If you are looking for a cycling adventure, the Isle of Wight is the place to visit! The Isle of Wight boasts 200 miles of cycle routes and offers some of the best scenery in the UK! Cycling the Isle of Wight is perfect for either a long weekend of adventures on a bike or a more relaxed afternoon of scenic pedalling.
If you fly with Hovertravel, you’ll be over the Solent in under 10 minutes, ready for your cycling adventure.
Isle of Wight Cycle Routes
Whether you’re after a family-friendly ride or a more challenging adventure, there’s a variety of Isle of Wight Cycle Routes to choose from. We have picked out our favourite routes below:
Red Squirrel Trail - Taking you across 32 miles of the Isle of Wight this trail can be broken down into sections. See some stunning wildlife habitats along the way, explore East Cowes to Merstone (via Newport), Merstone to Sandown, Sandown back to Merstone and finally Merstone back to East Cowes. If you are lucky enough you might be able to spot the Islands native Red Squirrel on route.
Round the Island Route - This is a route for the more experienced cyclist. This 65-mile route takes you all around the island, so expect spectacular sea views, rolling countryside and a lot of hills!
Quarr Abbey Loop - This 24km route can be joined as soon as you depart the hovercraft at Ryde. Join at the esplanade and take St Thomas Street, after which you will cycle through the stunning grounds of the historic Quarr Abbey, beautiful countryside and the Islands stunning coastline.
For more information on the Isle of Wight cycle routes, the Visit Isle of Wight website has all the information you need on the various cycle routes you can take.
Isle of Wight Cycling FAQs
Yes! It is free to bring your bike, which will be stowed in our secure/freight compartment. However, you cannot pre-book your bike, so it is on a first come first served basis. Get to the terminal early to ensure your place! Bikes must be checked in by 15 minutes prior to departure.
Unfortunately, you can’t take your bike on the 06:30 & 07:00 from Southsea Monday to Friday and the 08:15 Saturday flights.
Absolutely! As the Isle of Wight is one of the best places in the UK for cycling, there are a number of bicycle hire shops available. Wight Cycle Hire has many hire bikes on offer and has locations in Yarmouth and Newport.
These items can be extremely dangerous on a hovercraft. Carrying these may be an offence and may result in prosecution. E-motorbikes are classified as a vehicle and we do not carry vehicles, so e-motorbikes are not allowed on the hovercraft. If you are unsure of any item you are carrying please speak to a member of our staff in our Ryde or Southsea terminal before you fly with us.
