So, this one came from left field. The guy I run with at lunchtimes, Andy (Yorkshireman!) had been to the Isle of wight cycling before and he proposed this trip. We work with Ian as well (Geordie, but still a lovely bloke!) and he's a big cyclist so when we him invited him he was well up for it.
I was up at 04:15 :-( put the newly acquired and expensive bike rack on the Honda and drove off down to Ian's in Hitchen, Andy arrived minutes later. Once all packed up with three bikes on the rack we were away fighting through the traffic of the M25 (even at 06:30 it ain't good!) and heading down to Lymington. Once there we got the bikes off the car and got ready. We boarded as foot passengers (with bikes, obviuosly) and left the car on the mainland. After a smooth 35 minute ferry ride we were on the Isle and in Freshwater. We rode on the road for a short while before hiitng a bridleway and climbing to the top of the main ridge on the island. From there, the views were awesome. We know cos we had a long time to look as I punctured near the top of the climb (only hill I was n't first to the top of, nerh, nerh, ne, nerh, nerh !!) and sat on the ridge changing the tube. Then again because too busy talking, I managed to nip the tube between the tyre and fork :-(
Once we got going again down a big chalky hill it became clear that Ian is a superb descender. After nearly coming a cropper trying to keep up with him, then easing off and nearly coming cropper again I slowed down quite a lot for the sake of safety. On saying that peddling very slowly up the next hill I managed an off!! Front tyre hits stone or bump of some kind and shoots out to the left whilst I go off bike onto right hip, ouch (falls: David 1, Andy 0, Ian 0).
The day was more straightforward after that. The morning was good riding on the chalk downs with nice views but overcast. We rode past the north of Shorwell and then hit the road from Billingham down to Chale, were we lunched on ale, nuts, crisps and lasange (veggie curry for Andy) at the pub (The Wight Mouse, get it? Hilarious eh?). At which point, the sun decided to show it's face and stayed out pretty much all day. We left the pub and did a loop to the north east of Blackgang before picking up the ridge again and heading back. Andy punctured by a field that was being cut and the guy driving the harvester took great pleasure in driving right past and covering us with dust (Punctures: David 2 Andy 1 Ian 0).
We headed back along to the pint we had come up from the north but carried on east along the ridge where the views along the coast towards the Needles were brilliant in the afternoon sun. A lovely long descent through the golf course led us to the disused railway and back to the boat. A cider for me on the way over and then the long drive back. Dropped the boys off in hitchen about 9:30 pm and then got back to Kate's by 10:45, tired but very very happy. 35 miles of good, mainly off-road riding made for a good day indeed :-)
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