Grab your jersey and come ride Jersey 🇯🇪

This week, first time contributor Peter Varley-Best takes us to his island home of Jersey.

Jersey is the largest of the Channel Islands, between England and France. A self-governing dependency of the United Kingdom, with a mix of British and French cultures, it’s known for its beaches, cliffside walking trails, inland valleys and historic castles.

Considering that there is around 550km of road in Jersey, we are SUPER impressed that Peter has captured over 250km of them in this series.

This collection from Jersey is one of the reasons why we love rides from local contributors. They give a real flavour of a region and show us some of the hidden gems you wouldn’t know about if you just turned up with a bike and started riding.

Thanks for this fun series Peter.

SAINT HELIER TO L'ETACQ

A scenic ride taking in a few climbs, nothing too steep and all relatively short. You start on the seafront in St Helier, and then head west following the coast to St Aubin. The cycle path is where the old railway would have run from Gorey to Corbiere. After St Aubin you climb and go to Noirmont Point. Jersey was occupied by Nazi Germany in World War 2 and you will see the defences the Germans built as part of the Atlantic Wall. Next is Corbiere lighthouse, the first to be built in the British Isles out of concrete. Ride on along the flat 5 Mile road (it is not actually 5 miles long) and see the defence towers built in the 18th century. Finish at L’Etacq looking out over St Ouen’s Bay.

More Info
27.76km
DISTANCE
1:02:01
DURATION
206m
ELEVATION

THE MEANDERING LANES OF JERSEY

This is a favourite ride of mine for getting off the beaten track. Although filmed at the height of the tourist season in late July, you hardly notice any cars until you reach the west coast towards the end of the ride. Feel free to lose yourself meandering along the beautiful, narrow and peaceful lanes of Jersey. Simply magical. Start at Five Oaks and head north towards the world famous Jersey Zoo. Head west at the zoo and follow a twisty route to the west coast. Enjoy some beautiful views as you descend towards St. Ouen’s Bay. A little kick in the tail as you climb Le Mont du Vallet at L’Etacq before arriving at El Tico, a beach side restaurant that is popular with tourists, locals, cyclists and surfers alike.

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43.9km
DISTANCE
1:48:07
DURATION
400m
ELEVATION

JERSEY - FROM THE WEST COAST TO THE SOUTH COAST

A short ride but with much to watch - as you see locals getting on with their daily lives. Start by climbing out of St Ouen’s Bay towards Jersey airport and the busy junction at Red Houses (note the heavy traffic due to the closure of the main road to St Helier). Drop down to the delightful village of St Aubin on the south coast. Continue on the cycle track along St. Aubin’s Bay. You can see Elizabeth Castle sitting in the bay - named in the 17th century by the then Governor of Jersey, Sir Walter Raleigh, in honour of Queen Elizabeth I. This Castle also provided refuge to King Charles II during the English Civil War. Continue along to St Helier, seeing a bit of town life as you cycle through the streets of St Helier.

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15.52km
DISTANCE
0:46:33
DURATION
148m
ELEVATION

SAINT HELIER TO SAINT CATHERINE

A mainly flat ride with two short climbs, popular with Jersey cyclists. You start at the old harbour in the capital, St Helier, and then follow the coast road, travelling east to St Catherine’s breakwater. Look out for the Conway and Martello towers built in the 17th, 18th, and 19th century as fortifications to protect the island. Also look out for Seymour Tower 2km out from the Jersey coast. Continue to Mont Orgueil Castle, built in the 12th century, proudly standing guard above Gorey village, then on to St Catherine’s breakwater in the north eastern corner of the island.

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17.61km
DISTANCE
0:39:20
DURATION
119m
ELEVATION

JERSEY - AROUND THE ROCK

Although Jersey is only a small island (9 miles x 5 miles), this is a beautiful, longer ride offering some stunning and varied views of the coastline of Jersey. A regular and popular ride by Jersey cyclists is to go around the Island - known as ‘The Rock’ by the locals. A clockwise or anti-clockwise route is usually decided by the strength and direction of the wind. In this anti-clockwise ride, you start on the south coast in the capital of St Helier, travel east on fairly flat roads to Gorey and Mont Orgueil Castle, then ride to St Catherine in the north east corner before climbing to ride a rolling route along the cliffs of the north coast. Drop down to the west coast and ride along the flat Five Mile Road in St Ouen’s Bay towards Corbiere lighthouse. Finish by cycling through the delightful village of St Aubin and back along the south coast to St. Helier.

More Info
63.88km
DISTANCE
2:32:37
DURATION
533m
ELEVATION

ROZEL AND BOULEY BAY

A scenic ride along the north coast of Jersey. Just a couple of short climbs to test the legs. A gentle meander through pretty Jersey lanes before dropping down to picturesque Rozel Bay. On a clear day you can see the French coast just 14 miles away. Look out for the horses enjoying an early morning paddle in the sea at the harbour. Climb out of the bay and almost immediately drop down to neighbouring Bouley Bay. The hairpins, although few in number, will test your legs as you climb back out. The annual Bouley Bay Hill Climb hosts various events for cars, motorbikes, go karts and cycles. Finish by cycling back to Five Oaks via the village of St. John.

More Info
36.78km
DISTANCE
1:35:52
DURATION
447m
ELEVATION

JERSEY - NORTH COAST BAYS

A challenging, hilly ride across the north coast cliffs of Jersey. The cliffs exceed 100m and have short, sharp climbs from sea level. Start by descending towards L’Etacq, before climbing to start riding along the north coast. Climbs and descents of various gradients (no more than 18% for brief sections) to test the legs, as you explore the bays at Greve de Lecq, Bonne Nuit (a tough one), Bouley Bay and Rozel. Watch out for the horses and then at about 1.5km from the finish, sprint the short, straight road called ‘Guy’s Dip’, named after a local legend in the cycling community. Finish at The Village Tearoom, St. Martin - which has the best coffee and cake in Jersey and is frequented by the Jersey Rouleurs Cycle Club. No better way to finish a ride.

More Info
35.48km
DISTANCE
1:33:18
DURATION
597m
ELEVATION

L'ETACQ LOOP

A short, fairly flat loop on the west coast of Jersey. A great little recovery ride around the bay of St Ouen. Notice the windswept trees bending away from the prevailing westerly winds. Enjoy the views at L’Etacq as you make your way back through country lanes. You will see several houses, farms and walls made of local Jersey granite - light grey to pink in colour.

More Info
12.54km
DISTANCE
0:29:40
DURATION
82m
ELEVATION

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