Portsmouth -> Ryde + Bike?

Does anyone have any experience with taking a bike on the hovercraft, or Wightlink Cat, from Portsmouth to Ryde?

You can’t book the bike, its a first come first served job. They only carry 1 or two bikes per trip, and I’m wondering what the bike queue is likely to be.

I’m expecting bikes to be rarely carried, but just want some first hand knowledge.

Cheers

Usually they just make you lean the bike up against the abaft railings. There were more than two last time I used it, but that was a few years back…

Not sure if you can put a bike on the hovercraft, if so it would probably be in one of the outside lockers, not recommended.
The new wightlink catamarans have a decent bike rack in the back of the boat, covered and room for about ten bikes I think. It gets used a lot by commuters, especially to and from the navy dockyards.

Hovercraft don’t allow them (at least I’ve been turned away, once)
Cats do and have no problems so far.
Failing that the “normal” passenger ferry has loooooaaaaddddssssaaaa space and lock railings too. Suggest this is the best option. It may take a few mins more but it’s cheaper and whats the rush.
Car ferry takes an age and can carry pretty much as many as you can eat.

I’ve used the cat from Gun Wharf to Ryde pier several times.
never had a problem before just turning up and going, even with the Tandem.

Watch out riding down the pier if you have skinny tyres. The entire deck is wooden planking running length ways rather than across the pier and there are gaps between the planks. Very un-nerving riding down it. I end up doing a large sine wave down the pier to make sure I’m crossing the gaps for as much of the journey as possible!

Cheers guys, really useful info.

Macgyver, loving the sine wave method 🙂