I am looking at rides for the summer and this looks like a decent challenge. Ride from Ilfracombe to Plymouth, dinner and a night in a hotel, ride back to Ilfracombe. Easily doable? I've been on the Tarka trail from Braunton to Puffing Billy cafe which was pretty easy on decent surfaces. Is the rest of it as pleasant? I'm thinking of 32c road tyres as my 47c gravel tyres were overkill. Any info gratefully received.
https://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-a-route-on-the-national-cycle-network/devon-coast-to-coast/
Easily Doable - Yes.
With a little clever planning you could use road tyres. There is a short section on the Granite Way (500m) that you couldn't avoid where a landowner needed to exert their power over others and didn't allow that bit to be tarmacked but apart from that there are options on all of the other rougher bits (just before/after Mary Tavy and at Meeth)
The " middle" section is on (fairly quiet) roads and is quite hilly. Fabulous route, plenty of pubs and cafés too....
Yes....easy. You could come back via the Dartmoor way - Plymouth to Okehampton, from.Okehampton pick up the tarka trail so you aren't repeating everything! It will be more climbing but also more interesting. You would follow the Dartmoor way from Oke - Plymouth....
