Wight here, Wight now!

[Cathryn]

Day 1. Marlborough to Salisbury. 30 miles.

In my head, in my dreams, it would be a lovely spring tour with my husband and son! We’d spin along under blue skies and blossom-laden trees, admiring the newborn lambs, drinking coffee outside cafes and would come back fit, lithe and with the beginning of this summer’s freckles.

So how come I found myself standing in some trees by the side of the road with my back to a violent rainstorm, getting wetter by the second?

It turns out, we chose an absolutely rubbish week of weather for our trip and it’s made me very grateful we only planned 30-mile days this week! By four miles, we were soaked and getting blown all over the roads by the 30mph gusts. I’d planned an off-road route but we switched to the quiet country lanes we know well. We ended up diverting to my parents’ house, about 18 miles in, where we were fed, watered (with tea) and our damp clothes went in the tumble dryer!

We lingered too long in their sunny, warm conservatory so by the time we left, clouds were scudding back towards us. The final 13 miles were windy and wet, with short showers keeping us damp! We were too windswept to swoop by Salisbury cathedral but instead dashed straight to our fancy premier inn! Hot showers perked us up, as did a McDonald’s! It felt churlish not to let a 13 year old have a Maccy D’s, after 30 miles of wet, windy cycling!

 

[Cathryn]

Day 2. Salisbury to the Isle of Wight. 30 miles.

My Dad joined us for the traditional demolishing of a Premier Inn breakfast buffet and we were off by 9am, trying to make the most of a dry morning before what was likely to be a wet afternoon. The first half of the morning’s ride was beautiful as we spun along quiet lanes, the verges green again after winter! It was a bit of a rollercoaster with some very steep little climbs but we were happy enough! And before too long, we crossed into Hampshire and entered the New Forest!

The roads were buffeted with sidewinds so weren’t the nicest, but before long we veered off onto the gravelly forest tracks, which was much nicer, and eventually we rolled into Lyndhurst for lunch at the fantastic Woods Cyclery, a bike shop and cafe! They very kindly fitted Pog’s bike in for some work to the brakes, they weren’t as sharp as we would like for our only child! We ate fantastic sandwiches and cake as we waited for the work to be done!

The final 10 miles would, once again, be racing the rain! Initially we did well, speeding along the gravel road trails. But as the rain hit, our trail become a hike-a-bike path, almost impossible to walk, let alone ride! We diverted into a nature reserve and spent a miserable half hour crawling through mud in the rain until we found ourselves back on blessed tarmac! I navigated us back onto the planned route and we whizzed gratefully into Lymington for the ferry!

We were wet and cold when we got onboard so we spent the short crossing getting into dry clothes and drinking tea! Yarmouth arrived under grey skies, wind and spitting rain. Our hotel was close to the ferry port so soon enough we were warm, showered and clean. The bad weather set in, so we spent the whole night hunkered down in our room, devouring a room picnic whilst watching TV and reading!

Tomorrow, the plan is to cycle to Sandown. However the forecast is abysmal with dangerous winds from lunchtime onwards. Our plan is to leave at the crack of dawn so we can be done by the time the winds get bad! That’s the plan anyway!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

It’ll be memorable this week, with tales of the wet one for many years

 

[13 rider]

As the cap says "Hell Yeah" . Strange how the worst days can become the most memorable. Stay safe in the winds

 

[Gwylan]

Well done.
Our children, now in their 40s, recall our extended cycling trips. Not always with the wistful nostalgia that I have for them.

 

[Cathryn]

Day 3. Yarmouth to Sandown. 31 miles

I was very nervous about today. The forecast was grim with very strong winds and gusts of up to 53 mph. Headwinds we can handle but I was worried about my son being swept around by sidewinds. So, we decided to leave really early with the hope of getting done by midday when the storm really kicked in.

Getting a 13 year old out cycling by 7am wasn’t easy but we did it, cruising through the breezy, empty town. The first ten miles were delightful - the roads on the island are amazing, smooth and with no potholes! We whizzed along and found ourselves in Cowes by just gone 8am. As the rain shower hit, we were ensconced in a cafe getting breakfast!

Leaving Cowes, I was excited to cycle over the ‘Floating Bridge’. It turned out to be a chain ferry! Unexpected fun! We then rolled across the island enjoying a lovely stretch of bike path from Fishbourne into Ryde.

The wind was getting up so we didn’t linger. Instead, we pressed on. The route was a rollercoaster of hills and, with wind deafening me, it got quite stressful giving directions to the boys behind me. I was shouting as loud as I could, they couldn’t hear me. It was a bit tense for a while!! But eventually we rolled into Sandown at about midday. The headwind coming up the esplanade was crazy!

We were too early to check into the premier inn so we changed into dry clothes, did some laundry and got lunch (and ice-cream). Sandown is not the nicest of towns, it’s pretty run-down but we are warm and dry and there’s mini-golf on the pier for later! The storm was quite remarkable in the afternoon with strong winds and battering rain so we are very glad of our early start!

 

[Cathryn]

Day 4. Sandown to Hordle, Hampshire. 34 miles.

Finally a day of bright sunshine but we paid for it in hills and headwind! It started easily as we cruised along the sea for a mile or so and then the rollercoaster began. We rose and fell up and down steep slopes as we headed south and then west into the wind! Just east of Blackgang Chine, we slogged up a long steady climb which genuinely merited a Col sign at the top!

From there, we cycled onto the Military Road, the main coastal road along the the south of the island! The wind was quite dreadful so we were grateful when our route took us off on gentle quiet lanes past beautiful houses. This stretch was blessedly flattish for a while and a really pretty, enjoyable stretch.

Alas it didn’t last and we were back on Military Road for three more miles and they were brutal miles! The headwind doubled up as a sidewind that was so gusty I was worried I’d do an Alaphilippe and crash over! In addition, there were two really big climbs that wound its way up the hillside. It was grim cycling today and I was very grateful to get to the top and collapse at the top! Not much fun!

The worst was done though. We dropped into Freshwater Bay, enjoyed the lovely gravel path back to Yarmouth and sat happily down in a cafe for lunch to celebrate our circumnavigation of the island! Being honest, it was much harder than we’d anticipated!

We got the ferry back to Lymington and then quickly cycled the 5 miles to Hordle and tonight’s Premier Inn! We are all quite tired. Except Pog. He’s never tired!

 

[Gwylan]

Have you met any banjo players yet?

 

[Ian H]

It's sounds like it might take a day or two before the rosy glow sets in.
You remind me of taking youth club kids on a 3-day cycle tour from Salisbury, across the Isle of Wight and back to Salisbury, back in the 1980s. I don't remember what the weather was like, so it must have been benign.

 

[T4tomo]

Have you been putting the alpaca poo in the boys shoes, he's grown frigging enormous since your last tour photo's.

I suggested to my OH we did the circuit of the IoW route as a day ride. After driving around for a weekend she decided it was far too hilly (we did drive over brading downs a couple of times which didn't help)!

Very good effort with strong winds.

 

[Softlips]

Have you been putting the alpaca poo in the boys shoes, he's grown frigging enormous since your last tour photo's.

I suggested to my OH we did the circuit of the IoW route as a day ride. After driving around for a weekend she decided it was far too hilly (we did drive over brading downs a couple of times which didn't help)!

Very good effort with strong winds.

We regularly ride the IoW route in a day (usually add the Needles in too). Some great places to stop for lunch and a pint!

 

[Cathryn]

Day 5. Hordle to Durrington. 43 miles

Today was not much fun. In fact, both the husband and I independently decided it might be our least fun day on the bike ever. There was torrential rain as we left the premier inn and headed north through the New Forest. Our route veered onto trails at time, they varied between decent gravel and sodden grass. Progress was slow. Spirits were low. We ended up leaving the planned route for a while and sticking to roads, which was marginally better.

After 13 miles, we stopped outside a mediocre bakery and ended up lingering a while. I changed some clothes for dry things, which cheered me up, and we ate hot food and drank hot drinks, which recharged us somewhat. On we pressed, the rain was now drizzle, but the fords were often flooded with fast-flowing water and we had to resort to the footbridge. Pog then got a puncture, we fixed it quickly and then enjoyed a decent stretch of flat, quiet lanes!

In Fordingbridge, the boys parked themselves on pavement and changes socks and shoes. I had to rub four smelly giant man-feet back from the brink of frostbite apparently. Warm feet and dry gloves lifted spirits momentarily but then things went metaphorically downhill. Our route became a gravel trail became sloppy, slippy single-track and frankly, we resorted to hike-a-bike. Progress was painfully slow. The husband was in a bit of a dark place for a while.

We ended up joining the fast, busy A338 on their merciful bike path until Nunton and then we gratefully cruised into Salisbury on quiet lanes. We’d been moving for 6 hours and had only done 30 miles!

We recovered in Cafe Nero for a while and then crawled the final ten miles north to my parents. We were so very grateful to be there.

It had NOT been a fun day.

 

[Gwylan]

Day 5. Hordle to Durrington. 43 miles

Today was not much fun. In fact, both the husband and I independently decided it might be our least fun day on the bike ever. There was torrential rain as we left the premier inn and headed north through the New Forest. Our route veered onto trails at time, they varied between decent gravel and sodden grass. Progress was slow. Spirits were low. We ended up leaving the planned route for a while and sticking to roads, which was marginally better.

After 13 miles, we stopped outside a mediocre bakery and ended up lingering a while. I changed some clothes for dry things, which cheered me up, and we ate hot food and drank hot drinks, which recharged us somewhat. On we pressed, the rain was now drizzle, but the fords were often flooded with fast-flowing water and we had to resort to the footbridge. Pog then got a puncture, we fixed it quickly and then enjoyed a decent stretch of flat, quiet lanes!

In Fordingbridge, the boys parked themselves on pavement and changes socks and shoes. I had to rub four smelly giant man-feet back from the brink of frostbite apparently. Warm feet and dry gloves lifted spirits momentarily but then things went metaphorically downhill. Our route became a gravel trail became sloppy, slippy single-track and frankly, we resorted to hike-a-bike. Progress was painfully slow. The husband was in a bit of a dark place for a while.

We ended up joining the fast, busy A338 on their merciful bike path until Nunton and then we gratefully cruised into Salisbury on quiet lanes. We’d been moving for 6 hours and had only done 30 miles!

We recovered in Cafe Nero for a while and then crawled the final ten miles north to my parents. We were so very grateful to be there.

It had NOT been a fun day.

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Oh dear. Wet and cold are not nice people to spend time with in my experience.
Well done for your perseverance.
On similar adventures leaders were always full of the "if it doesn't kill you it makes you stronger" mantras. Usually from a warm cab or via remote Comms

 

[Bollo]

Wowsers, I would have bailed on day 1! Glad you got around the island safely in the winds. The most scared I’ve ever been on a bike is the descent into Freshwater with a crosswind and not-sensible deep-section rims. Hope it doesn’t put you off a return run.

 

[Cathryn]

Day 6. Durrington to Marlborough. 18 miles

We (adults) woke up sore and tired. Pog woke up perky and eager to go. It was somewhat hard to muster up the enthusiasm to leave the parents and cycle home. But finally we did, slowly crawling up the hills and dropping down them. Our bikes are filthy, my brakes sounded like there was gravel in between the pads!

We made good time, we can’t explain yesterday’s ridiculously slow progress. But as we cycled towards a local railway bridge, we saw a small crowd. Turned out a steam train was coming by at any moment so of course we stopped to watch! Fab! After that, our momentum was low so we ended up slinking into our favourite local cafe for coffee and cake!

One last (admittedly enormous) hill. And then finally home! To the relief of the cats!!

This wasn’t quite as much fun as I’d expected when I planned the trip! This was primarily due to the weather. We like sunshine and warm weather…and we got none of that! It was a good wake up call that we need to do some training for our Italy trip this summer. My husband finally acknowledged that his 20 year old panniers, held on by bungees and prone to disconnecting at every bump will need replacing. The IOW was lovely and i’m so glad we finally visited! But it was a HARD week and I am TIRED!