Tiverton, Devon - Where to ride?

[boolay]

We are off for a weeks holiday to Bampton, Nr Tiverton at the begining of August and i'm trying to make sure there will be enough room in the car for my bike!! Can anyone suggest any good road cycling routes around this way? Any nice climbs / views?

Many thanks

[langy]

I know the area well, but never ridden a road bike around there for years. Don't know what distance you are looking at covering, but head towards Exmoor via Dulverton, (nice hill opposite The Swan), then head towards Exford then either towards Dunkery Beacon or straight to Wheddon Cross, then back to Bampton along the A396 or towards Wimbleball Resevoir and head towards Morebath then Bampton.

Enjoy.

[anonymous-user]

its a bit of a longer ride than you might want but down to minhead is about a 70 mile round trip using the quieter roads and has some excellent cake shops for aiding recovery and then back using bits of the route used on the tour of britain last year including some fiendish climbs... up at 5, back for lunch....

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/451436/...

[boolay]

Look like Exmoor national park it is, thanks guys. Think I have managed to plot a 40-45 mile route (maybe a bit longer if I actually go into Minehead)

Just on google maps and plonked myself down on a random stretch of road with Streetview.... this is the first image I saw......




Looks like fun!!

[langy]

If you want big hills, head towards Dulverton then towards Hawkridge. Either way will be up

[Antony Moxey]

If you fancy going offroad then you could do worse than Haldon Forest just south of Exeter. It's about a 20 minute drive from Tiverton and just off the A38 by Haldon Racecourse. Upwards of 20 miles of trails (if you do them all) with all the usual stuff you'd expect. You can hire bikes there too if you don't have anything with suspension, plus there's a cafe there too for a full English when you're done! Oh, for something different, they do Segway safaris there too.

Also, if you drive to Exeter there are cycle tracks to both Exmouth and Dawlish (basically either side of the Exe estuary) that are each 10-15 miles in total with 80-90% of them nowhere near roads so traffic free and very kids/beginners safe.

Have a good trip.

[Vytalis]

Another vote for the road through to wheddon cross and the onto dunster or over to raleigh's cross. from there, if you go the longer route to dunster, go to washford, through the lanes to bampton, and back to Tiverton. Used to be my regular Sunday run years ago when I lived that way. Raleigh's cross route does similar but cuts a big chunk off.

[Vytalis]

Or, if you can cope with a long hilly day, turn left at wheddon cross, drop down to porlock over dunkery beacon, up porlock hill (or toll road), down to Lynton then over simmonsbath and through to winsford (Which will get youback to the exe valley and down to Tiverton). Tarr steps and dulverton is a good alternative finish. Bloody hilly route though