Cycling

The perfect place for a cycling holiday

Located just a few miles from the mainland and only two hours from the centre of London, the Isle of Wight is the perfect place for a cycling holiday, to relax and unwind in exhilarating clean air: Within an area of just 147 square miles you will find over 200 miles of cycle routes enticing you into the countryside or along the coast.

The Countryside on your doorstep

Over half of the Isle of Wight is designated as an 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty' and there are nearly 30 miles of 'Heritage Coast' -an accolade only applied to coastlines of the highest quality in England and Wales. This offers a perfect environment for the keen cyclist and a fantastic venue for a cycling holiday.

Wherever you chose to stay on the Island, you will find well sign-posted and carefully maintained routes into the countryside. In fact, the Isle of Wight has achieved recognition by the Countryside Agency for its 500 miles (827km) of Public Rights of Way. Of these, some 200 miles (300km) are bridle ways, cycle ways and byways which are accessible to cyclists.


Easy Peasy Pedalling

 The Isle of Wight has long been regarded by those in-the-know as one of the best places to cycle in the UK.

'Bicycle Island', as it is often called, boasts mile upon mile of off-road tracks and quiet country lanes, many passing through Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a national classification given to more than half the Isle of Wight's varied landscape.

Some routes are decidedly challenging - with serious pedal power required to negotiate the steep gradients on the Island's high downs. Others are easy rides on level ground, through national nature reserves, past river estuaries and around the forest home of the red squirrel.

It's these easier routes that we have chosen to present as a series of leisurely bike rides in Easy Peasy Pedalling. Together with Island 2000 Trust, the conservation body dedicated to protecting - and promoting - the Isle of Wight's natural landscape, we have plotted six cycle routes covering all corners of the Isle of Wight.

For each of the six routes we flag up its length and rate its level of difficulty so that you can judge for yourself whether it is suitable for you, your friends or family. The routes are traced both pictorially on an illustrated map and with written directions. Alongside these, information is provided on parking facilities, places of interest to visit en-route and refreshment stops.

Wightlink has a long history of supporting cycling on the Isle of Wight. We sponsor the annual White Air Extreme Sports Festival, held every October and featuring mountain biking as one of the endurance tests, and we publish our own Extreme Sports guide, available free. But we also want to encourage leisure visitors to enjoy the Island's fantastic cycling opportunities so we carry bicycles free on our three ferry routes - from Portsmouth or Lymington for cars and from Portsmouth Harbour for foot passengers.

Cycling is a great outdoor activity for both friends and family - and a healthy one too - so we hope that you will enjoy trying out the six contrasting Easy Peasy Pedalling routes.