Round the Isle of Wight Cycle ride 2016......Randonnee

Map of the Isle of Wight showing the 100 km (60miles) in white and the 50km (30miles ) in yellow and checkpoints in orange 

The ride takes place every Bank Holiday Sunday at the beginning of May. The event is called the Randonnee and is organised by the Isle of Wight Wayfarers Cycling Club. The distance is 100km (60miles) but there is now a shorter route of 50km. It's not a race but a day ride. It all started in 1984 just after the club was formed. It had humble beginnings with a few hundred cyclists taking part. Since that time it has grown year by year and now attracts over 2000 cyclist from all over the country. Many of these cyclists belong to clubs and have all the colourful cycling gear with state of the art racing bikes. The event is calendar listed and part of most club's cycling itinerary. Entry is free, which is unusual these days and there are several starting points, where you also finish on the completing of the ride. You ride around the Island, stopping at the checkpoints to have your card stamped and on finishing receive a certificate There is also a brooch for sale costing £4. These days the ride is always clockwise because of congestion on the floating bridge ( this is the chain ferry between East Cowes and West Cowes across the River Medina) but in the past, the route varied between anticlockwise and clockwise. The 100km ride is considered to be demanding because the Isle of Wight has some steep long hills and although the route does it's best to avoid the toughest slopes in the area of Ventnor it is fairly hard going.

I arrived at the East Cowes checkpoint about 8.30pm and found the checkpoint all set up by Brian and John from the Wayfarers Cycle Club. I had to register first but some riders register in advance online. I received a map and card to have stamped and set off towards the the first checkpoint at Wootton.

The card that is stamped at every checkpoint

My bike is a Giant CRS hybrid and I've owned it since 2009 and done some long-distance rides. Last June I decided to turn it into an e-bike by installing a 500watt electric engine on the back wheel and a 36volt lithium battery on the frame. It makes cycling more interesting and you can get from A to B much quicker and it can make the hills less demanding. The biggest problem is the range of the battery and once depleted it takes several hours to recharge. I wanted to try to make the battery last for 60 miles by turning it off on the straight and downhill and being careful.

 My Giant CRS that has been converted to an e-bike

On reaching the Wootton checkpoint I had my card stamped and met Malcolm from the Wayfarers who was on checkpoint duty and then continued to the third checkpoint at Bembridge. The weather was beautifully sunny but there was a chilly southerly wind which made me keep my gloves on. My clothing was a contrast to the flashy robes and Lycra worn by the mainland club cyclists. The club cyclists would flash past me on their carbon fibre frames and ultra-thin tyres, but strangely I would nearly always catch up with them when they stopped to regroup or fix their bikes.

The Wootton checkpoint

Many of the roads of the Isle of Wight have been improved with a new tarmac surface but there are many with potholes and patches still left. `Island Roads` have a twenty-five-year contract to improve all the Isle of Wight roads as they were becoming like dirt tracks and accidents were numerous. The new surfaces are wonderful for cycling but then you hit a bit that hasn't been done yet and you and your bike take a pounding. I nearly came off once when I had to brake hard to avoid a bad piece of road which I hadn't seen because it was in shadow and several other cyclists had the same experience. Luckily I survived the incident but stopped to check my bike.

The Bembridge the checkpoint was a community centre where PTA members from the local school provided teas and cakes to raise funds. I didn't hang around for too long but quickly carried on my way towards Alverstone. I always found it difficult to park my bike at the checkpoints. All the spaces were taken where you could lean a bike. I always hated dropping the bike onto the ground. Luckily there was no parking rage, it hasn't reached the cycling fraternity yet.

The riders are probably raising money for the local
hospice

Inside the Alverstone checkpoint

The ride to Alverstone, then to Whitwell was refreshing, a combination of sun and a cool breeze. The countryside was magnificent and the sky blue. As it was a Bank Holiday there were many cars on the road out for a Sunday ride. Because of the hundreds of cyclists, many were held up on the narrow Island Roads. Most were patient and courteous. However, a very few got irritated. You could always tell by the way they revved their engines and screamed off when they got the chance to pass. I found it quite amusing wondering what they would do when they got to where they were going. Think it must be my Island mentality coming out.



The checkpoint at Alverstone                                                         



Whitwell checkpoint that was halfway for me

riders at Brighstone

On reaching the Whitwell checkpoint I had completed 30 miles and it was 11.30 am. I had my card stamped had a free cup of orange squash then sat on the grass and ate my sandwiches whilst watching the cyclists arrive and leave. It was all very colourful and full of activity. After a short break got on my bike and cycled off to start a long stretch to Yarmouth along the south-west Island coast. Along this stretch, there are three major hills at Niton and Blackgang, then Freshwater. I had used half the power on the battery and I was concerned if it would last for the whole trip. I turned it off as much as possible to conserve power. I couldn't use my bike's power to its full potential as I wanted it to last. Normally I can get past any other bike including the racing machines on the hills, but I had to hold back. However, when I started to climb the long chalk hill near Freshwater there were so many bikes struggling to get to the summit I couldn't hold back any longer, despite my battery worries. I used the boost setting on my bike and passed all the struggling cycles. I was called a cheat twice but had a smug smile on my face as I passed them all. At the summit, I turned off the electricity and coasted down the long hill to Freshwater Bay. 

The Yarmouth checkpoint

Soon I reached Yarmouth checkpoint, again the local PTA provide tea and food and sometimes massages for cyclists legs to raise money. After having my card stamped I was off again for the final leg of my ride back to East Cowes where I had started.

The Yarmouth checkpoint. 

I decided to follow the main road to Newport then take the Newport/Cowes cycle path to Cowes, then across the floating bridge to East Cowes. This was instead of following the cycle route. The distance was roughly the same. The battery was getting very low and on its last segment but I managed to reach Cowes. Just before the floating bridge, I got a weakness in the top of my left leg but soon realised it was cramp and it soon disappeared after stretching my leg a few times. 

Crowds of cyclists boarding the floating Bridge from Cowes
to East Cowes

At the floating Bridge, there were hundreds of cyclist waiting to cross the river to East Cowes. The Council have just introduced a 40p charge as they are short of money, but there was no hope of this money being collected so I didn't bother to get my wallet out. After reaching the other side I quickly got to the checkpoint and got presented with my certificate as I had completed the ride. My bottom was a bit sore and legs ached but as always just need a shower.

The start and finish for me at East Cowes checkpoint

The finish for me at East Cowes

The 2016 certificate awarded for completion of the Randonnee

I think I was the only person using an electric bike, at least I didn`t notice anyone else. Other cyclists associate the riding of an electric bike to be for the old and infirm and are not very macho. 

Ebikes haven`t really caught on in the UK yet but in other countries like Germany and the USA, they are the normal riding machines for many including the young. 

You still have to pedal to assist the battery and the harder you pedal the less electricity you use and the further you can go on one charge so it can still be demanding by any standards. On my bike, I have a throttle and can travel at over 30mph without peddling but it soon drains the battery so I don`t use it very much. The main improvement for electric bikes or e-bike in the future is a greater range, just like electric cars.

The distance was 61.4 miles

The time was 3.13 pm when I finished.

The ride had taken about 5 hours

The battery on the bike had lasted but failed soon after on the way home. I had enjoyed the ride and hope I`m fit enough to do it next year again.

                                                   The End