Cycling in Cornwall

[livpoksoc]

We may have to make a last minute visit to Cornwall this weekend to see family & I need to find a training route on the quieter lanes. Knowing that most of the B roads do get busy even what it's not holiday season, and not knowing the back roads enough I was hoping some locals or tourers may know some quieter patches. Ideally I'll be doing a 40 mile round trip or a 20 mile there and back etc.

We will be just outside of Newquay, but I can drive/get dropped off to a suitable place if it means avoiding the busier roads.

 

[marzjennings]

I hope you like hills.

The B3276 used to be a nice ride up to Padstow and back. It's been almost 20 years since I rode it, but it may still be a quiet road. The distance is only 15 miles up to Padstow, but as these are Cornish miles they'll be double what you're used to.

 

[livpoksoc]

I hope you like hills.

The B3276 used to be a nice ride up to Padstow and back. It's been almost 20 years since I rode it, but it may still be a quiet road. The distance is only 15 miles up to Padstow, but as these are Cornish miles they'll be double what you're used to.

Thanks. Will give that a look. I don't mind as I need to be doing some climbing anyway.

 

[Brains]

I hope you like hills.

The B3276 used to be a nice ride up to Padstow and back. It's been almost 20 years since I rode it, but it may still be a quiet road. The distance is only 15 miles up to Padstow, but as these are Cornish miles they'll be double what you're used to.

From Padstow you can then do the entire Camel trail, 17 miles on an old train line with cream tea places and the odd pub en-route. Either then ride back the way you came, or make a circuit of it and catch the foot ferry back to Padstow (Bikes £2)

Route to link Camel Trail Start to Finish
Padstow
Ferry to Rock
NE on road to Pityme
Turn Right @ Pityme 953.767
To 972.765 Turn left (North)
To Higher Rosewin, Turn Right (East)
To Tregwarmond
To Trevine
To Trewaethern
To St Kew, take 2nd Turning & go past pub (good food) and Church
@ 023.770
Take road south to Polling (to Golf Range)
Straight over Road to footpath
Down to Dinhams Bridge @ 032.739
Go 1st Left (N.E.)
To St Tudy (Pub and village shop)
From St Tudy SE Road out
& Straight to Pooleys bridge
Join Camel Trail to Padstow (Flat and slightly down hill all the way, pub at Bodmin, Cream Teas at Halt)
32 Miles.

Make sure you can read a map !

 

[livpoksoc]

From Padstow you can then do the entire Camel trail, 17 miles on an old train line with cream tea places and the odd pub en-route. Either then ride back the way you came, or make a circuit of it and catch the foot ferry back to Padstow (Bikes £2)

Route to link Camel Trail Start to Finish
Padstow
Ferry to Rock
NE on road to Pityme
Turn Right @ Pityme 953.767
To 972.765 Turn left (North)
To Higher Rosewin, Turn Right (East)
To Tregwarmond
To Trevine
To Trewaethern
To St Kew, take 2nd Turning & go past pub (good food) and Church
@ 023.770
Take road south to Polling (to Golf Range)
Straight over Road to footpath
Down to Dinhams Bridge @ 032.739
Go 1st Left (N.E.)
To St Tudy (Pub and village shop)
From St Tudy SE Road out
& Straight to Pooleys bridge
Join Camel Trail to Padstow (Flat and slightly down hill all the way, pub at Bodmin, Cream Teas at Halt)
32 Miles.

Make sure you can read a map !

Thanks. The in laws mentioned the camel trail. Is it suitable for a road bike or is it gravel in places?

 

[PK99]

I hope you like hills.

The B3276 used to be a nice ride up to Padstow and back. It's been almost 20 years since I rode it, but it may still be a quiet road. The distance is only 15 miles up to Padstow, but as these are Cornish miles they'll be double what you're used to.

I know that road well as a driver, I would not go anywhere near it on a bike. Narrow, stone walls both sides, blind bends, drivers who do not know how to drive those roads. I like to enjoy my cycling!

 

[livpoksoc]

I know that road well as a driver, I would not go anywhere near it on a bike. Narrow, stone walls both sides, blind bends, drivers who do not know how to drive those roads. I like to enjoy my cycling!

That was my worry. I've seen the way the locals drive around the farming lanes & do worry about taking the bike out.

 

[PK99]

Thanks. The in laws mentioned the camel trail. Is it suitable for a road bike or is it gravel in places?

Hardback gravel. Good for crosser or mtb. I'd avoid on skinny road rubber.

 

[livpoksoc]

Hardback gravel. Good for crosser or mtb. I'd avoid on skinny road rubber.

What I feared. Nevermind.

 

[Brains]

What I feared. Nevermind.

The Camel Trail claims to be the most used dedicated cycle trail in the UK.
(Although I suspect some of Boris's blue lanes in London would well exceed the cycle traffic)

The Padstow to Wadebridge section, although mostly beaten and rolled fine gravel is so well used by bikes it has a better surface than most Cornish lanes, the section beyond Wadebridge is less used, so whilst perfectly usable even with slicks, it would be less comfortable and slower, but still perfectly usable.

Having said which I'd be putting on something with a bit of tread and width for Cornish lanes, remember grass growing down the middle is far from unusual, corners have gravel, wet and dried mud (and other less pleasant stuff) is common around field gates and farm yards.
If you go down a lane where the hedge trimmer has been recently, remember the dominant hedge plant is Hawthorn, even commuter and touring tyres will puncture with Hawthorn.

 

[Brains]

That was my worry. I've seen the way the locals drive around the farming lanes & do worry about taking the bike out.

On the lanes there is a pecking order:
Agricultural machinery is top, followed by Landrovers (if covered in red dust), followed by large animals, then local cars (if covered in red dust), then pedestrians with Labs or Springer's (and possibly cyclists, as long as they have a basket on the front).
All non-Cornish (clean) vehicles/people/dogs/cyclists come last

 

[Saluki]

From Padstow you can then do the entire Camel trail, 17 miles on an old train line with cream tea places and the odd pub en-route. Either then ride back the way you came, or make a circuit of it and catch the foot ferry back to Padstow (Bikes £2)

Route to link Camel Trail Start to Finish
Padstow
Ferry to Rock
NE on road to Pityme
Turn Right @ Pityme 953.767
To 972.765 Turn left (North)
To Higher Rosewin, Turn Right (East)
To Tregwarmond
To Trevine
To Trewaethern
To St Kew, take 2nd Turning & go past pub (good food) and Church
@ 023.770
Take road south to Polling (to Golf Range)
Straight over Road to footpath
Down to Dinhams Bridge @ 032.739
Go 1st Left (N.E.)
To St Tudy (Pub and village shop)
From St Tudy SE Road out
& Straight to Pooleys bridge
Join Camel Trail to Padstow (Flat and slightly down hill all the way, pub at Bodmin, Cream Teas at Halt)
32 Miles.

Make sure you can read a map !

Or a cup of tea at the Snails Pace Cafe at Wenfordbridge (half a mile from Pooley's Bridge). Cheaper than the Nanstallon tea place or the pub. Plenty of places for a cuppa in Wadebridge too. Right up by the bike hire places, there are a whole bunch of cafes.
You'll need to take it steady on the trail, just look at the scenery, it's worth it. There will be a million and one grockles, on hire bikes, most of whom have not ridden a bike in 30 years yet think that they are Chris Froome. Zigzagging about, riding 4 abreast and generally being a PITA. Locals ride after 5pm when the tourists have handed their hire bikes back.

Don't forget that the Cornwall Show will still be on on Saturday so the roads will be chokka.
That's a nice route BTW, I might just have to give that one a go but start in Wadebridge and go to Padstow and then take the ferry to Rock.

 

[Brains]

@Saluki
"Grockles"?
'Tis "Emmets" moi luvva!

 

[Brains]

Or a cup of tea at the Snails Pace Cafe at Wenfordbridge (half a mile from Pooley's Bridge). Cheaper than the Nanstallon tea place or the pub. Plenty of places for a cuppa in Wadebridge too. Right up by the bike hire places, there are a whole bunch of cafes.
You'll need to take it steady on the trail, just look at the scenery, it's worth it. There will be a million and one grockles, on hire bikes, most of whom have not ridden a bike in 30 years yet think that they are Chris Froome. Zigzagging about, riding 4 abreast and generally being a PITA. Locals ride after 5pm when the tourists have handed their hire bikes back.

Don't forget that the Cornwall Show will still be on on Saturday so the roads will be chokka.
That's a nice route BTW, I might just have to give that one a go but start in Wadebridge and go to Padstow and then take the ferry to Rock.

If you do the route anti-clockwise then it's a looooong uphill from Pooleys Bridge to St Tudy,
Clockwise the hills are less noticeable

Not tried the Snails café yet, think its run by a couple of friends of my sister
(who lives in St Teath, other sister and Mum are in St Tudy. Are you local as well ?)

 

[Saluki]

If you do the route anti-clockwise then it's a looooong uphill from Pooleys Bridge to St Tudy,
Clockwise the hills are less noticeable

Not tried the Snails café yet, think its run by a couple of friends of my sister
(who lives in St Teath, other sister and Mum are in St Tudy. Are you local as well ?)

Wadebridge.
I like the Snails. Nick the owner recognises us now and knows we have a coffee for 1 and we share (Hubster on fluid restriction due to dialysis) and sometimes we have a bit of cake each and sometimes we share a brownie, depending on finances. It's 11.8 miles from ours, so a nice ride of just over 231/2 miles, there and back again, relatively flat riding. I cannot remember, for the life of me, Nick's wife's name.

This clockwise hill climbing being better, is that a general thing or just the climb to St Tudy? My neighbour used to live in St Tudy.