I dragged my aching body around the Isle of Wight for a five-hour bike ride — and here's what I loved

It was obvious we had the same adventure in mind. After all, every one of us had a bike.

But there the similarity ended. They looked fit, tanned and healthy and were dressed to impress - from the top-range helmets and sun-glasses on their heads to the cycle socks and shoes on their toes. Their lycra pockets bulged with an energising mix of bars, drinks and gels.

I shuffled my trainer-clad feet, took a deep breath in, adjusted my backpack (rattling with muesli bars lifted from the dark recesses of cupboards at home, a bag of sweets and another bottle of squash) and mused that my beloved road bike was probably worth the same as one high-spec set of their finely tuned wheels.

But that didn’t dampen my feelings of excitement and trepidation and nor did it diminish the magical experience I was soon to enjoy as the FastCat skipped us away from Portsmouth Harbour and I watched them disappear out of sight as I set a more leisurely pace down Ryde Pier at the start of my first ever round-the-island bike ride.

I’ve looked across the waters from Portsmouth for many years and said I would take on the ride. But each time I’ve conveniently found excuses to avoid it. But this year was different - at the start of 2025 I put a date on the family calendar (you know the rules: if it’s not on the calendar it ain’t happening…) and actually stuck to it.

And I’m so glad I did. My stats showed the clockwise route I took was just shy of 68 miles and took a moderate five hours and 23 minutes at an average 12.6mph. (If I could do double that distance at double that speed for 21 days I might still make it into the Tour de France.) And as I rolled back up the pier to return home the sense of exhilaration wiped out any feelings of exhaustion.

I thought I knew the island well having spent four childhood summer holidays there. But my family’s regular annual itinerary centered on the beach at Sandown with forays out to Shanklin, Blackgang Chine, Brading waxworks museum, Godshill model village and The Needles. Taking a more expansive route at a slower pace certainly opened my eyes to the beauty of other parts of the island. And whenever my legs wearied, suddenly glimpsing the sea after a stretch inland or following the contours of a coastal road provided a better boost than the random, dusty snacks I occasionally tucked into.

New delights included the lovely and busy Bembridge Harbour, a collection of delightful villages inland from Sandown and Shanklin as I headed to Ventnor - gorgeous properties, quaint churches, a converted mill with the waterwheel still attached, streams, rolling fields. And I don’t know who has cornered the woodcarving market on the island but, along with the sea, another constant was the plethora of wooden signs, stumps and dead trees which had been transformed at the hands of very skilled craftsmen.

Having survived the gravel section along the River Yar without puncturing I can look back on that with fondness and Yarmouth itself was such a revelation that I took time off the route to explore the town a little more. Heading back inland with the sun now at its peak and tiredness settling in was a little more of a challenge. But with another small detour I was lucky that the first pub I hit in Shalfleet was The New Inn where I made the most of a shaded table on the sun terrace and enjoyed a delicious fish burger and chips. It was a glorious day and perfect weather for a couple of lunchtime pints… but sense prevailed and the two I did drink were of Coke and water.

Refreshed and revitalised, recapturing the west coastline again was pleasing to both my eyes and core body temperature. The stretch from Gurnard Bay to Cowes was a delight and as I narrowly missed the cooling splash from waves breaking up over the esplanade I was tempted to jump in the sea with the other swimmers. I won’t forgive Cowes for Castle Hill but enjoyed the novelty of the floating bridge over to East Cowes before taking on the final push past Osborne House, through Fishbourne (reviving memories of forlornly sitting in the car waiting for the ferry home after those halcyon summer hols) and Quarr Abbey to Ryde.

I’ve saved covering the best section to last - that incredible coastal sweep from Chale to Freshwater Bay. It’s the toughest section but far the most enjoyable. Catching glimpses of the road rising higher and higher in the distance was bizarrely inspiring rather than intimidating. The cliffs were immense in their sun-covered, chalky glory and the sea took on Mediterranean hues. I did look enviously at the surfers at Compton Bay and could have gladly called a halt at fabulous Freshwater Bay.

But that was the thing - once I had started on my journey I found it hard to stop. I had planned lunch and three coffee breaks but in the end managed the first 50 miles without a proper pause, knowing once I did settle in at The New Inn there was little more than 15 miles to go.

I followed a route map on my phone but the cycle signs were very good (white for clockwise, blue for anti-clockwise) and I only lost faith in them once. There were plenty of other signs en route warning me to be careful of red squirrels, but sadly I saw none. However, I know there is a cat on the island with eight lives after one decided to dash across my path, literally missing my front wheel by inches.

That was the closest I came to any ‘danger’. The majority of the route takes you away from the main roads so you have the freedom to travel a lot of the way in peace and solitude - something I guess is designed as much for the safety of the riders as it is to avoid angering islanders queuing up in their cars while waiting for an opportune moment to pass those pesky cyclists.

My ride was an incredible experience which I would recommend to anyone - whatever your experience of cycling and whether you see the ride as a day out or something to enjoy at a more leisurely pace over a number of days. There are certainly plenty of lovely places to stop, stay and enjoy en route.

As I waited for the FastCat back home again (smugly an hour earlier than I had booked) it was certainly busier than the early morning trip out from Portsmouth harbour. There was no sign of the Ravenna Racing Club - I am sure they would have been back at base in Chichester before I had taken the first bite of my fish burger. But I hope they enjoyed their ride as much as my epic adventure which will live long in the memory and long after the aches in my legs subsided.

Wightlink’s FastCat port is located within Portsmouth Harbour railway station, and the service takes just 22 minutes to get to Ryde on the Isle of Wight. Foot passenger crossings cost from £19 per adult and bikes go free. Wightlink.co.uk