Heading to Dartmoor with Mrs Sheck this weekend

Looking for a decent length ride out, but neither of us know the area. Debating whether to take road bikes or mtbs. Are the trails winterproof down there, and if so any particular spots to head to / avoid? Thanks, Nick

princetown circuit is generally dry, a mix of drained granite chips and old railway course.

the loop past south hessary tor, down to burrator and back is pretty weatherproof.

just driven back over the moors and a lot of the snow has gon, although still plenty where its drifted. it’ll be a while before its all gone.

still big piles at the side of the roads where its been ploughed, was like driving through a snow tunnel in places.

yeah i’d normally advise going along the old railways to burrator then coming back via south hessary tor as being quite good in all conditions. however given the amount of snow down there, there might still be some pretty deep drifts. be advised dartmoor isnt the place to muck about if the weathers looking shitty unless you’re well prepared for it

as above the Princetown – Burrator – Princetown loop via South Hessary Tor & the old disused railway line is a good one for Dartmoor first timers & should be OK to ride. The trail is quite wide & well defined so you shouldn’t get lost. I can recommend adjourning to the Old Police Station cafe @ Princetown for some après ride hot food & drink and they don’t worry about the muddy state you are in 😀

I wouldn’t however recommend riding across the open moors after all the rain we have just had as the ground will be very wet & boggy = lethal nightmare 😕

The storm last night dumped huge amounts of rain on top of melting snow, though I see the tops of the high moors today is white. I presume the rain came as snow up on top. Last evening many roads, even main roads were briefly hit and flooded as friends and I witnessed ourselves. This morning the roads were better than last night, mud slides in my area where banks have turned to slattery mud and now the meadows are flooding. Basically at the moment a wetsuit might be more appropriate!
Tonight’s forecast gave it as ‘quiet’ over the next few days, but I think getting wet again on friday.
It is seriously wet down here at the moment, as friends up there ^^ said, the high moor will probably be out,either still snowy or just melting and even the hardiest trails might be a bit iffy. Come properly prepared with wet gear and listen to the forecast when you arrive.
best of luck
Q

Unless you know the area really well and know what is likely to be OK and what’s best avoided, I’d just take your road bike for the next couple of weeks.