I completed the ride on Sunday, in the company of @Whorty and @Peter Salt - thanks for joining me guys Peter and I also did just under 100KM around the New Forest on Saturday, too.

We took the 10AM ferry from Southampton to Cowes on Sunday, and were surprised to see so few bikes on the ferry. I'd estimate approx 10 in total?! When I've done this ride before there have been floods of bikes on the car decks! I knew they'd limited "tickets" to 2500 and the weather wasn't ideal, but I definitely expected more bikes on the outbound ferry.

Once we landed on the island and started the ride we immediately joined a steady stream of cyclists, and on passing the first checkpoint there were plenty milling around there. Throughout the day we were rarely out of the company of other cyclists, as groups came and went with our pacing and choice of stops. As the day went on we seemed to be riding into more and more groups, so perhaps everyone had started earlier than us to try and avoid the worst of the rain.

We started the ride in light rain/drizzle, and it never seemed to get particularly heavy but after a while the roads were quite wet and in places treacherous. We saw one crash where a young guy came down on a greasy descent. He got himself up quickly and seemed shaken but not visibly injured. Quite a bit of muck on the back lanes, and spray from wheels (my own apparently being the worst of the day - sorry about that @Whorty )

The highlights for me were military road (as always - what a lovely double climb), and the continually changing scenery. Lots of coastal views but also rolling hills, chocolate box villages, farmland, and even some gravel paths through woodland.

We were aiming for a moving average of 25kph and in the end did it with a moving average of 24.3kph ferry to ferry which we were pleased with considering some walking around at checkpoints, then queuing and travelling on the chain ferry. It was also pretty cold by the end, and the final 20km or so could have been quicker, but the cold had really bitten.

Chips and a mocha on the ferry home went down a storm in a warm seating area!

Left to right that's @Whorty , @Peter Salt and myself

Peter and I also did a ride around the New Forest from Hythe on the Saturday in beautiful weather - clear sunshine but not hot, so ideal conditions. Peter isn't local so it was nice to show him some unique areas of the New Forest including Lepe beach, Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, and plenty of ponies!

If the weather on the island had been similar to the weather in the New Forest the day before I'd have taken quite a few pictures, I think! As it was, it was very grey and not particularly inspiring for a photo (but still enjoyable to look at).