Dave Davenport
Guru
Well that was a very pleasant ride, warm sunshine and light winds rather than the usual cold, wind and rain. Couple of pints of Ale of Wight on the ferry and a tail wind home!
England : Isle of Wight Isle of Wight Randonnée 2013 - 5th May
- Thread starter srw
- Start date
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OP
OP
srw
It's a bit more complicated than that...
We got back to East Cowes by about 4:25 - 2 hours quicker than three years ago, and in considerably better shape. And much, much better shape than last year, where we took the short cut half-way round. Then we spent a few minutes answering questions from the bike geeks on the stand, and crawled very slowly up the hill to the B&B at the top.
The lighter tandem helped a lot, although it doesn't hold the road quite as well as the heavier one - and is not as good at smoothing out the often abysmal road surface. And I'm not quite as confident as I might be at letting the brakes work (and we're carrying quite a lot of excess weight), so some of the downhills were a little more exciting than they might have been. It's not really tandem-friendly - too twisty, the hills are too steep and there's almost no decently flat bit of road to let the legs unstretch. Is it too much to ask to find a friendlier route through the middle of Cowes? Apart from the enormous residential down and up (not enough down, too much up) it's highly ...err... technical.
One fingers-crossed moment - we got to Alverstone (?) bridge shortly after a rider from Bognor had been involved in an incident. The police were on the scene very quickly, and the ambulance siren was audible a few minutes later. The local press are reporting that he is not thought to have been seriously injured.
And a number of why did you do that? moments - some lousy road-reading, some thoughtless pulling out, and some groups stopping for a breather at the top of a hill oblivious to the fact they'd just overtaken a tandem which might want to come through...
Overall, though, a grand day out - the weather was friendly, the views spectacular, the drivers mainly accommodating, and the western end of the island is very pretty. We pottered round Osborne House this morning (appalling taste those royals had) and came home this afternoon.
Some random recollections:
The yellow tandem we overtook several times saying "we'll beat you downhill" - and they did.
The young (?8-year-old) tail we acquired going up Niton down who rolled into Yarmouth school just as we were leaving.
The loons on the fixies, including the chap dressed as a pirate (why?)
The huge variety of participants - a lot of people of both sexes just out for a good time or a challenge, as well as the speedy men in club kit brigade.
The young man on the kick-bike receding into the middle distance along with the solo bikes as we were climbing up the nasty long cliff on the first residential street in Cowes.
Being held up by cows just outside Cowes.
Wondering why the hill down to Blackgang Chine hadn't been resurfaced.
The glorious lanes leading down to the Military Road.
The Military Road ablaze with gorse.
The lighter tandem helped a lot, although it doesn't hold the road quite as well as the heavier one - and is not as good at smoothing out the often abysmal road surface. And I'm not quite as confident as I might be at letting the brakes work (and we're carrying quite a lot of excess weight), so some of the downhills were a little more exciting than they might have been. It's not really tandem-friendly - too twisty, the hills are too steep and there's almost no decently flat bit of road to let the legs unstretch. Is it too much to ask to find a friendlier route through the middle of Cowes? Apart from the enormous residential down and up (not enough down, too much up) it's highly ...err... technical.
One fingers-crossed moment - we got to Alverstone (?) bridge shortly after a rider from Bognor had been involved in an incident. The police were on the scene very quickly, and the ambulance siren was audible a few minutes later. The local press are reporting that he is not thought to have been seriously injured.
And a number of why did you do that? moments - some lousy road-reading, some thoughtless pulling out, and some groups stopping for a breather at the top of a hill oblivious to the fact they'd just overtaken a tandem which might want to come through...
Overall, though, a grand day out - the weather was friendly, the views spectacular, the drivers mainly accommodating, and the western end of the island is very pretty. We pottered round Osborne House this morning (appalling taste those royals had) and came home this afternoon.
Some random recollections:
The yellow tandem we overtook several times saying "we'll beat you downhill" - and they did.
The young (?8-year-old) tail we acquired going up Niton down who rolled into Yarmouth school just as we were leaving.
The loons on the fixies, including the chap dressed as a pirate (why?)
The huge variety of participants - a lot of people of both sexes just out for a good time or a challenge, as well as the speedy men in club kit brigade.
The young man on the kick-bike receding into the middle distance along with the solo bikes as we were climbing up the nasty long cliff on the first residential street in Cowes.
Being held up by cows just outside Cowes.
Wondering why the hill down to Blackgang Chine hadn't been resurfaced.
The glorious lanes leading down to the Military Road.
The Military Road ablaze with gorse.
Flying Dodo
It'll soon be summer
The thought that's seared into my brain was the guy doing it naked, apart from a jock strap and bag on his back. 
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
There was a picture on the Facebook page....where's the mind bleach?!!!The thought that's seared into my brain was the guy doing it naked, apart from a jock strap and bag on his back.
OP
OP
srw
It's a bit more complicated than that...
We (fortunately) missed the nudist - but I've seen the photo on their facebook page. The thong looks rather uncomfortable. R was wearing her Fridays' top until Bembridge; we bumped into Eddy* who I've met a couple of times at night coming out of the carpark at Wooton.
*I'm either going to look as if I have an impressive memory or as if I'm a complete boor.
*I'm either going to look as if I have an impressive memory or as if I'm a complete boor.
PaulRide
Always at opposition
It was a pleasure to spot the Fridays shirt coming off the chain ferry at Cowes and to have a brief chat with Adam and Rebecca (whose hat was much admired by Mrs Ride). Gears on the Pashley were fettled in an interim manner, enough to get back to the Alverstone checkpoint where we'd started. Son #2 was a real star, he's really taken to his little 650c wheeled Orbit with crazy tall stem and riser bars, and was not troubled by riding his skinny 23mm tyres over the gravelly sections. We forgot suncream. Oops. The Mankini chap arrived at Kite Hill as we were tucking into cake. Caused quite a stir.
Superb day out on the bikes, sorry to be back at work now.
Superb day out on the bikes, sorry to be back at work now.
Flying Dodo
It'll soon be summer
2441512 said:
Yes - that was me!
albal
Guru
Duly checked in at Yarmouth,(only a small queue) and by Cowes I had lost the stamp thing! didn't matter as the ride was fabulous in the SUN! had to peel arm/leg warmers 16 m in.Never thought about sunscreen at 7am in cloudy conditions. Bit burnt but well worth it.Same again next year please.
