I've been to Exmoor for day rides (3 no.) that I've plotted by map and have a rough idea of the areas, but, I'm keen to find a shorter more singletrack heavy route for about 4-5 hours.
Advice? Recommendations?
I'll be doing primary navigation by pre-planned GPS, so memory map routes would be especially good!
We rode SE out of Simonsbath last weekend, along the Barle River singletrack, very nice. Up onto the moor eventually dropping down to Withypool on another nice bridleway. About 30k, so maybe too short for you (it was long enough for me!). 1,000m climbing though.
Otherwise, Porlock, Horner Wood, Dunkery Beacon, West to Doone Valley, down to Cloud Farm, climb up to County Gate, bridleway over North Common down to Oarford, make your way past Robbers Bridge up to Pitcombe Head then back to Porlock via Hawkcombe or the forest singletrack to Porlock Weir
Loads of other choices though, have fun
I'm thinking of doing a 28ish miler starting from Webbers post linking up as much singletrack as possible from a few recent routes this weekend sometime - weather dependant though.
just go to the quantocks, much easier !
just go to the quantocks, much easier !
A few years ago when the Quantocks was still closed due to foot and mouth, I spent quite a bit of time exploring Exmoor, my conclusion, there's some nice bits over there, but you end up wasting so much time on the boring bits stringing the good bits together.
yeah i know what you mean, i think thats why the quantocks are so good, everywhere is so close and you only need to ride 5 mins to the next trail, if that in some cases
Exmoor can have more of a "proper" wilderness mountain biking feel than the Quantocks I reckon, though it's all relative in the south of England obviously. Certainly wouldnt write it off, even though it's a longer drive for me.
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