Organisers of the Isle of Wight Randonnee have hailed this year’s event as another success, with some 3,000 cyclists taking part in 2023.
Riders took to their saddles for a 09:00 start on Sunday (30th April) before making their way clockwise around the Island, going from checkpoint to checkpoint in towns and villages to complete either a 55km or 100km ride.
The weather was favourable; not too hot, not too cold. And although the sun shone for most of the day there were some wet spells as showers moved across the Island.
At Ventnor, participants were treated to a fuel stop at Watcombe Bottom – in the form of rolls, sausage rolls and hot cross buns. The team at Morrisons in Lake produced extra especially for the Randonee, with Ventnor Rugby Club’s volunteers keeping cyclists fed throughout the day. The club was also a checkpoint, which was manned by a dedicated team of volunteers.
The event was established by the Wayfarers in 1985 and has grown year-on-year. The route uses minor roads and lanes, where possible, enabling the rider to see and enjoy the best of the Island’s scenery.
The biggest pain in the ar*e event that takes place on the Island.
It’s about time cyclists paid tax and insurance to be on the Road.
Road tax was abolished in 1937, roads are funded from from income tax and local rates.
What you pay is an excise duty for your vehicle and what you pay depends on how much your vehicle pollutes the atmosphere. None of that money pays directly for roads, its goes into the pot of general government taxation.
And as far as I remember, cyclists do not produce any pollution 🙂
Which is why I produce extra to compensate 🙂
They produce a hell of a lot of pollution holding up all the cars behind them zippy
No, bikes holding up traffic don’t produce pollution. They are still just bikes.
Cars cause pollution. That’s it.
Otherwise you may argue that pedestrian crossings cause pollution as well because cars have to – oh, my! – even STOP completely sometimes.
They cause massive pollution by holding up all the traffic which has to use a lower gear as its crawling around the Island, they bring G nothing to the Isle of Wight perhaps buy a bottle of water, there’s miles of Cycle Tracks why not use them.
Except for when they hold up miles of traffic that are consequently using more fuel trying to get around them. So cyclists do cause more pollution, indirectly at least
Sounds like problem is still a car polluting and not a bicycle. Indirect accusations my ass, what do you suggest we do then? Ban all pedestrians because crossing the street may indirectly cause more pollution from a car having to slow down? LOL.
Your post about ‘Road Tax’ is spot on, accurate and factual. The fact that it gets thumbs downs speaks volumes about some people who are unwilling to see/accept things that contradict their model of the world… classic weltschmerz.
It was a CHARITY event! Not to mention the extra money raised for the Island’s MUCH needed tourism sector.
(no tourists = no jobs)
One would hope that most people can see the bigger picture here?
Perhaps more people should get out of their cars and onto a bike… Problem solved 🙂
I was furious at being delayed by 30 seconds on my way to eat some pheasant at the country club.
Such events should be banned.
Think Car.
It’s us vehicle drivers who pay to be on Roads, cyclists pay absolutely nothing
and cause nothing but an obstruction.
Every tax payer pays towards the maintenance of roads regardless of whether they own a car or not! Perhaps we should charge pedestrians for using the pavements?
Seeing them mending punctures at the road side as we glided effortlessly past in the Rolls was most gratifying.
Ok boomer.
Ah, was there a point in East Cowes as well? I’ve seen a plenty of cyclists and was wondering what’s that about!
With the views we have and how little our island is so you can quickly cycle from one way to another, we can be an awesome place for cycling tourism 🙂
Yes, East Cowes has a checkpoint to welcome and sign on the riders off the ferry. You are right, the Island is a great place to cycle, for visitors and locals alike, people love it 🙂
I’m not talking about this event, but generally I wish that cyclists could be encouraged to use the cycle paths on the Island rather than the roads. The Island has lots of cycle tracks, some shared with walkers, but many cyclists seem to want to use the roads instead.
For instance, there’s a lovely shared path which, I think, goes all the way from Cowes down to Sandown and yet so often on the Blackwater Valley road, for example, you can get stuck behind a bike or bikes for the whole stretch of road with buses in particular unable to get past.
Surely it’s nicer riding on a path where you don’t have a line of 20 slow moving vehicles behind you? Sometimes it feels like cyclists actually enjoy holding up the traffic.
Sounds terrible. And I am sure you were on such important business too. Ha ha. Ban cars on the island! Use buses, the train, bikes, and your legs. The island is tiny and cars are not needed. The future must be greener.
Wake up and smell the coffee. You will be on your bike one day.
There aren’t lots of cycle tracks. You’re basically talking about the Red Squirrel Trail which goes down through the middle and is ok for a leisurely stretch. But most people coming to the Island want to do the coastal ride and road is the only choice for that.
Nah, it just depends on 1) whether cycle track has good quality and 2) whether it takes you where you want to go.
Cowes to Newport? Great smooth ride on Red Squirrel Trail in the quiet of the forest. I’ll always take that over a road! Both 1) and 2) satisfied.
But Merstone to Sandown part of RST when it’s raining? I think it might be the Blackwatet part you talk about… that’s a lot of sand/mud. You need a mountain bike. It’s OK for a tourist but me on a grandpa bike just commuting with a shopping milk crate? Sometimes I have to choose road because 1) is not satisfied.
And then going for a horse riding lesson on Staplers Road… there’s no pavement nor cycle track, MUST go by road cause there’s no alternative so 2) is unsatisfied.
Island has a lot of cycle tracks?
Let’s take two towns: Is there any cycle track from East Cowes to Ryde? Google maps seems to show roads with cars.
Because I’d ABSOLUTELY LOVE to take a cycle track and not cross my way with cars at all but I don’t think there’s a way?
And then when anybody suggests building cycle tracks the biggest opponents are… car drivers. So I can only assume they love when cyclists are forced to use the roads and slow down their cars 😉
They have no consideration for drivers. They try to overtake in traffic jams and undertake, they should pay road tax like us car users do? It was a nightmare the weekend especially on military road!
Here is my earlier post;
Road tax was abolished in 1937, roads are funded from from income tax and local rates.
What you pay is an excise duty for your vehicle and what you pay depends on how much your vehicle pollutes the atmosphere. None of that money pays directly for roads, its goes into the pot of general government taxation.
You don’t pay road tax and yeah, obviously space-efficient vehicles are going to avoid traffic jams, that’s one of their benefits.
I’m not sure what you mean by consideration but vulnerable road users have priority under new road hierarchy.
All cyclists should have their bikes taken away from them until they know how to ride them correctly.
Also look how many of them break the law by cycling at night with NO lights on their bikes.
Years ago the Police use to do something about it, nowdays they don’t give a ****
Organised chaos. strewn across the road. Did any get fined for speeding on the slower roads, no of course not, it’s a silly “look at me” race on a public road.
Yeah, silly race for charity.
And yes, it is on a public road – same road that car drivers have no problem using as a storage space for their private possessions called a car and oppose any yellow-lines.
But when people cycle, and for charity, nah, that’s too much, unhappy car driver has to share the public infrastructure, cry me a river.
Look at the first two photos in this article, they are taking up most of the carriageway making it difficult or even dangerous for cars to get by. Then cyclists wonder why they are disliked.