I’m have a few nights in a cottage on the edge of Exmoor next week and as I’m taking my MTB, was hoping I might get a few tips on routes/rides?

Anyone have any?

A lot of people seem to ride the coast path, but with it being August good luck with that. Southfork guys are near by might be worth popping into them they might even have a club ride going.

Southfork is a great shop, but I think they’re unlikely to be running group rides at this time of year. Also, def not worth trying to ride the coast path at the moment!
The riding in North Devon can be found, but is tricky to piece together to make a good loop. In all honesty, if you’re staying on the edge of Exmoor, I think pointing your bike away from the coast and on to Exmoor is the best bet for a good bit of riding!

Get an OS map and have a look at routes out of Lynton/Lynmouth, also some nice moorland riding between Parracombe and Simonsbath.
A bit further afield, but there’s a couple of good routes heading out of Withypoole and over Dunkery Beacon towards Porlock.

If you can throw the bike in the car then drive to Lynmout/ waters meet, Simonsbath or Exford and start from there. There’s plenty of bridal way routes to follow.
If it’s out of the door stuff you are looking for then a short ride along the cost to Lee woods is doable then head over the top towards Braunton.
The coastal paths are best left alone this time of year as they will be full of dogs and their owners.

Best avoid the coast path in august! Shame as there’s a nice loop from heddons mouth to woody bay and back but it’s too exposed and narrow to risk meeting walkers round a blind corner!

The section from hangman hill towards heddons mouth would be ok with care, hang a right at holdstone down and do the glassbox descent to ladies mile near hunters inn then climb back up the road and retrace your steps. Have a look at the strava segments.

There’s a Tuesday night ride most weeks from the car park in Braunton at 6.30. Friendly, two hours or so.

Exmoor is close though. There’s a fun 90 min loop from the west end of the watersmeet bridleway, climbing up to the moor, following the doone valley river back to Rockford then along the watersmeet bridleway heading west back to the start.

There’s another decent loop from Lynmouth, up countisbury hill bridleway to Rockford, watersmeet bridleway then the lynbridge bridleway descent and road back to the start.

http://my.viewranger.com/route/details/NDY1Mzc%3D

The vertebrate sw mountain biking book has these routes in too

Worth looking up those areas on strava and checking out the routes people have ridden.

Ps Lee woods have some hand built DH/ enduro trails that drop off the main fire road if you keep your eyes open.

The coast path between Lee and ilfracombe is bridleway anyway

sorry for the late response, but much appreciate the replies. I’m off in t’morning so will examine the replies carefully and see what works. 🙂

lee woods!

Well…I took my bike all the way to Devon and all the way back again without riding it! 🙁

Was mainly because I’d have left my wife and dog without much to do, so concentrated on walking instead. However, the hills in that area are ridiculously steep and most of them would have killed me! As for this tip:

have a look at routes out of Lynton/Lynmouth,

You gotta be kidding me….just getting up the hill out of Lynmouth would have been a major achievement or resulted in me having a coronary! Its not like I can’t climb hills either!