From Clive:
What is that you may ask?
Lostock cycling weekend 14/17 May 2026 riding round the Isle Of Man unsupported, where the local pagan Thriskelion symbol of the three armoured legs of Mann- representing – motion, power and life come from 🇮🇲.
Famous the world over for its Motorcycle Time Trial races held in June where 37m of public roads are lapped at average speeds of 137 mph in around 17 minutes.
Giving us our above WhatsApp group name for the weekend.
Setting out at lunchtime last Thursday
Mary and Nikki cycled over to Liverpool Albert dock meeting the rest of the group :- Rob, Andy, Evan, Greg, Kath, Heather, Janet and myself driving over later, after parking the cars to catch the 7pm ferry to Douglas. Riding up the car ramp into the car deck and strapping your bike to the ship was the start of an exciting adventure.
The ship or ‘GIANT JET SKI’ is amazing travelling at over 30mph across the Irish Sea, eating great value meals and playing cards we soon disembarked at 10pm – cycled to the ‘Best Western palace hotel and casino’ located on the promenade.
😁🍺🎰
Friday early breakfast (each leaving a rucksack with clothes for Saturday night in the hotel luggage room) we headed South, laden with our Friday overnight bike bags along the undulating East cliff roads to Castletown offering stunning views over Douglas and dramatic costal scenery in the Sunshine. Continuing on to Port St Mary and beautiful fishing village Port Erin a not to be missed Coffee and cake stop at the steam train narrow gauge railway Station . A long steep climb up the A36 to summit at 1400Feet , a challenge in its own making it even tougher carrying all our overnight luggage fixed to the bikes.
A long run down to sea level then climbs as river valleys had to be crossed on the way for lunch at Peel. Heather and Kath spotted Tyson Fury and got a pic with him . The Castle, harbour and beach are stunning in the sunshine unfortunately with a cool wind blowing we ate lunch inside at the cafe. Following the west coast lanes up to Kirk Michael and TT course over to the fishing village of Ramsey on the East Coast .
The Elms Apartments we stayed in were fantastic . Food and drinks in the Swan were excellent. 50 miles of fantastic scenery
Saturday- home made full English breakfast (thanks Rob) and 9am on the road back to the west coast again, to finish the top of the Island loop around the Northerly ‘point of Ayre’ lighthouse where the shingle beach was full of seals . Returning again to Ramsey again for Lunch by the boating lake.
Drizzle arrived as we set off along small hilly lanes more river valleys and one 30% climb to Laxey looking at there famous ‘mine Water wheel’ arriving back at the same Douglas Casino hotel, retrieving our rucksacks left the previous day. Before the evening heavy rain. Food and drink in town and a bar with live music completed another 50m day.
Sunday route plans had to be changed as after local advice from the bike shop of ‘don’t go on the mountain roads on a bicycle’ with no speed restrictions cars and Motorcycles drive round at speeds of 140/200 mph highly dangerous. So we cycled across the middle of the Island along an old railway line now a cycle path to Peel from Douglas for a needed brew in the sunshine at the breakwater cafe next to the RNLI station. Back to the Douglas hotel to collect luggage and change in time to get on the return 3pm ferry and sailing home.
Back at my house for 7.30pm amazing.
A fantastic Island to visit by bicycle , very quiet, clean, tidy, friendly with stunning views. Other thing we found :- statues of the Bee Gees and George Formby. Horse drawn Trams and Manx kippers.
We all loved our first overnight experience of self sufficiency carrying all your own kit, unsupported by a ‘back up vehicle’ and the feeling of freedom it gives.
Next time it’s a full unsupported self sufficient 4day adventure in September.
Cheers all who came – more lifetime memories from a fantastic club and group of Friends.
