[Closed] Devon coast to coast

I do it a shorter version regularly Westward Ho! - Plymouth Hoe. But no overnight I am afraid.

We made an attempt at it a few years back.
It's 100 miles, from Plymouth to Ilfracombe. so our plan was to stay 66 miles from Plymouth, drive w vehicles to Plymouth, park at the ferry port, then ride back to the digs. Next day was supposed to ride the 33 miles to Ilfracombe, and 33 back, for another 66 Mike day, then ride back to Plymouth on the third day and pick the cars up.

First day went pretty much to plan, but was hillier, after Okehampton than some of the party would have liked. Second day had already been identified as the hilly day, so we settled for Barnstaple and back. Third day was very windy and rainy, so we drove to Ilfracombe for fish & chips and a general mooch around.

Despite not completing the plan, it was a good trip.

Family wise, the Plymouth to Okehampton stretch is good, but still hard work, and the stretch from Torrington to Barnstaple is really scenic and easy.

If you wanted to attempt what we did, then Stowford Lodge near Torrington comes highly recommended - a hidden gem that we have subsequently used as a base for a non cycling holiday

I did a coast to coast to coast Plym-Croyde-Plym in a weekend a few years ago, bikepacking style camping in Croyde. It's pretty hilly, Strava says we averaged 13.7mph with 4300ft climbing each way (it deffo felt like more) semi-loaded. It's flat-ish around Barnstaple/Bideford on the railway path, but lumpy otherwise. I'd plan for 2 or 3 days with someone less fit personally - on the upside it is a really nice route.

Did Croyde to Plymouth with a group of not-so-keen cyclists a couple of years ago. 3 days riding. Stayed at The Thatch in Croyde for the night before the start and enjoyed that. B & B's after that in Great Torrington and Okehampton, then a hotel in Plymouth. Used a gpx of the route from the "official" website which worked well. Had the luggage transferred each night which was great and not too expensive. Same company (imaginatively named Luggage Transfers Ltd) took us and our bikes back to Croyde at the end. First day (Croyde to Torrington) almost flat. Second day (to Okehampton) more lumpy but not too bad. Third day a bit climbey to start but then a long downhill on a disused railway (Drake's trail) almost to Plymouth which was ace. All very scenic and lovely. We did it in June and had great weather. Thoroughly recommend it.

We did it last summer (Ilfracombe to Plymouth). Apart from the initial climb out of Ilfracombe and the one up to the top of Dartmoor it was all pretty flat and mellow (Strava somehow said that the route was slightly downhill despite being sea level to sea level??). Apart from a few bits of road it’s all on old railway tracks so didn’t have to worry about traffic too much.

Dropped a car off in Plymouth the day before and set off nice and early so had no time pressure and plenty of daylight. All of us were pretty un bike fit at the time so made sure we stopped for coffee / cake / snacks at every opportunity.

It’s a great route and day out, I can highly recommend it.

Four of us did a slightly shorter version over the weekend - went from Coypool to Yelland where we camped Saturday night and then back to Coypool yesterday. That route was about 68 miles each way - the proper version from the Hoe up to Ilfracombe is about 100.

Really enjoyable and you get a fantastic variety of Devon countryside. I took a 29er hardtail with some racey xc tyres pumped up hard, two took gravel bikes and one rode a rigid hybrid. As stated, it's nearly all on either old rail way or very very quiet rural roads. There are a couple of slightly busier road sections but they are short. Couple of bits of single track and a short section of open moor riding but all very straight forward and definitely fits the description flatish.

The camp site at Yelland is pretty basic - portaloos and a tap, and that's it on the ablutions front. However, that all pales into insignificance as there is a brewery on site and Lawrence the brewer is an entertaining host. He also let us order a Chinese take away (in Yelland) and for us to eat it in his establishment which made for a memorable evening - highly recommended!

My wife did it with 3 friends last year over two days, staying overnight at Okehampton youth hostel.

All four are far from regular cyclists. Wife was riding a 26er Boardman hardtail with slicks, but couple of the others were on proper clunkers.

Long days in the saddle for them and they were knackered at the end, but hopefully shows it's very doable.

My friend is a teacher at a secondary school in Devon and offers this as a trip to some of the students and as above they stay over at the YHA at Okehampton. He says the biggest challenge of the trip is the range of BSO that the kids turn up on. Think there is normally a few tears but they manage to get them all through it.

Yep done it a couple of times, most recently on a hired tandem with Mrs P.

Highly recommended as a fun cycling challenge for those who don't cycle a lot. We did Ilfracombe to Plymouth, stopping overnight in Okehhampton. The first day is the hardest but neither is bad as such, lots of gentle climbing and descending.

We parked at Plymouth station, train up to the start then rode back to Plymouth. Avoid busy days to get several bikes on a train up from Plymouth to the north coast though, those trains get packed. Think we stayed at the Marine Court in Ilfracombe and White Hart in Okehampton and both were cool with secure bike storage.

I think it's a great casual cyclist "distance" route and very accessible from a road safety / technical skill point of view, but I think over 2 days it's around a 60 mile / 40 mile split, so the "family" description is presumably reasonably fit couples and teens?

What bikes did those who have done it use?

I'm planning to do Ilfracombe to Plymouth, either in a day or 2 next month & have a road bike on 25mm tyres, or a 150mm travel hardtail with DHF & DHR tyres to choose from.

Research suggests to use the road bike & be prepared to walk one 600 metre section. Does this ring true?

Have done Paignton beach to Ilfracombe beach as a route mostly off road over Dartmoor which was 163k and took us 16 hours. Wouldn’t recommend it to a novice in a day having done it as it’s nearly 3000m climbing. You could do it in two days with a mega-treat for the wife and stay at Gidleigh Park as the route goes through the grounds😉

I did Ilfracombe to Plymouth in 2011.

I remember one or two hills but nothing drastic - the climb out of Ilfracombe is probably the steepest and longest of the entire 100 miles. We stopped at a bunk house in Tavistock after about 70 miles and had a leisurely cruise into Plymouth on the second day. Celebrated the finish with Ice Cream on the Hoe.

I rode it on a 26" wheeled hardtail with 100 mm travel front forks. I recall that it would have been do-able on a road bike or maybe a 'gravel bike' ;o)

Research suggests to use the road bike & be prepared to walk one 600 metre section. Does this ring true?

i think the 600m section they are referring too is the bit from mary tavy hydro plant into peter tavy. doable on a gravel bike, just about doable on a road bike if you are careful. or take a couple of mile detour by road up to hill bridge.

Its a great route to do as a family, very scenic. We did it a few years ago in 3 days, the youngest was 8 at the time, staying on campsites in Torrington and Tavistock. Probably over 60% on traffic free trails with the middle part through Hatherleigh to Okehampton in the lanes, plus a road section around Lydford Gorge. Helps if everyone has some basic road riding awareness. Doable on pretty much any bike ideally on slicks.

i think the 600m section they are referring too is the bit from mary tavy hydro plant into peter tavy. doable on a gravel bike, just about doable on a road bike if you are careful. or take a couple of mile detour by road up to hill bridge.

You're right - there's also a short stretch along the open moor between North Brentor and 'The Old Railway Cottage' of which on a road bike about 100m is probably a carry.

Forgot about that. Probably less than a mile detour on the road if you wanted to miss it out.

Awesome, thanks all 👍.
Sounds like there is more to gain being on skinny tyres than there is to loose compared with fat knobbly tyres & low 1x gearing.😊

Its a great route to do as a family, very scenic. We did it a few years ago in 3 days, the youngest was 8 at the time, staying on campsites in Torrington and Tavistock.

Could you say a bit more about how the eight year old got on? Thinking of a trip with the kids... Cheers.

@ransos, the 8 year old was fine but I did push our luck a bit with the distances, the second day from Torrington to Tavistock was 80km, in the pouring rain too. Depends on how used to distances they are of course, but a 3.5 day tour would cut you more slack. For example a north to south would include overnight stays in Torrington, Okehampton and Tavistock, with an easy finish into Plymouth on the last day for pizzas on the Barbican. Some decent campsites in or v near to those towns too, inc YHA Okehampton which is right next to the trail.