As my friend Ettore said on our return to Portsmouth, we’ve got to tell the rest of the guys who failed to show up for the ride as soon as they hear how great it was they are certain to come out and ride other sections with me.
I jumped out of bed in a blind panic early on Sunday morning. I have a fairly advanced watch with dual time and somehow during the night I must have pressed ‘the mode’ button and it had fast forwarded by an hour. So instead of showing 8.30 and it appeared to be 9.30 and I was originally hoping to get on the road by this time. I was booked on the 11.00 ferry and was meant to check in by 10.30 as it was close to 50 miles to the ferry terminal, I really had to get my skates on to even be late. Thankfully I doubled checked with my Blackberry and then my Computer before twigging what might have happened
Having got my gear ready the night before, all I really needed was a shower and a shave, a bit over the top when you consider I was going to get grubby and sweaty on the ride, however I have found that the strap on my helmet really chafes on my stubble, that and the shower wakes me up. I finally got the bike started up and under way by 9.10 and the first surprise was the roads were fairly empty and I actually arrived in Portsmouth just after 10.00 well earlier than planned or needed, it was a beautiful morning and I noticed a missed call from Ettore to say he was on his way.
Just after 10.30 Ettore , Paul and Ronnie turned up, it was a really good feeling to have some company for the day.
Also on the ferry were a couple of other bikes as well as the Scooter you can see, one was a guy on a CBR600f whilst it was a few years old it was in pristine condition. The other one was a guy on a 1963 TriBSA. Basically a BSA Goldstar frame with the original Triumph Bonneville engine. The bike was absolutely ‘mint’ including a Goodwood Speed Festival badge from last year.Thankfully the weathermen had got it wrong again, they had forecast a grey start that would then brighten up by late morning and then get increasingly cloudy as the afternoon wore on. The last thing it was, was grey. And leaving harbour I was able to take a couple of photos of the tall ships in dock. The nearest is the Tall Ships Youth’s Trust Brig, The Prince William and despite how she looks, she was actually built in 2001. at the Appledore Shipyard in Devon. The others are. HMS Warrior which was Queen Victoria’s first iron hulled warship and then beyond that is the famous flagship of Nelson, HMS Victory, Yes amongst all the masts there are 3 ships there.
Going out through the harbour you start to see the amount of fortifications that protected this famous Naval Port over the years, including 3 Forts built in Napoleonic times out in the Solent itself, on land there are 25 surrounding the whole area and I could spend a few weeks writing about them alone, however this is meant to be about the journey, this said I came across 3 castles in this group so I am now up to 9.
After arriving at Fishbourne we were quickly unloaded and we headed away up the ramp and turning right towards Wooton Bridge, turning right shortly after going over Wooton Creek on to New Road keeping close to the side of the creek we found the surface of the road got increasingly poor, in fact it showed speed restrictions not because it was built up but due to the natural bumps on the road, when we got to the end and the junction with Woodside Road, signposted towards a Caravan site we headed straight on and around a 3-4 mile off road loop before coming back out on Palmers Road and then back on to the A3054 before taking a right at the roundabout on the A3021.
Then the first missed turning of the day, I was looking down at the map when the turning I was looking for came up quicker than I thought and I overshot it and obviously so did Ettore and Paul, in fact it happened quite a few times in the day and I am more than grateful that they were extremely patient with me. We set off down Alverstone Road with the view of taking Mount Road then The Avenue before finding our way blocked by signs announcing private road and no through road. So we headed back onto the A3021 for a couple miles before taking New Barn Road and Old Road down on to the Esplanade at East Cowes where we pulled over to take a few photos and allow me the opportunity to remove the inner lining from my suit. Yes the Forecasters really had got it wrong I was starting to sweat, it was most certainly the hottest day of the year and the extra work involved in the off-road section had got me really hot,. This said after the photos and a cup of coffee I notice that it was now almost 12.30 and we had only just begun and if we wanted to complete the whole island we had to get a move on.
After getting sorted we set off but soon came across a couple of road closures and diversions we soon brought us back onto the A3021 through Whippingham before taking the A3054 Racecourse road towards Newport and then out on the A3020 passing Albany Prison on the road to Cowes. When we got into Cowes itself once again road closures and diversions meant that we had to double back on ourselves before taking Park Road and into the old part of Cowes, leading to Queens Road, Egypt Esplanade and Prince’s Esplanade which go right around the seafront and offer some stunning views of the yachts out on The Solent and the views back across to Calshot.
I didn’t take any photos along this section as I was determined to push on and cover as much of the coast as I could before out next stop, somewhere beyond Yarmouth. This did lead to some great riding for the next 40 mins to an hour. From Gurnard we took the back lanes around the back of Parkhurst Forrest, which was a major task of trying to read the map on my tankbag and then referencing the SatNav on my handlebars. Through Porchfield and Newtown before getting back on to the A3054 at Shalfeet, after a quick loop to Cranmore we entered Yarmouth.
Once again we didn’t stop but pushed on to Fort Victoria Country Park, just a little further down the road. Fort Victoria was built in 1855, Fort Victoria was built within 18 months, partly because the 350 workmen were allowed to stay on H.M.S. Talbot, moored near the site, by the Admiralty. Fort Victoria never had to resist enemy warships, but probably could have repelled them in the days before the introduction of ironclad battleships firing elongated, masonry shattering shells. In 1891 the Submarine Mining Company came to Fort Victoria to lay a coastal minefield. Two types of mines were available at the time, mechanical mines which were dangerous to friend and foe alike, and electrical mines which were controllable from the shore. At Fort Victoria electrical contact mines were used. Each was moored by chain to a heavy weight called a sinker, so as to float just below the surface. When a vessel struck a mine a signal would be sent to an operator who would either detonate the mine, or in the case of friendly contact, cancel the detonation. During the two World Wars the fort was used for various purposes, mainly as a landing point and for storage. Fixed torpedo tubes were also fitted to Fort Victoria pier. It was used as a training base several times during its existence. In 1962 the fort lost its status as a military garrison.
After an extended stop to use the conveniences as limited as they were, the Café was closed and only the Model Railway open we consumed the sandwiches and coffee I had left along with a bottle of Gatorade. We had been riding for almost 2 hours in fairly hot conditions so I had been getting cramp in my upper thighs for the last couple of miles, so I had to get the blood flowing and the fluid levels sorted, I am the world’s worst for not drinking enough water.
After about 25-30 minutes we got back under way and headed towards Totland diverting again due to road works and off around Granville Rd and Cliff Rd before the B3322 to The Needles, unfortunately the park and the viewing area there is very commercialised so it was quick ride into the car park and then back on the road before taking the Alum Bay Old Rd and Moons Hill before it finally brought us on to Military Road all the way to Blackgang and Niton. I have taken some video footage of this run and with the help of my Daughter I am hoping to get something up this weekend finally.
Before we got to Niton we stopped off at Blackgang Chime for a cup of tea and Ice Cream with all the bikers that stop at the Car Park, I won’t bore you with yet another picture of me taken by Ettore but this time the view looking back to where we had come from.
There were some a interesting bikes in the car park, including a few we saw later in the day on the ferry back to Portsmouth, after the requisite trawl of the car park by the local Police patrol car we got back under way before turning off at Niton down Undercliff Drive into Ventor, the only problem being all the roads closest to the coast seemed to run in the opposite direction to the way we were going so after a couple of attempts we pushed on to Madeira Rd and the Bonchurch Village Rd and Bonchurch Shute, which as I have mentioned in earlier posts, looking at a 2D map gives you no idea of some of the gradients, we were taking 180 degree turns that had us climbing up a 25% gradient at times, in fact the turning back on to the A3055 was so steep I was dragging my clutch massively and thankfully a kind woman driver let us go.We headed back out and on to Shanklin and Sandown before trying to turn off down on to the Sea front and the Esplanade. One tip I have for anyone trying this in the future DO IT CLOCKWISE, each time we had come against a diversion or a redirection was because the route was going in the other direction. We finally stopped off at Culver Parade right on the sea front again, again because I wanted to use the conveniences and the park at the back of the front seemed to have one, that and looking out to sea there were yet more ships moored up due to the recession. A bulk carrier and a few other vessels, particularly two car transporters. Before you think it, No I don’t have a weak bladder, it was now almost 2 hours since the last opportunity and I had, had a large mug of tea an hour ago. I was also taking the opportunity before it was desperate. It was going to get desperate as they were locked up. It seemed the whole island, hotels, campsites and now toilets were closed until April 4th.
Thankfully we could see the end in sight, looking at the map we didn’t have so far to go, just a run uo through Yaverland and then into Bembridge, which lead to I nice little off-road piece as well as a missed off-road section. It appeared to be a little housing estate but once in there it was an estate I would have loved to live on. Hillway Road, leads on to Howgate Road before Foreland Farm Lane, coming off there onto Lane End Rd I missed the turning on to Swains Ln, which was another cycle route and off-road section, in the end we went down Swains Road Meadow Drive before coming back onto the B3395 around Bembridge Harbour and then the B3330 towards Ryde.Again back lane and one way streets in the opposite direction meant we again did a double loop around the town centre, past the pier and on to Fishbourne. This lead to the final run along Binstead Hill, Quarr Road and then Fishbourne. Now the fun, we arrive at 16.45, 15 mins before the 17.00 ferry. We were all booked on the 19.00 ferry 2 hrs later, however the guys in Portsmouth had told us turn up when you can and they will always try and get the bikes on as soon as possible and so it turned out. Pulling into the Ferry Port we were waved down to an area right near the front when the 5.00pm ferry was ready to load our tickets were taken and we were waved on board. All the bikes were crammed into one side on the lower deck that would have been taken up with 4-5 cars. So in the end 12 bikes more than paid for the space taken up, no wonder they wanted to get us all in.
We went up to one of the upper decks for a quick cup of tea and I went outside to take a couple of last photos, one of Fishbourne and the then I spotted the 5.30 sailing coming in the St Helen.
We were due to get into Portsmouth around 5.40pm so we were particularly keen to get away as soon as we could, I had the added reason of still having my dark visor fitted to my helmet, so if I was really lucky I could get home or nearly home before I needed to change it. We therefore said our goodbyes as we got back on our bikes as we docked. Back on the M275 out of Portsmouth I waved the others goodbye as they were headed east and up the A3 and I was going west to the M3, shortly after getting on to the M27 the distinct loss of power due to the fuel running out was felt and I switched over on to reserve, looking at the trip computer I worked out I could just about make it to the Winchester Services if I didn’t go too mad.In fact I reached the services and after refuelling I found I had just over a Litre left (about 8 miles) so I wouldn’t have got home for sure. At Winchester Services I met the one and only ignorant git of the day. After paying for fuel and getting back to my bike, I decided I wouldn’t make it home with the Dark Visor in place, so I got my goggles out of the tankbag and put them on. As I was putting my gloves back on a woman and her husband started beeping there horn to get me to move out their way, they had been so impatient that they had pushed past the rest of the queue and were sat between the two lanes of pumps trying to muscle in on the particular pump I was on. Finding me getting ready to get back on my bike was obviously putting them and their plan of getting one over the others at risk. Guess what happened next?
Yep you’ve got it, I became a right sod and slowed down as much as I could, as well as going up to them and asking them what their problem was, initially with total feigned innocence, which had a number of the other waiting drivers grinning their heads off. It got them even more wound up, and they started shouting and waving their arms about. When I was finally ready I started up and got under way. Getting back home half an hour before the ferry I was booked on was due to sail, so the tip is, if you are on a bike, don’t worry about your booked time, if you are polite and turn up early they will usually try and get you on your way.
Take care and as Mick says ‘You don’t stop riding when you get old, you stop riding when you run out of road’
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