Hi all, We are off to Cornwall on friday for our family holiday and staying in St Ives. I will be taking the bike down for the first time and wondered if anyone had cycled around this lovely part of the country, lookong to do 20-30miles a day and looking for some nice coast roads.
Big hills abound. St Ives is, of course, built on a hill. Try a ride out to Clodgy Point via Burthallan Lane and Ayr Road. Incredible views and the road struggles to accommodate the width of a car in some places. Enjoy.
Eyebrox wrote:Big hills abound. St Ives is, of course, built on a hill. Try a ride out to Clodgy Point via Burthallan Lane and Ayr Road. Incredible views and the road struggles to accommodate the width of a car in some places. Enjoy.
Thanks, been looking at riding there as we have walked there on the coast path before. So looking forward to getting out on the lane's and seeing the lovely coast Cornwall has to offer.
I was thinking of riding off towards Hayle one day but unsure if its suitable for riding being a popular holiday town.
St Ives is an excellent place for cycling and relaxing. I have three routes for you to consider
1. The coastal road from St Ives to St Just on the B3306 is widely regarded as the most scenic road in the South West. As the road winds through the heath and moorland you will see the patchwork of iron-age fields, unchanged for centuries. Views from the road are spectacular looking over the cliffs to the ocean beyond.
2. Hayle is fine for cycling. After the climb out of St Ives on the A3074 it’s a fast ride into Lelant and then onto the Hayle Causeway which takes you in Hayle. If you follow the national cycle network 3 signs you will be taken on King George V Memorial Walk which runs beside the estuary. The B3301 will take you to Gwithan Towans or Godrevy where you can get up and close to the lighthouse you can see from St Ives.
3. St Michaels Mount is not far from St Ives, you can cycle on the country lanes through Towednack, Nancledra, Crowlas (straight over the A30) and at Gwallon just follow the national cycle network 3 signs to the Mount.
Jeremy Bond wrote:St Ives is an excellent place for cycling and relaxing. I have three routes for you to consider
1. The coastal road from St Ives to St Just on the B3306 is widely regarded as the most scenic road in the South West. As the road winds through the heath and moorland you will see the patchwork of iron-age fields, unchanged for centuries. Views from the road are spectacular looking over the cliffs to the ocean beyond.
2. Hayle is fine for cycling. After the climb out of St Ives on the A3074 it’s a fast ride into Lelant and then onto the Hayle Causeway which takes you in Hayle. If you follow the national cycle network 3 signs you will be taken on King George V Memorial Walk which runs beside the estuary. The B3301 will take you to Gwithan Towans or Godrevy where you can get up and close to the lighthouse you can see from St Ives.
3. St Michaels Mount is not far from St Ives, you can cycle on the country lanes through Towednack, Nancledra, Crowlas (straight over the A30) and at Gwallon just follow the national cycle network 3 signs to the Mount.
Hope this has given you some food for thought
Have a great time in Cornwall.
That's great thanks for that, that's just what ive been looking for !
Jeremy Bond wrote:St Ives is an excellent place for cycling and relaxing. I have three routes for you to consider 1. The coastal road from St Ives to St Just on the B3306 is widely regarded as the most scenic road in the South West. As the road winds through the heath and moorland you will see the patchwork of iron-age fields, unchanged for centuries. Views from the road are spectacular looking over the cliffs to the ocean beyond....... Have a great time in Cornwall.
Jeremy, as I've said before you should really consider setting up as a travel business
Bring waterproofs and a high intensity rear light in case of sea fog rolling in, we had some yesterday and I regreted only having a feeble mudguard LED.
+1 for the coast road to St Ives- glorious on a sunny day, but be prepared for significant gradients and wind, coaches (it is very narrow in places) and fast motorcycles.
The back lane route from Hayle to St Michaels Mount is fairly flat and normally very quiet, you can then carry on the very sandy beach cycle path or the flat road through Long Rock, Penzance, Newlyn as far as Mousehole, but then it gets very hilly indeed if you exit Mousehole any any other route than back the way you came... you could find a route round and across to St Just and back along that coast road via places like Lamorna Cove or even Lands End, but do not underestimate the continual up and down terrain, 25% hills not uncommon.
If you continue the route along the coast from Hayle past Gwithian and Godrevy (nice cafe at the NT car park) there is a fairly big climb (another good cafe just after at Hell's Mouth) but you then have a nice long flattish ride along 'North Cliff' until you plummet down into Portreath (cheap n cheerfull beach cafe)- watch your speed and be careful of sand on the road at the tight bend at the bottom. After that it is all very up and down through Porth Towan, St Agnes (go out along the coast road round the Beacon for some more great views), Perranporth.
Mick F wrote:There is nothing I can add to what has been said except that the coast road from St Ives to St Just is fantastic and worth the ride bothe ways!
And the Tinners Arms at Zennor is a great pub, about a third of the way from St Ives to St Just.
