Life In The Saddle

I ride a gravel bike on the Isle of Wight more than I ride any other; it is the perfect way to explore the vast network of quiet roads and exciting open trails. In this post, I have tailor-made a selection of the best gravel cycling routes on the Isle of Wight, with suggested pit-stops and highlights. The Isle of Wight roads, trails, and tracks are my home. I have toured all over the world, but whenever I come back to this small island off the South Coast of the UK I am amazed at how diverse and beautiful the riding is here. 'The Island' is very easy to get to with a bike—use one of the three car ferry routes from Portsmouth, Lymington or Southampton; or come as a foot passenger and bring your bike for free on the Wightlink FastCat  from Portsmouth Harbour train station. You can get to the Island from Central London in just a little over three hours. Once you are here, there is a plethora of bike-friendly accommodation: from hotels and B&B's to campsites and Eco-l...

In this blog post, I have picked out my favourite cycling cafes on the Isle of Wight. These venues are spread across the Island, but all serve up great homemade cakes, freshly ground coffee, and light lunches. They are welcoming to all riders—whether you are a muddy mountain biker or road cyclist. For route ideas to link up these great cafe stops, check out: Best Gravel Cycling Routes on the Isle of Wight Best Road Cycling Routes on the Isle of Wight Best Mountain Bike Routes on the Isle of Wight Best Family Leisure Cycling Routes on the Isle of Wight Caffe Isola – Newport (Central Wight) Located in the heart of the town, Caffe Isola is set in a converted and beautifully refurbished church. The Italian themed café is famed for its great coffee, freshly made cakes, and splendid lunches. You can see the Island Roasted Coffee being freshly roasted in the atrium above the main café and browse the superb range of local produce on sale. The Garlic Farm Café – Newchurch (Central Wig...

Cycling friendly cafes on the Isle of Wight are plentiful, but there are few better placed, or serving better food and drink, than the Ventnor Botanic Gardens Plantation Room Cafe. The Undercliff Road between Ventnor and Niton was closed for many years due to a significant landslip, but it has recently been re-opened to pedestrians and cyclists. The route now provides a beautiful low-traffic alternative diversion for the Isle of Wight Randonnee route, which I would highly recommend taking, even though it does add a bit more climbing. Ventnor Botanic Gardens is situated on the Ventnor end of the Undercliff Road. This makes it a perfect cycling cafe stop, about halfway round the Isle of Wight 'Round the Island' route if you are beginning at Ryde/Fishbourne. Serving a selection of speciality teas, coffees, freshly made cakes, and superb light lunches. There is a selection for every taste and preference. I stopped by at the Plantation Room Cafe mid-ride on a cold January ...

I stopped at this cafe on a great ride that I did with The Kenilworth Wheelers last Sunday [Garmin link] - and thought it was worth a quick cafe review. The cafe got a thumbs-up from the start as it was called "Timothy's" Nice! It was warm and welcoming to a group of cyclists; with racks outside and smiling faces as we strolled in, fully lycra clad, cold and a bit muddy. The cafe serves a great mix; from teas, coffee and cakes; to light lunches and a great looking bowl of soup. I had a tasty slab of lemon-curd cake, which certainly helped fuel the ride home. Its location away from the town means that bikes can be left fairly happily outside, away from the prying eyes. With some fantastic routes around this part of Warwickshire/Gloucestershire, it is a perfect stop for a long winter ride in the area - well worth a visit. Website Link 

I bought my first road bike for £5 from a family friend about 5 years ago; and on a brisk but clear October day, my mountain biking buddy and I set out to test out what the skinny tyres were all about.  15 miles from home, in the cliff-side town of Ventnor on the south coast of the Isle of Wight - the weather changed. Wearing just bib shorts and jerseys we found ourselves in the middle of a hailstorm; pellets of ice stung our legs and our bodies froze, we desperately looked around for somewhere warm to shelter.  We headed into the Botanic Gardens and were relieved to find that the café was open for business. Like blocks of ice we shuffled in, and sitting huddled next to the radiator we scraped together a few coins from our saddle bags. Counting it up we realised that there was only enough to buy one hot chocolate; we didn't care, we clip-clopped over to the counter in our SPDs and laid down our change by the till.  Taking pity on us, the waitress gave us two ...