- Starts: Wednesday 7 August 2019 8:30 am
- Ride leader/Event organiser: Joy Forrow
- Category: Saturday and Wednesday rides
- Route grade: A - Demanding route
- Ride to elevenses grade: A - Demanding route
At: IOW Ferry port, Gunwharf
Address: Gunwharf Road, Portsmouth, PO1 2LA
We meet outside the terminal building where you get tickets for the ferry.
Contact us about this event
Send an email to ride leader/event organiser: Joy Forrow.
Send an email to elevenses ride leader: Mike Skiffins.
Map
Elevenses ride leader: Mike Skiffins
Elevenses ride destination: Compton
A round-the-island ride. Meet at 8.30 at the Gunwharf Ferry terminal to catch the 9.00 sailing. The alternative elevenses ride to Compton will start from the Spring Centre at 9.15 as usual.
This will be the standard Round the Island route. It is a lovely and varied ride and fully signposted. I led a Tuesday ride here in May and this will be very similar and at a medium pace. The route comes out at about 66 miles with about 1400 metres of climbing so it is a long and hilly ride. We will have to keep up a reasonable speed so we are not too late back home. Even so we are unlikely to be back before 7pm. There are options to cut it short - ask me if you want details. I will decide on whether to go round clockwise or anticlockwise a couple of days before depending on forecast wind direction.
Whichever way we go round we'll stop for lunch in Chale (probably the Wight Mouse). Elevenses at garden centre, Newchurch (clockwise) or Yarmouth (anticlockwise). Tea to be agreed on the day. If you've ridden to the ferry you may want to have a snack on there as elevenses is 18 or 21 miles from the ferry so probably not until about 11.30am.
About Saturday and Wednesday rides
Rides from Havant with stops for elevenses, lunch and sometimes tea. If you're unable to keep up or have a mechanical problem, someone will be available to help you - although we obviously cannot guarantee to solve all problems.
Riders are free to join and leave the ride at various points. Some ride directly to the elevenses stop.
Click either heading below to find out more about Wednesday and Saturday rides:
Wednesday rides
Wednesday rides are the largest of our rides and can provide a range of options to riders. We often split into multiple groups at the start, for example:
- A fast group that takes a longer and/or hillier route to the elevenses stop
- A ride which takes a more direct route to the elevenses stop at a moderate pace
- An elevenses ride comprised of riders going only to elevenses; the elevenses ride will have its own ride leader and might go to a different destination if the route to the main elevenses destination is long and/or hilly
On Wednesdays it is highly likely that there will be several riders coming back to the Havant area from the elevenses stop - although they might not include a PCTC ride leader. If that is what you'd like to do, please consult the ride leader at the start to ensure someone knows and is able to bring you back.
In addition, some rides split after elevenses to go at different paces or to alternate destinations. These are usually announced during the ride briefing. Please ask if you are unsure about the options available.
Saturday rides
Saturday rides are (usually) much smaller than Wednesday rides. As a result they offer fewer options for rides but more flexibility for routes and destinations.
The rides are often shown as 'informal' meaning there is no prescribed ride leader. Unless weather is particularly adverse, however, they always go ahead at the stated time and start point. We try to keep to the suggested elevenses destination to allow for people who want to ride directly there.
The lunch destination does change occasionally but we will always take views of riders into account. In particular, if you join a ride because you think you can manage the distance/hilliness, we would not substitute an alternative if it meant you couldn't join the ride.
If you want to ride with us but only to elevenses and need someone to help you with the route back, please use our general enquiry form to let us know in advance of the ride so we can try to arrange something for you.
This article describes what you should consider bringing with you on one of these rides.