Hello,

What type of riding is to be expected on the Isle of Wight – and is there enough to warrant spending a day there?

Long slog XC/Twisty and Tight Singletrack/Drops and big hits/Jumps and doubles [Delete as appropriate]

For the Southampton locals, is the riding comparable to Lordswood type trails? (Minus the jumps…)

Cheers

An enduro trail with some jumpy bits:
http://www.isleofwightmountainbikecentre.co.uk/trails.html

also all the stuff rode in IOW was nothing like LW. Mostly bridle way with a couple of wooded bits

Nice riding on the IOW – think more South Downs / Purbecks than Lordswood 😉

Pretty hilly but great xc biking with lots of convenient little pubs for on route refreshments….!

Cheverton farm is good fun. Theres plenty of big riding (think SDW) plus theres some nice woody singletrack in Brighstone Forest.
If you’re coming over in a car head for brighstone area.
If you’re taking the ferry get the one from Lymington to Yarmouth and go exploring.
It really depends what type of riding you’re looking for. Theres plenty of riding for a week.

There are 100s of miles of bridleways, singletrack, and sneaky trails. Local guys have build various trails in the Brighstone and Parkhurst Forests, but most public access woods will see some sort of trails in there. The IoW MTB centre is quite fledgling but is a hoot. There’s even a downhill section just been added called ‘Uncle Buck’s Hill’. My only caveat is that the trails are largely clay and chalk based, (no rock), so when it gets wet it gets very greasy. But just pick up an OS map a make up your own trails 🙂

ohh arr, interesting link cheers.

Check the OS map for the Tennyson Trail and any trails that link to that. So proper big hills on that though 😆

Ah sounds good, cheers all. Haven’t considered where we will come from but a ferry from Lymmo is always an option. I imagine cheaper than a ferry from Soton with the van.

We’re mostly after singletrack/trail center type stuff rather than bridleways, but wouldnt say no to some pub-punctuated-XC.

Personally I’m not the leave-the-ground type but my mate loves a double or two so might aim for the trail center then shoot off for some woodlands… cheers all.

Doing a club ride over there in a couple of weeks, from Lymington / Yarmouth. Will be based around the Tennyson Trail looping around Chillerton Down, Carisbrook & Brighstone Forest with a quick play at Cheverton Farm. Good mix of bridleway, big hills and views, and woody singletrack.

Throw in a ride out from Southampton to Lymington & back across the NF for a proper day out.

Personally I’m not the leave-the-ground type but my mate loves a double or two so might aim for the trail center then shoot off for some woodlands

Cheverton (Chevy Chase) isnt exactly trail centre, just a run down the hill in some trees between fields. Some good work by the locals, but you’ll be disappointed if you expect Lordswood-on-Sea

I live in portsmouth but have never explored the IoW…Is there a club over there I could meet up with for a few rides to get my bearings? I would love to show my local club around there some time and take the tandem over.

Extremists (funny name for a cycling club!)

Their website hasn’t been updated since 2005 40mpg! 🙁

Extremists club is defunct sadly. Regular rides still going at noon Saturdays (various start points). Also 9.30 Sundays from Bikeshed shop at Merstone.

Or https://www.facebook.com/groups/15973246075/

oops! 😳

Cheverton (Chevy Chase) isnt exactly trail centre, just a run down the hill in some trees between fields. Some good work by the locals, but you’ll be disappointed if you expect Lordswood-on-Sea

Ah really, thats a shame.

I love the trails at LW but they’re very short – gotta be thankful it’s about 10 min drive from my house I guess.

Extremists still has a round the island route on it.

Don’t know LW, but the island has some great stuff mixed in with some very average stuff – probably more ‘Long slog XC’ than trail centre.

Best bridleways are around the south and west of the island. Jen and Jo did a nice loop here: http://singletrackworld.com/trailguide/uk/south-east/the-isle-of-wight/

Brightstone also has a lot of particularly pleasant cheek in it, including a reasonable amount of singletrack and off-piste. There’s several locals that frequent this forum that’d probably show you round what they know, myself included (altho I am a reasonably new overner, so still rooting out the best spots). Pop a thread up putting together a ride with dates etc.

Its a bit of a cheekyfest over here, but its pretty empty on most paths that are worth riding.
Im based in Ryde so if anyone is after a ride over here you’re more than welcome to get in touch.
PMJ actually means I’ll be showing him some new stuff tomorrow night! 😉

^ BigYinn and PMJ, keep me posted if you’re putting a ride together and I’ll join you, work permitting.

To the OP, plenty to keep you occupied for a day over here. There are bits and bobs that are similar to Lordswood in some of the forests and woods and loads of steep techy bridleway and cheeky coastal path riding. You have to join up the good bits with some road/XC slog though, like anywhere else.

A few of us do a group ride on a Saturday from midday, starting at various points round the island.

If there’s a specific weekend you’re coming over, let me know and I’ll pass on the details. email in profile.

Sounds good, cheers all. Will have to formulate the plan then will be in touch…!

smc’d, im taking pmj on a local ride in ryde tomorrow early eve if you’re available?

No can do tomorrow evening BigYinn, the joys of shift work. 😕

Maybe next time.

Cheers dave for the info, Its probably a bit far for me to ride over, do a group ride then ride home. I’ll perhaps post up on the forums asking if anyone wants to do one from Ryde area in the future though or just get fitter 🙂

tom, im in Ryde if you fancy a tour at some point?

YGM hopefully bigyinn.