Does anyone have routes to ride round the Isle of Wight? Looking to plan a two-day ride and I do remember there being something in MBR a while ago, but can’t seem to find it.

Any recommendations on what the best trails are – and where to stay after day 1?

Cheers!

Depends which ferry you go over on – I would suggest Lymington-Yarmouth.

On the OS map (if you haven’t got one I suggest you get one), there’s a cycle path following an old rail line up the estuary from Yarmouth to Freshwater. From Freshwater bay there’s a Byway that runs up the ridge of Compton Down heading East. Get on that and you can follow it to Shorewell (good pub) and from there you can get to the South East corner where all the really big hills are. There’s loads of bridleways to link up and most are well sign posted. You could stay round Niton or Ventnor B+B then carry on the following day heading back to Yarmouth via some different trails.

http://www.extremists.co.uk/randonee.html

My randonnee route is all you need for a 2 day trip. Join the Yahoo message board and there’s a full map.

Dave’s route is highly recommended, but ask him for the optional singletrack extra!

Ah yes, that bit of singletrack…..

See the words ‘Brighstone Down’? My route takes the east-west track just above it.
However the ST starts where the tumuli are (just to the south) and winds its way down to emerge by the pikeys camp at Calbourne Bottom. Actually the track used to go right over one of the tumuli but the authorities put up keep off signs.

Will have to try that singletrack when I’m in Yarmouth at 1/2 term. I’ve tried the randonee route twice but never seem to be able to follow the bridleway from Limerstone down into Shorewell. I always end up on footpaths on an estate!

I think the bridleway from Limerstone – Shorwell is confusingly marked with yellow arrows, giving it the appearance of being a footpath. But it has bridleway gates (i.e. with handles to allow horse-mounted operation).

Fantastic route though – cheers Dave!

I think I followed it Ok through 1 or 2 fields and then lost it… Are there any other must do routes near Yarmouth?

Most of the routes around Yarmouth are cheeky e.g Tennysons Monument to the Needles and Headen Warren. We wouldn’t dream of doing those…..

Must admit the Shorwell area is a bit of a problem and the BW is a zig zag route. Worse still is the one to the east across Fore Down – even the locals have trouble finding that.

Worse still is the one to the east across Fore Down

That’s the one I took first time and I ended up on a footpath in the woods near North Court as I couldn’t find a route through…

That’s the one I took first time and I ended up on a footpath in the woods near North Court as I couldn’t find a route through…

The BW is a diagonal DH across a big grass field which can be done at 40mph if the sheep aren’t in the way. After that its edge of fields stuff into Shorwell. Finding the gate at the top of that grass field is the tricky bit. From Limerstone Down viewpoint, follow the main track past the barn on the left, look for the BW gate on R after 300m. Then its a case of going diagonally DH across some lumpy grass for a few hundred metres until you see a gap of sorts in a line of small trees. Follow the fence line after that.

I build trails in Brighstone Forest.

That one dave mentioned ^ is called Berlin, we built it about 12 years ago.

There are a few trails up there, most of them I’ve built or helped build.

If I’m on the island then I’ll be glad to give a ST tour, otherwise I can do a detailed map and directions. 🙂

Thanks Dave! We sat down on the weekend and plotted your route on the OS explorer map – it looks great! Fingers crossed the weather improves…

Do you have any recommendations on where to stay in Shanklin or Sandown that is bikerfriendly?

Cheers,
S

Do you have any recommendations on where to stay in Shanklin or Sandown that is bikerfriendly?

Don’t know the hotels that well, just phone the tourist info.

Enjoy the route – you’ll be glad you did it over 2 days! The IOW is bigger and hillier than most people think.

As mike_o says, Brighstone Forest has some trails, but some fall into disuse though we stumble across new ones occasionally. There’s another decent track running parallel to the Worsley Trail (between the ‘P’ and ‘Resr’ on the above map).

Aaah THAT single track! Oh yes. Found that a few years ago, then it got obliterated by forestry work, thought it was gone for good, but it came back.
Be careful, have come across some “obstructions” down there in the past. Bloody ramblers!

Was over there a few weeks back. Tried unsuccesfully to find that piece of singletrack. Maybe next time… Had a good ride round Tennyson Down and Headon Warren though…