Big Ride
Trails by rails
What are the best MTB routes you can reach without a car? Max and Russell go in search of singletrack heaven that’s accessible by train
WHERE ARE WE?
THE ISLE OF WIGHT
The Isle of Wight is England’s largest island, with 380km² of woods, heathland and chalk cliffs. www.visitisleofwight.co.uk
YOUR GUIDE
MAX DARKINS
Max loves travelling up and down the country, searching for the best routes for you to ride. He’s the man behind www.roughrideguide.co.uk
DOWNLOAD
Download the OS Maps app to ride & share this route
With this issue’s theme being rides accessible by train, we’ve got some great routes planned out for you to enjoy. First up is a rocky delight in the heart of the Peak District, starting out from Hope –a village between Sheffield and Manchester, slap-bang in the middle of England, making it accessible to many people. Next up is Aviemore in the Cairngorms, North East Scotland, just south of Inverness. While this may not appear very railway-friendly, you can hop on a sleeper train one evening, from as far away as London, and wake up the following morning some 800km north, refreshed and with the weekend ahead of you. You don’t even need to book a cabin if you’re doing it on a budget, because reclining seats are available, and when you consider it’s covering both travel and a night’s sleep, it’s a pretty affordable package.
Finally, for our Big Ride route this month we’ve gone even more travel-mad and added a ferry journey into the mix, as we venture over the Solent to the Isle of Wight. Starting in the appropriately named town of Ryde on the eastern side of the island, we ride right the way across to the westernmost point, before catching the boat back over to the mainland, and a train station in Lymington. With the Isle of Wight offering a lot more riding, should you have the time, this could also easily be made into a cracking weekend away.
TRAVELLING BY TRAIN IS WELL WORTH TRYING, AND IT’S A GREAT WAY TO OPEN UP RIDING OPPORTUNITIES AND ADVENTURES FURTHER AFIELD THAT YOU MIGHT NOT NORMALLY CONSIDER
Rail it
Britain’s train services aren’t renowned for making life easy for cyclists. That said, all of the companies operating on the National Rail network do take bicycles. They all have their own policy, which can make things somewhat confusing, plus there may be a small fee to pay and you might need to book, but travelling by train can definitely be done and is well worth trying. It’s a great way to open up riding opportunities and adventures further afield that you might not normally consider. You do need to be organised, though, and remember the rail company has the right to refuse to carry your bike if there isn’t enough room on the train or it’s likely to cause injury, inconvenience, damage or delay. It’s also worth noting that there are only spaces for two to six bicycles on some trains, so these adventures are best reserved for one or two of you. Our advice is to travel outside of peak times, make a reservation, check there are no engineering works planned and don’t travel in groups of more than two (if you’re planning on using regional services). For further information check out these sites: www.nationalrail.co.uk/passenger_services/cyclists, www.traveline.info and www.thetrainline.com/journey-planner.
Wight on time
The Isle of Wight is England’s most popular island holiday destination and also its largest, at 36km from east to west and 22km from north to south. With ferry ports at each end, regular crossings and good train access, it’s relatively easy to get to, too. Wight Link ferries run regularly from Portsmouth to Ryde and Yarmouth to Lymington, and when going as a foot/cycle passenger, it’s actually a pretty cheap way to travel.
I always feel like catching a boat provides a buzz of excitement and a sense of adventure, which is especially true today, with my accompanying bike.
After being ushered onto the ferry, the usual rush to find seats at the front ensues, but I’m happy with a leisurely stroll to get myself a coffee and enjoy it up on the deck with the smell of fresh salty air. As the mainland slowly disappears behind us and the island ahead grows, so does both excitement and trepidation for the day ahead. Landing at the town of Ryde, with its long pier – the second longest in the country (after Southend, if you’re interested!) – you feel like you’re arriving in style, cycling down this impressive structure and into the town.
OUR ROTE TAKES IN ESTUARIES, WOODLAND AND COASTLINE, WITH LOTS OF WILDLIFE-SPOTTING, INCLUDING THE RED SQUIRREL
Heading off east, along the esplanade, our adventure begins, and we soon leave behind the hustle and bustle of the crowded ferry and town, winding through the streets before popping out into the quiet, lush green countryside. We ride along the Nunwell Trail, heading further south, towards the eastern edge of the island. Climbing up to Brading Down provides views across the island – which can be quite daunting, because you can now start to see how far there is to ride, and how hilly it is.
Down on the upside
From the top of Brading Down it’s clear we’ve got a descent owed to us, so we crack on, heads down, and drop into the valley to continue our journey.
There’s a cycle path along the bottom, but our route keeps us along the flank of the hill for some more interesting riding, before eventually delivering us to the busy doorstep of Arreton Barns. This popular tourist destination is also home to a couple of good pubs, should you be in need, but we decide to continue, back off-road and heading up another hill.
Bearing south soon sees us cross the cycle path at the bottom of the valley, part of an excellent network on the island that link many of the towns and villages together. This one is known as the Red Squirrel Trail and is a lovely family-friendly, mostly traffic-free route that stretches for over 50km. It takes in estuaries, woodland, farmland, downland and coastline, with lots of wildlife-spotting opportunities, including, of course, one of the island’s most popular residents – the red squirrel, which is virtually extinct in much of mainland Britain.
THE ISLE OF WIGHT MOUNTAIN BIKE CENTRE HAS JUST REOPENED AND NOW OFFERS THREE TIMES WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE
Our route uses the fabulous network of bridleways and byways instead, however, so we continue up the far side of the valley, crossing some other smaller ones, for an undulating ride. After cresting Chillerton Down, whose height necessitates the placement of a broadcasting mast for the island, we’re again treated to wonderful views.
It’s decision time now, because the excellent Isle of Wight Mountain Bike Centre is close by, based at Cheverton Farm on the B3323. The site has just reopened after undergoing a host of new developments, so it now offers three times what was there before. With both cross-country loops and downhill trails – which range all the way from greento black-graded –a bike shop and mechanic on site, as well as food and drink, this is a well thought out hotspot for MTBers. Open Wednesday to Sunday, it’s a unique venue with two hubs, which gives riders the option to create their own loops rather than follow a set route. With natural and manmade features, jumps and flowing trails, it has something for everyone. There’s more planned, too, with a pump track, dirt jumps and skills area in the pipeline.
Our ferry won’t wait for us, though, so we continue along the ridgetop, past Brighstone Forest, following the Worsley Trail up onto Limerstone Down, where bright yellow gorse bushes start to light up the hilltops. They also waft their lovely coconut scent through the warm salty air, which smells of summer holidays. This ridgetop trail runs all the way from our central location on the island to its western point, although there are some valleys that cross our path along the way. This does, of course, mean there are some fast and fun descents, followed by some stiff climbs back up to the top. We’ve lucked out, too, because there’s a strong wind pushing us along and bringing a strange, enjoyable silence as we ride.
BEST EATING
ISLE OF WIGHT CAFE PICKS
You can’t go wrong with Grace’s Bakery in Ryde to start the ride off well. The Garlic Farm cafe and Pedallers Cafe, both just off the route near Newchurch, are brilliant. Chessell Pottery Cafe in Shalcombe is another great eatery and well worth the slight detour. The Piano Cafe in Freshwater Bay is on the route and fabulous, and then on the return leg to Yarmouth, The Freshwater Coffee House and End of the Line Cafe in Freshwater are both good. There’s also Off the Rails, just before entering Yarmouth, and another Grace’s Bakery by the ferry port.
After descending off Mottistone Down, we try not to look at the climb back up the far side, which looks vertical from here. We make our way up the bright white chalky track to the top of Compton Down and are once again met with stunning wide-open views to reward our efforts. The grassy hillside, with a track through the yellow gorse, stretches out ahead, with great views of the tall chalk cliffs, which lead to the westernmost point of the island and our destination. We harness the power of the wind, enjoying the long, fast descent down the hillside, dodging golfers, until eventually coming to a stop above Freshwater Bay.
Launch sequence
After a short section of road and a quick stop at the superb Piano Café, we’re back off-road on a quiet track that leads us around the edge of Tennyson Down, named after the famous poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson, who lived here. Sadly, not all of this vast open, grassy clifftop is open to cyclists, so we have to duck back to continue along the road to the end of the island and our destination, the iconic landmark of The Needles –a row of three chalk stacks that rise around 30m out of the sea. Also located at the island’s western end is the Old Battery, a military installation built on the clifftop in the 1860s to guard the western end of the Solent and defend against enemy ships. A new battery was later built up the hill, after concerns that subsidence from firing guns was causing the cliffs to crumble. This went on to become a top-secret space rocket and missile centre. It’s all decommissioned now, but run by the National Trust, and with no guns or rockets being fired, is deemed safe for the public, and worth an investigation. Another place to visit here if you have the time is Alum Bay, with its multicoloured sand, which visitors take home in little glass jars.
THE GRASSY HILLSIDE, WITH A TRACK THROUGH YELLOW GORSE, STRETCHES OUT AHEAD, WITH GREAT VIEWS OF THE CHALK CLIFFS
With a ferry to catch we have to turn tail, along backroads and bridleways, to join another of the island’s cycle paths, connecting Freshwater to Yarmouth. Running beside the River Yar, this provides an easy spin back to the north coast for a relaxed finish – if you’re not cutting it too fine with the ferry! With a bakery by the port, we can even get some refreshments while taking in the marina views in the last rays of sun. While busy, it’s certainly been a very different and memorable day. If logistical challenges are up your street, then this ride should give an unforgettable adventure.