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I personally don't mind the people. Don't feel it's that bad compared to any other organised rides I've done. The eastern bit is always relatively busy cars-wise regardless of when you do it.

I enjoy the fact there's food along the route on that day. Sundays are often when places on the Isle shut and is normally my day for riding so having places to refuel which aren't shops is a novelty (though in recent years a couple more places have opened up right on the route, so maybe that wouldn't be such a thing any more).

aye, would be rude not to given i live on the route.

not a proper audax but it's eligible for gsd points i believe and you do get a card stamped on the way round.

lovely, no probs. glad it still holds up. used to enjoy the shit weather slogs out that way, peversely.

Yeah I am tempted by this I must admit

it's been 3.5 years since my last ride of more than about 100km. quite mindblowing because before i got pregnant, it was my entire life.

i live on the isle of wight now, and have a 2 year old daughter so can only fondly reminisce of such distances :')

PlastikNiki

hello! yes, @fredtc, here you go...

yes when I was on the rrty train this was my go-to because i didn't like hills

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28814051

i also made this once i'd got fed up with teapot:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29377058

also this (needs one slight tweak according to the description):

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34224038

and this if you wanna go to a nice chippie near whitstable:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32858601

My partner ordered some stuff on like the 3rd of March and it was dispatched a week later, due for delivery today. Guessing they've fuck all staff to fulfill orders so it's just taking a while.

Still around? Diesel or petrol?

Might need a new car soon and this is the exact thing I'd be looking for. I'm on the Isle of Wight...

Yep. Loved opening that up and seeing my face on the cover :')

Also did it in 2019 as a PBP qualifier. Memory is kinda vague but I did have a nice time. Route is nice. Lumpy in the middle iirc

Nice, I've been pining for one ever since my old one broke. Gone for a bag of the micro-lot stuff.

The landslide in Ventnor isn't on the Randonnee route so it shouldn't affect that.

New intel from an islander (me): lovely new coffee shop in Bembridge is now open called Lagom and would be an ideal coffee stop if starting from Yarmouth or Cowes, it's right on the route.

I've not ridden it for ages because I find it really fucking hard at my current cycling ability. The ups and downs over the east of the island are laughably constant and it knackers me so much.

The white MTB ones used to be my shoe of choice but I got fed up of the plastic (?) wearing on the toe and looking tatty real quick.

Having said that I still find them really comfy, haven't had any issues apart from that. Maybe I'll get some black ones.

If you'd consider posting (which I'd pay for obvs) then I'd love to take this...

I get 1kg of beans from Django every month. £21.50 delivered and they have 30% off codes emailed quite regularly which makes it £15.50. Great roastery, v good for lighter roasts.

I picked up a 'like new' Pixel 7 from o2 this week (to replace an ageing Pixel 4a which didn't charge properly) - bit of a headache trying to find the option on their website but at £289 I can't complain - phone was pristine and battery life has been great so far. Only downside is you have to take out a 1 month rolling £18 "contract" at the same time, but that bit's cancellable under distance selling regs. To save myself the hassle of phoning up to cancel I've ported that number over to a spare PAYG SIM I had lying around. Hopefully it'll go alright.

I broke it a couple of months after getting it!!! Haven't bought another one because I have countless other ways to make coffee, even though it was probably my favourite method :(

(It's mainly the plastic which bothered me. I don't need more plastic shit.)

Where have all the nice packable jackets gone? Doesn't need to be waterproof or anything, just something I can shove in my back pocket.

I really like this https://www.rapha.cc/gb/en/shop/womens-rapha-ellen-paige-wind-jacket/product/AFW01XX but OOS in larger sizes.

Amazing write up, so evocative of my 2019 experience.

I didn't realise that I felt like this but all the chat about it reaaaaaally makes me want to ride it again

Shit! Such a shame.

when i click on the sale items they're showing full price for me - goddamn it!

(thanks everyone for the heads up though)

Hello! Yes (I live here).

New bakery in Cowes called The Lost Mill looks 10/10, though I've not tried it yet and it might be very inconvenient depending on where you're starting from. Oh - I see Portsmouth, so by the time you get to Cowes it'll probably be shut.

Off The Rails, as someone has just mentioned, is quite nice but I find the vibe of it a bit weird, it's basically a restaurant but has shit opening times and is normally really busy inside. Weather on Saturday looks fine so shouldn't be an issue if you want to sit out. Though personally I'd stop in Freshwater Bay just after you come off Military Road; get a pizza here if you're after 2pm: https://www.instagram.com/gusto2go/ - and the beer bus should be open which is right by the beach. If you're before 2pm there's a new cafe opened opposite the beach called The Surf Shack or something but that looks a bit basic. There's also the Piano Cafe and Dimbola Lodge (more a tea room) but those have both been open for years.

Bembridge will probably be too soon for you to stop but if you are taking a leisurely approach to the day, the White Knuckle Brewery have a brew pub at the Pilot Inn which you'll pass right by the harbour.

Found some old (but never ridden) Conti Sport Contact II in the garage so popped them on my bike. Wow, they're surprisingly nice aren't they? Feel much nicer than the cheapo Lifeline ones I was riding previously.