8C sunny
Wanted to head out for Ventnor today to explore the promenade. I'd also spottted lots of steep climbs around there on the OS maps.
Headed out around 4pm when the sun was shining. I looped around Shanklin and back through Ventnor. To get down to promenade there is a choice of two 25% roads. One actually resembles Lombard Street in San Francisco with flowers etc roadside. Very pretty.
I find climbing these kinds of gradients ok, its the descending that takes skill; remembering to shift your weight over the back of the saddle. I nearly went over handlebars braking hard for the hairpins...
The promenade was very twee, without being overly commercialised. From here I climbed the other 25% just so I could try both.
From there I found the aptly named "zig zag road" which had had around 6 switchbacks to climb. Then it was on up a few more 1:7 drags up to the WWII Radar station. It was beautiful up on the downs. Fantastic views of the sea.
Thanks for sharing. I love cycling on The Isle of Wight. Last year we hired a tandem & did our first 70 miler, we now have our own and are planning another 70 miles, but round Angelsey next time.
ReplyDeleteIoW hills are beautiful and yes that hill is like Lombard St - I cycled down that last Oct, which did take much skill, esp with a bag of chinese take-away dangling off my handlebars.
Happy 30 days. Looking fwd to reading the rest.
Thanks for the comment. Thats a lovely image with a bag of takeaway dangling off the handlebars :) Good luck and a safe trip around Anglesey
DeleteYour posts are making me wish I was coming back to the IoW soon - already so many trips booked in this year for long weekends away hostelling tho.
DeleteIt's good being in SF out of season - I didnt have to worry about loads of cars going down the street.