So I'm thinking of going away in my van for a couple of days, just chucking a bike and my fishing bed and sleeping bag and any supplies i need and heading to ethier South Wales or Cornwall for a mix of beaches and biking, will just be stealth camping in the van for 1-2 nights (parking late and leaving early, leaving no trace)
So where do you recommend and whats the bike best to take, i have a choice of a XC/light trail bike, Gravel bike & a road bike, only want to take one bike due to space and don't like having to leave one bike in the van whilst riding the other
For beaches we always love the area around Monknash and Wick in South Wales. There's a lot of road cycling there too around the lanes and a rather splendid pub, the Plough and Harrow.
These isn’t loads of MTB in Cornwall. But doing the West Kernow way showed more than i expected. The bit round Cape Cornwall was great, well worth looking back on the road. The bits inland of Hale must be able to produce a loop. The mine workings round Redruth had options. Take an xc hardtail
The other option is the Gower
The other option is the Gower
There are no laybys where you can conveniently do an early morning crap on Gower, so no! (That's what the question really is, isn't it?)
😀
The other option is the Gower
There are no laybys where you can conveniently do an early morning crap on Gower, so no! (That's what the question really is, isn't it?)
😀
if it's a van then could aways get one of these ... saves getting caught short
https://www.trail.co.uk/products/portable-camping-toilet
Cheers for the replies
I already have a bucket with a bag inside for emergency number 2’s
swaying more towards south Wales more than Cornwall, more chance of deserted beaches and good road or mtb rides
I’d probably go South Wales and take the XC bike. If you go near the Gower you have some nice beaches and quite a few are huge / not that many people there in my experience. You could ride around Afan if you want some marked trails.
Or if they don’t have to be close together you could ride the red xc loops at Cwmcarn then pop along the M4 and you have the beaches at Monknash or Ogmore.
If you did Devon you could do the North - somewhere like Woolacombe has a big beach - and you’re near the edge of Exmoor which has plenty of Bridleway XC riding.
Cornwall thre are clearly stacks of decent beaches - but I’ve never ridden bikes down there so can’t comment on that aspect.
dirtbag van life is getting harder in Devon/cornwall. not impossible but its been abused so much that councils are getting wise to it.
I went for early surf last summer at one of my favourite beaches and there was a parking warden there at 5am dishing out tickets.
