Last year Tom Farrell of Woods Cyclery fame proposed the idea of extending the Rat Run—a route he’d concocted the year before that, infamous Stinging Nettle Alley aside, has proved remarkably popular amongst UK bikepackers. And for good reason. Tom has collected quite the repertoire of trails in Dorset and Hampshire, and the Rat Run is like a greatest hits of them all.

Researching the Woods Rat Run XL in 2025.

Initially, he dubbed this boosted version the Rat Run XL, and in the autumn of 2025, we set out to scout a track he’d put together, bumping it by another 130 miles or so. Leaving from his shop in the New Forest, it worked in a section of the South Downs Way, before jumping over to the Isle of Wight via Portsmouth, zig-zagging to the other end of the island atop soaring chalk cliffs, then jumping on another ferry to plug back into the standard Rat Run near Lyndhurst.

Singlespeeding not required… but coffee is.

A great idea in theory, but in practice, several stints on busier paved roads diluted the unorthodox singletrack, brambly bridleway, and doubletrack vibes that we know and love about the Woods Rat Run. We couldn’t see a workable way to avoid this—or at least, one that aligned with the tone he’d imagined for the ride as a whole. Instead, we concluded that it would be more fitting to devise a standalone weekend route that starts and ends at The Woods Cyclery—where strong coffee and fresh pastries await—but focuses more keenly on the Isle of Wight. Such a loop could then be treated either as a ride with its own identity or incorporated into the Rat Run as an exploratory side trip for those with more time to spare and energy in their legs.

Keep your eyes peeled for cherry plums.

Still, even if the mission wasn’t entirely successful in terms of route building, no bike tour is ever wasted. The two of us enjoyed a fine few days camping out, delving down narrow passageways in ancient woodlands, pedalling up and down one grassy knoll after another, and drinking fancy coffee—as any Woods Cyclery ride demands. In places, we followed the established Chalk Ridge Extreme, a signposted mountain bike route that circles the Isle of Wight. This loop, despite its name, isn’t really extreme, though it winches up enough steep climbs to be a proper leg-burner of a day ride. It’s a fine showcase for how bike-friendly the Isle of Wight has become; we barely interacted with cars at all, and it’s signposted throughout. Us being us, we added a choppy wild swim to the mix, brewed coffee along the way, paused to gorge on handfuls of blackberries and cherry plums, and even rode past the house where Tom’s father was brought up.

Pushing bikes and taking a dip at Reeth Bay… all part of the IOW experience.

The project was shelved as the darkness of winter weather approached, time enough for Tom to turn ideas into reality, flipping the route direction and refining the track to create the Solent Scramble—which he’s fine-tuning and planning to launch soon. Of course, I’m always up for beta testing any Tom Farrell route because I invariably like his ad hoc style, and no sooner than I’d returned to the UK, Vish had booked us in for the ride.

If you’ve come across his Instagram account, you’ll know that Vish, hailing from Kerala, is quite the character. He manifests the sheer joy of cycling more than almost anyone I know, matched only perhaps by his love of summer raves. Since moving to the UK, he’s spent almost every free weekend investigating the UK’s rural roads in all their humdrum glory, and appreciating its countryside—wherever he may be—in a way I rarely see.

What’s more, we operate on a similar travel budget, and he’d come across a new, smaller, and more affordable ferry—more of a tugboat than a juggernaut—that’s called, delightfully, The Kraken, after the legendary giant squid. If you’re a fan of John Wyndham’s The Kraken Awakes, as I am, its name is likely to resonate even more. And did I mention the £10 crossing includes free coffee, tea, or hot chocolate on deck? Seeing a break in the summer heatwave, we headed over for the night to try the route out for size, and, suffice it to say, we had a blast! The Solent Scramble knits together traffic-free bike paths, grassy field yomps, and classic coastal bridleway action, tracing lofty ridgelines draped over chalky, soaring cliffs that offer panoramic sea vistas in every direction, with fabulous island vibes.

Mini-island vibes imbue the route with glorious sea vistas and time-locked seaside towns.

Vish and I followed Woods protocol by bringing with us an Aeropress and grinder—actually, Vish did the heavy lifting—picnicking in church gardens and dining on fat, sun-ripened blackberries whenever we saw them. At one point, he even plunged his face into a lavender bush teeming with bumblebees “to listen to their binaural hum.”

Vish and his binaural beats. Scroll through the gallery for more images of the route.

This ride was more about chill vibes than fast miles, and chatterboxed up climbs, happily pushing our bikes where needed. In keeping with this ride style, I was aboard my Rambler for this lap of the island, whilst Vish brought out the big gun—his Brother Big Bro, complete with Rohloff hub and fully waterproof Wizard Works bags, not that the weather required them. Vish has been collecting parts and working on this bike for years, a dream project for a dream ride he hopes to one day undertake across the Americas.

Vish’s Big Bro, primed and ready for The Big Trip… but being put to good use on Small Trips in the meantime.

As such, it’s decked out with all the European-, Japanese-, and US-made parts he could source… Paul brakes, Velocity rims, SimWorks handlebars—they’re all present and accounted for. Vish has a remarkably positive attitude on the world, a quality that can’t help but rub off on anyone who rides with him. Just look at that smile!

The one and only Vish.

As to the ride and island, we were entranced. In some ways, the riding there is similar to my own favourite stomping ground, the Purbeck Hills. Except it’s bigger and there’s more of it. No complaints at all, as it makes a fine complement to riding along the Jurassic Coast.

Both the initial recce and the almost-finished route have given me the distinct sense that the Isle of Wight is something of an overlooked cycling haven. As it happens, I’ve ridden there once before, writing up a Classic Ride for Cycling Plus magazine two decades prior. Plus ça change. Back then, I’d have been bouncing along bumpy bridleways on a skinny, knobbly-tyred cyclocross bike and using a foldout Ordnance Survey map to navigate. And whilst I may miss this old-tech style of route recon, I’m happy to report that wide tyres are definitely more comfortable and, despite all the intervening years, the Isle of Wight appears to have lost none of its charm.

My Dorset Rambler

All this route scouting reminded me what a pleasure it’s been to ride my Rambler across the bridleways of Dorset over the last couple of summers, so I’ll take this opportunity to share a bike check, especially as—finally—a new batch has just landed.

My Rambler in its current complete form, tuned for UK bridleway bashing and back lane bimbling alike.

My frame is one of the limited-edition Woods Cyclery Ramblers, in a faded ‘Summer T-Shirt’ yellow, and I put it together in the shop using a mishmash of rummaged parts I already owned, alongside a few shiny new ones. Actually, I’d planned to use only my existing parts, bar an old set of wheels Tom had hanging in the shop. But you know how it is… temptation struck in the Woods Emporium of Shiny Things, and I added a matching purple Hope headset to my Brad Bingham Ti seatpost. The latter is a family heirloom that goes with me from bike to bike.

A pilgrimage to meet Andy Stephenson at Stooge Towers in Shropshire, 2025.

I first set the Rambler up as a singlespeed, as much for budget as for simplicity. I even took it to North Wales to ride the classic Wayfarer route, over Pen Bwlch Llandrillo in the Berwyn Mountains. My knees popped but survived. But we eventually threw on some Microshift gears to add to its versatility. Better for riding to the train station, too. Given the smaller 27.5-inch wheels—compared at least to my 29+ Jones I generally ride—I paired it with a 34T chainring, so it rolls along at a nice clip. It’s my first time trying Microshift; consider me a fan. Ten speeds feel like plenty for this bike—I’m not hustling in a pack of stern-faced gravel riders, after all—and gear changes are dependable and reassuringly free of doubt.

Scottish Sean adds a Scottish touch to the Rambler, by way of Walnut Creek.

From what I understand, Microshift’s Advent X shifter is forward compatible with the newer, 11-speed MX groupset—as reviewed favourably by Neil—if I do ever need to replace my derailleur, or feel the urge for that extra gear. Schwalbe’s 2.6-inch Racing Ralphs are a little wide for rims with a 25mm internal measurement. Still, they offer lots of grip on loose turns and a reasonable lick of speed on pavement.

Overall, I love the retro MTB aesthetic, complete with double top tube and an elegant bi-plane fork, complete with its gargantuan frame bag real estate, at least in this size, which is a 57cm. This helps to keep most of the cargo weight centred. Bulky items are stashed up front or behind, as and when they’re needed. If a rack is more than a short trip requires, I have a compact 4.5L Restrap Saddlepack that I press into service.

Prepping and facing the frame in late 2024. Shiny parts are fine… as long as they’re durable too.

This bike carves beautifully through turns, and given the wide wingspan of the Moth bars, I feel like I’m soaring across the chalk cliffs of the English Coast. The riding position is upright, so I can best see the world.

Compared to a more surefooted touring bike, the Rambler feels quick and agile. Steering is similar in some ways to my Jones SWB—the head angle and fork offset are actually the same—but with its shorter wheelbase, smaller wheels, and narrower tyres, there are some welcome bonuses for the realities of UK riding. It’s easier to fit on a train or in the back of my mum’s 2002 Toyota Yaris Mk1. In other words, it’s perfect for the Purbecks. Terrain isn’t overly technical for the vast majority of the time, and is characterised by long, grassy climbs, bridleway ridges, sandy patches, backlanes, and the odd little worm of singletrack to dig up and nibble on.

Tom digs up one of those juicy Purbeck worms, aka a trail known as Frank’s Tank.

In fact, that was one of the main reasons I set it up for UK riding: I wanted a bike I could enjoy on bridleways and back lanes alike. A bike that would suit the Woods Cyclery’s Sunday rides, where the terrain is modest and fast rolling, without compromising my penchant for bouncing around the lumpier bridleways of neighbouring Dorset, where my parents live. I mostly use it for local overnighers and weekends away, though I’d have no hesitation taking it further afield as well.

Dorset and New Forest-friendly (action shot by Tom Farrell).

I’m not much of an underbiker, so a 2.4 to 2.6-inch tyre is probably my sweet spot for mixed-terrain riding. Clearance is best suited to maxing out at 2.5, though, especially during a gloopy UK winter. Between the frame itself and the build—handlebars, cassette, and chainring are all reassuringly stout steel—it’s not the lightest bike by any means. But it’s still fun to ride, which is a more important quality to me. And besides, the clue is in its name. This isn’t a race bike, though I’ve seen how capable it can be in the right hands, as ably demonstrated by Tom and his love of wall rides.

Wall-ride-capable, in the right hands.

My Stooge Rambler Build Kit

• Frame: Stooge Rambler 57cm
• Fork: Stooge Rambler biplane
• Rims: Hope RX24
• Hubs: Hope
• Tires: Schwalbe Racing Ralph
• Handlebars: Magic Components Moth Bars
• Stem: Nitto UI-76
• Headset: Hope Purple
• Headset spacers: Zig zag ones from my On One Inbred
• Crankset: Shimano XT
• Pedals: One Up Composite
• Cassette: Microshift 11-48T 10 Speed
• Derailleur(s): Microshift Sword
• Brakes: Avid BB7 Mtn and Avid Hydros
• Levers: Shimano XT V brake and peeling Sram Hydro
• Shifter(s): Microshift Advent X
• Saddle: Jones
• Seatpost: Bingham Built Sweetpost
• Front bags: BXB Goldback (L)
• Frame bags: Wizard Works Rolltop (waterproof)
• Rack:Tailfin Journey and marsupial SpeedPack
• Other accessories: Velo Orange water bottle cage, Tailfin cargo cages

Old wall and old school MTB vibes.

What’s next for the Rambler?

Very little, to be honest. I’m not going to go down the full Euro/US/Japanese parts route, à la Vish, with this Rambler, and I’d like to keep it as down-to-earth and dependable as I can. But there are a few changes I’ll make, even if none are pressing. I’ll swap out the mismatched brakes for two more contemporary BB7s I’ve sourced second hand—the one fitted currently is the old, non-Torx kind. I’d like to devise a Shovel Research-style bag support for added stability, using bits and pieces from forlorn racks that are gathering dust in my parents shed. Right now, I’m running 175mm cranks because that’s what I had. But given the Rambler’s 70mm bottom bracket drop, I’d like to try ones that are 170mm, or even shorter.

Wizard Works’ roll-top framebag is fully waterproof… though I’ve yet to feel a drop of rain to test it.

If you’re interested in your own Rambler build, the Woods Cyclery has a limited Blue Maroon colourway in stock. Judging from their build gallery, I’m not sure you can be in better hands. Or if you have a stockpile of parts that are looking for a good home… Stooge has a batch of Dark Sage and Blue Sky colourways too. Any questions about the Rambler? Feel free to ask them below!

For now, you can find a link to the Solent Scramble here—and we’ll be posting it to the site shortly.

Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, aka Ramble Country.

Further Reading

Make sure to dig into these related articles for more info...