This time the old boys bikepack the Isle of Wight to take full advantage of fine weather and that Richard has an Argon 18 Dark Matter gravel bike that needs running-in. From Yarmouth we hit the Tennyson Trail in the direction of Newport after which we stop at a delightful farm house for lunch with a good friend of Richard. Then take the Red Squirrel Trail through to St Helens. Here we have an overnight Bivi taking a substantial steak supper in the Vine Inn.
The morning brings breakfast in Seaview cafe and a far too early visit to the Mermaid Distillery and a sample board of there famous gins, vodka and rum. Our gravel bike are then put to hard work on the hills of the northern road route of the Island only stopping at Cowes for a well deserved Mr Whippy ice cream. We make Yarmouth in good time for the return crossing to Lymington and tea and chocolate cake served by Richard.
We hope you enjoy the video, we enjoyed the scenic view from the downs even though we had to work to reach each sumit.
okay gentlemen today’s adventure yes is 24 hours or 48 Hours on the island oh my goodness how exciting yeah are we are we up for this I’m up for this too late to say no now okay right Andy armo andyo [Music] back rigged in this manner as you can see as okay your first bit of AR white gremel good morning and how are we doing I am on my dark matter argon 18 bike with pack tires great improvement over the road bike better control smoother ride what’s not to light exactly what’s not to light so you’re back on the trail is it nice to be back on home ground I feel like just an extension back with your bike packed yeah for an overnighter well not so looking forward to that bit maybe but out in about see how he’s beautifully packed yeah I’m well packed shiny bike yeah shiny bike nice and clean and Mr talking on his Dark Matter very lightly rigged how have you managed to rig so lightly Richard well no tent going with a bivy bag and a sleeping bag provided it stays dry it should be okay so you just need to find a hedge somewhere to to sleep under that’s it under the stars under the H like we’re on top of the the island look at June DJ oh yes perfect conditions today but we’re not planning any uh military assaults on U the mainland Europe as far as I’m aware I don’t know perhaps he might be out there a new part of his military Camp he might be out there stopping the boats look at that isn’t that looking down to the needles in the west and round to the east into the sun Catherine’s do Catherine’s Point Catherine I can see we’ve come from Yarmouth and we’ve had a good cycle uphill and now we’re going to go on a Helter Skelter downhill I can see pool in the distance intact when we get to the bottom pool in the distance it’s there Richard you’re more than welcome to see my bottom well we’ll let you go first Peter and I’m happy to take up the rear on this occasion uh this is not good this is exciting it’s not good the commentary oh it’s excellent no I’m ready it that wasn’t a queue to stop yeah what am I looking coming power on power power power wow G hello you can tell by the horns hello hello hello looks like Mo we’re at node’s point tonight enjoy yourself hang a left Richard how are you doing down here let me come down en join you yes um so I spent the night in my sleeping bag and bivy bag on the ground um very warm saw the stars in the middle of the night dry no Intruders no no Lodgers noers no Lodgers no Rogers well you are Lu not even the local Friendly rabbit well I’ve just seen the rabbits are up in the field so they may well have been down see you they may have and you may not have known it I might not have known it no I might have been asleep at the time um but um it went surprisingly well my mat was um a bit slim it’s a yog yoga mat a yoga mat yeah normally these are about three times as thick as this yeah so that that wasn’t quite right so that that will have to be modified next time probably an inflatable bag to sleep on other than that absolutely perfect all this stuff about tents it’s just put about by the makers you don’t need a tent oh I haven’t been recording this happens every time this happened when we’re in brocken two three um but they’re all dismounted uh so best thing to do is to try to go find them and they are here they are perhaps in The Distillery we go through the Distillery maybe we shall find them open the door walk through here it’s all fairly empty nobody here apart from the still itself and perhaps the taster board ah oh my gosh oh my gosh look who I found oh hello what are you doing out here guys good morning Peter again again good morning you going to come and join us well that’s a very kind it’s all gone so we’ve been sampling some locally brewed Spirits gin vodka Navy rum yes lovely we’re about 2/3 of the way through our veins are tingling Fever Tree Tonic Water whether this will help up the hills I’m not quite sure yeah oh Rocket Fuel okay we’re back on the Trailway now we’ve come out of The Distillery way so Peter Still must be on his way yeah he he’s got a um he’s got a conversation with ion going on for the moment ah okay it’s all to do with it excellent okay we thought we’d sit in the shade like drama at home just Hef with these guys it’s a bit clanky sounds like it’s falling apart I know I know I know and here we are we’re just coming in sure if you’re a car you’re going to have your got up there did we cycle separately to Sun we have to go back I left my bag somewhere yeah this is this is talking about when we were cycling the we know this place hi what does that sign say over there the 3054 to where Newport Yas y y AO there misters so we’ve arrived safely back in Yarmouth completed a cc navigation of the Island Wide I’m not sure we have really we’ve been down longitudinally across it and longitudinally back is here it is is it on I think so well how about that how about that we made it tea makes it back yes now tea and chocolate biscuits in one piece milk in one piece with milk for