Chalk cliffs, leafy hollows and garlic — bikepacking the Isle of Wight

Taking a boat anywhere instantly feels like a holiday, especially if you're on a bike. A 20 minute FastCat ride from Portsmouth transports you to the glorious Isle of Wight in the English Channel, an island spanning 23 miles (37 km) at its widest point.

In October, I was invited to spend a couple of days bikepacking by Visit Isle of Wight, led by local guide Tim Wiggins. The circular road route around the island is popular with cyclists, and having ridden it myself a few years ago I can confirm that the 68 mile (109 km) route is gorgeous, but this time I was very intrigued to find out what lay in store when we ventured off the tarmac.

Tim had planned two days of riding for us, with a luxury overnight stay at Tapnell Farm in one of their amazing Safari Tents, as camping at this time of year could be a bit risky! From the pier at Ryde, we crossed the island to the Needles on the first day, taking in farmland and wooded tracks across the island's interior, before returning to the ferry port the next day via a different route further south, which included some delightful cycle trails.

Take on this scenic route if you enjoy really varied landscapes and terrain, from tackling steep, leafy hollows to wide open chalk bridleways with views of the cliffs and English Channel, quiet cycleways through nature reserves and gorgeous villages. One of the other things that really struck me about the island is their appreciation for local produce, so there's plenty of delicious, island-farmed food on offer if you know where to look!

As there are some pretty chunky gravel trails along this route, I’d recommend either a gravel bike with tyres wider than 40mm, or a lightweight mountain bike.

Travel to the island is easier than you might think: I took a train to Portsmouth Harbour, from which it's only a few steps down the platform onto the FastCat passenger ferry which takes you to Ryde in just 20 minutes. There's great bike storage facilities on this ferry too and you can even sit on the top deck in good weather to enjoy views of the approaching island, passing seabirds and mighty tankers on your short journey.