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Anyone got any route tips or ideas for gravel lane/fireroad/minor roads around Cornwall?
Looking at including the camel trail and some national cycle routes, aiming for something like 50-75 miles a day for a long weekend?
My experience around the N.Cornwall area is that the roads are either tiny single track with giant banks either side and a strip of grass down the middle or quite fast A/B roads.
The tiny single tracks are fun but the surface can be appalling and if wet the amount of cowshit/mud truly awesome. Also be aware if it's near harvest it's quite likely you will meet a giant tractor and trailor thundering along driven by a sleep deprived 17year old trying to beat the incoming rain.
I put this loop together a few years ago and enjoyed it.
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/675451
Tip
Don't wear headphones on country lanes. With all the blind corners you need to hear what's coming.
Just go get lost.
As a regular visitor to Cornwall there's plenty of places to get stuck into narrow lanes / gravel tracks - don't forget your climbing legs! Some faves are a loop from Looe, West Looe, Talland Bay, Polperro, Llansalos to Polruan, Penpoll, Lerryn, East Taphouse, Herods Foot back into Looe - I have extended this to meet up with the Camel Trail and gone all the way to the North Coast at Port Quin and back again. I've also done lots of exploring between Portreath, Porthtowan, Chapel Porth and St Agnes on a CX bike - particularly around the old mine workings and bits of the coast path. Finally, Cape Cornwall around to Botallack on a clear day for the view/scenery.
Agree with all above. Esp earphones advice, and the seasonal nature -ie doable for select few days in summer -impossible other times. Am trying to piece together a North Cornwall back-road/bridleway loop with options for both Tarka and Camel trails, but it is slow going. Many bridleways are overgrown and marked farm tracks are sometimes dead-ends/impassable. As per other day I ran up against a disused farm trailer that very effectively blocked the byway from hedge to hedge with additional quagmire of slurry to deter even the most hardy cyclist or walker. The farmer said I was 'welcome to try aat'.
Yesterday was better:
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my email in profile - give a shout if you're heading North of The Camel Trail there are few short loops around Bude/Kilkhampton I can recommend off NCR 3
Clay trails north of st austell are worth a look, you can drop into Luxulyan woods from there as well. Highly recommended.
Lots of small and picturesque lanes on the Roseland peninsula as well.
Camel trail is a bit boring/flat/wide/busy/dull. Is better upstream from Nanstallon, from where you can choose to head to north cornwall or up on to the moors.
I put this loop together a few years ago and enjoyed it.
Looks decent.
Portreath, Porthtowan, Chapel Porth and St Agnes
I was staying in Porthtowan a couple of weeks ago, there's a trail, mostly offroad that goes from Portreath on the North coast to Devoran on the South. It was OK on the CX bike.
Some of the SW Coast Path in that area is scary enough along when it's windy let alone ride (6ft away from a 300ft drop to the see below).
^ (Portreath to Devoran) Mineral Tramways Trail?
I was staying in Porthtowan a couple of weeks ago, there's a trail, mostly offroad that goes from Portreath on the North coast to Devoran on the South. It was OK on the CX bike
Aye, check out the Mineral Tramways trails in this area (my local area). Good gravel bike type routes that you could link together.
[url= http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/mineral-tramways ]Mineral Tramways map[/url]
Forgot to mention the Tramway to Devoran - nice to include it as part of a bigger loop as its only about 10 miles coast to coast.
I put this loop together a few years ago and enjoyed it.
Yoink. Stolen. Thanks. might make for a little weekend away. 😉
Thanks for some of these ideas.
This is what I've ended up with so far. 3 days of rides:
https://www.plotaroute.com/route/246698
https://www.plotaroute.com/route/246732
https://www.plotaroute.com/route/246700
Not totally sure on mix of on and off road but should be suitable for a CX/gravel bike trip.
Any comments on those?