Cycling Dartmoor

MattC59

Well, any recommendations / advice please ?

Mrs C and I are staying just outside North Bovey on Dartmoor for a week at the end of April. She has agreed to me taking the bike with me (it ws going anyway !!). So, does anyone have any routes that they'd care to share ?

One I considered was to follow the B3212 SW across the moor towards Princetown, turn off onto the B3357 before Princetown and follow it through Dartmeet and onto the B3387. Through Widecombe on the Moor and Haytor up to the A382 (which isn't much more than a B road by normal standards). The A382 takes me back up to Mortonhampstead and I can then loop back to North Bovey.

I'd like the idea of exploring the lanes, but to be honest, the surfaces, although tarmaced, look appauling, so does anyone have any route advice ?

Looking at google streetview, I suspect that my Ultremo ZX tyres might last about 15mins in the lanes, so was considering either Conti GP4000s or Conti GP 4Season tyres. Again, any thoughts ?

Cheers............ Matt

djhermer

MattC59 wrote:

Well, any recommendations / advice please ?

Mrs C and I are staying just outside North Bovey on Dartmoor for a week at the end of April. She has agreed to me taking the bike with me (it ws going anyway !!). So, does anyone have any routes that they'd care to share ?

One I considered was to follow the B3212 SW across the moor towards Princetown, turn off onto the B3357 before Princetown and follow it through Dartmeet and onto the B3387. Through Widecombe on the Moor and Haytor up to the A382 (which isn't much more than a B road by normal standards). The A382 takes me back up to Mortonhampstead and I can then loop back to North Bovey.

I'd like the idea of exploring the lanes, but to be honest, the surfaces, although tarmaced, look appauling, so does anyone have any route advice ?

Looking at google streetview, I suspect that my Ultremo ZX tyres might last about 15mins in the lanes, so was considering either Conti GP4000s or Conti GP 4Season tyres. Again, any thoughts ?

Cheers............ Matt

A beautiful place to ride....pretty relentlessly lumpy. Very few flat areas. Check out this link - it's the 100 mile route for the Dartmoor Classic - it runs right through North Bovey, so you can pick your way around that.

http://www.dartmoorclassic.co.uk/routes.html

Enjoy

Careca

Second that. The Classic route is excellent. There's also a 65 mile route but it's easy just to make a loop from wherever you are. There are also some good runs down to Slapton Sands as well. Check out Yogi Cycling, a Plymouth based 'fun' cycling club, as I think they post many routes on their site. Also Mid-Devon Cycling club would be the loacl one, I think, for that area. Their site may also have some decent routes on.

Careca

Also, if you can travel down the short distance to Plymouth on the A38, there are clubs rides leaving on Tue/Wed/Thur evenings. All different levels of pace.

ddraver

There are a number of routes (including the sportives) on Bikely, have a look there. Within the park there's a reduced speed limit (forgotten what it is) so riding there is usually relatively peaceful! That said not everyone adheres to it!

Careca

ddraver wrote:

There are a number of routes (including the sportives) on Bikely, have a look there. Within the park there's a reduced speed limit (forgotten what it is) so riding there is usually relatively peaceful! That said not everyone adheres to it!

The speed limit is 40. I have to say, 'relatively peaceful', is not a phrase I'd use to describe cycling on Dartmoor. Some descents require caution, due to other road users, as there are some narrow roads. Which, for mem makes it a bit sketchy rather than peaceful

Just make sure you take in the Pork Hill/Merrivale climb, and if you have the time, make sure you do it as a descent too. It's good fun

DevonClimber

Well, hopefully the weather will hold out for you.

Many rides of various lengths, and quiet roads if you stick on the moors. Road quality mixed, but I use 4000s and they cope fine on 23mm.

A good one: Bovey Tracey - Ashburton - Buckfastleigh - Princetown - Moretonhampstead - Bovey and any variations on that.
Yogi club has three rides on a Saturday, plus many routes on the website, Mid Devon will be closer though.

I opes you has an andsome time down ere

Pumpkin Positive

You're spoilt for choice on Dartmoor and I wouldn't have said the road surfaces are that bad. Although at the moment a lot of the smaller lanes are covered in rubbish washed down off the fields.

My advice is to stay away from the really narrow 'devon lanes' - if you meet some kid in Corsa coming the other way you've nowhere to go.

The roads that criss - cross the moor are great when the weather's nice - the Dartmoor Classic route makes the most of these.

Check out the Bovey Valley and the Teign Valley - some spectacular riding here and the valley's are connected by by Doccombe hill. Here's the route out and back from Newton Abbot http://connect.garmin.com/activity/229897592.

There is also a nice loop if you head north from North Bovey to connect with what used to be the main road between Exeter and Okehapmton (until the A30) was built. Turn right at Whiddon Down and then it's a fast downhill blast into Exeter, then follow the River Exe south to Starcross. Climb Haldon Hill at Mamhead and back to North Bovey via Doccombe & Moretonhampstead. Here's the first half of the ride. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/256919255 I didn't complete due to family commitments

Or head South towards the South Hams - http://connect.garmin.com/activity/266762081 - theer is a pink tree to be seen here http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/Pink-oak-d ... z2Kn5phnb4

Careca

Thanks for that. I've cycled past that tree loads and didn't have a clue what it was all about



http://yogicycling.com/local-info/routes/

Bobbinogs

A few things I would advise:

1. Just to keep an eye on your speed with the stopping distance clearly understood. The roads round there have very high hedges and can be narrow so the kind of foresight you get from looking up the road just isn't possible for you or for drivers. I had a few squeaky bum moments when I was sailing along only for a car to edge out of an unseen driveway/track or come around a corner with not a lot of passing room.

2. Layers! The weather can change very quickly up top.

3. The lack of phone coverage could be a problem if you need it. Where possible, take a couple of cheap phones with 2 different network SIMs, e.g., EE and Vodafone.

I got caught out big time (long story) and would have been in serious trouble if a very kind lady had not stopped and offered a hand (sorted out my bike, took me to A&E, etc.).

Some beautiful rides, and not a lot of it flat

FoldingJoe

Link to the 100km from DC last year.

http://app.strava.com/activities/11687165

MattC59

Thanks guys, the routes look good, looking forward to getting up onto the moors !