We will be holidaying in Modbury south Devon on next week. I don’t know the area at all. Does anyone have any gpx routes around the area (south Dartmoor routes would be good)or can you suggest some good tracks that should be ridden.

Thanks Andy

Bump

There isn’t that much. We go down there quite a lot but rarely take the bikes. Lots of other stuff to do (sailing, walking, surfing, kayaking, good eating and drinking too)

I have only started keeping GPX’s recently so only have a couple and will email them to you if you want – when you say next week? When next week? Me and a couple of mates are heading out next Saturday (not this Sat as there is a very important event in Plymouth – THE BEER FESTIVAL!) and we could show you around? (I live about 5 miles from Modbury).

Send me your email addy and I’ll send a couple to you.

nickjb – Member

There isn’t that much. We go down there quite a lot but rarely take the bikes. Lots of other stuff to do (sailing, walking, surfing, kayaking, good eating and drinking too)

Dartmoor is about 4/5 miles from where he is and I think there maybe a few rides up there??

if you’re going to get in your car and go to south dartmoor then either go a little bit further west to burrator or a bit further east to eastern dartmoor. the south is largely just tussocky moorland with the odd ex railway track and very few bits of decent singletrack. the other areas are much more fun.

i’ve got routes for east and burrator on mm file if you want them or i might even be around for guiding duties.

That’s disappointing. Is there not any good riding on the south of dartmoor?

i suppose it depends on your definition of good.

we’re spoilt by the riding in the east so everything else seems a little underwhelming. if on the other hand you come from an area with little in the way of wilderness then anything on dartmoor might seem like an adventure. there’s plenty of riding in the south, the avon dam routes should be available to download online and i think there might be more interesting stuff around the claypit areas ( cornworthy etc ) but there be dragons and i’ve not explored it myself.

eastern dartmoor is only another 15 mins around the a38 so it’s not going to be a huge logistical task to get there.

Dartmoor is about 4/5 miles from where he is and I think there maybe a few rides up there??

10 miles on some narrow lanes to get to some pretty average riding, or you throw the bike in the car and go a bit further in which case its hardly local.

Its a beautiful area and we go down there a couple of times a year but not for the riding. Borrow a kayak and play in the surf at Bantham

Borrow a kayak and play in the surfspoil a perfectly good wave at Bantham

😉

nickjb – Member

Dartmoor is about 4/5 miles from where he is and I think there maybe a few rides up there??

10 miles on some narrow lanes to get to some pretty average riding, or you throw the bike in the car and go a bit further in which case its hardly local.

Sorry buddy, but I have to disagree! I live on South Dartmoor (and only 5.7 miles from Modbury) and if you know what you are looking for there are a few around here!

damn it tm beat me to it!!!

i think there might be more interesting stuff around the claypit areas ( cornworthy etc )

actually that should be cornwood not cornworthy

😳

Sorry buddy, but I have to disagree! I live on South Dartmoor (and only 5.7 miles from Modbury) and if you know what you are looking for there are a few around here!

is there much in the way of tech singletrack over there that i’ve yet to find ?

trailmonkey – Member

i think there might be more interesting stuff around the claypit areas ( cornworthy etc )

actually that should be cornwood not cornworthy

is there much in the way of tech singletrack over there that i’ve yet to find ?

I live just 2 miles from Cornwood and yes, there is a bit around the clay pits, but most of the riding goes from near the Ivybridge area across the moor to places such as Redlake – with a bit of work many singletrack descents can be had along the way.

Depending on how fit you are on the day, Princetown is accessible from South Dartmoor (from Ivybridge with no road sections) and there is plenty to do on that route.

ltheisinger
We get there this Saturday & leave next Saturday, but some GPX routes would be good. Will email you.

trailmonkey
“good”, well if there is any terrain like the quantocks (really enjoyed it there). My riding partner would probably disagree as he has a bad hip at the moment. Do you have any GPX routes or are they MM only?

Borrow a kayak and play in the surf spoil a perfectly which is the only way to get a good wave at Bantham because it blows goats on a surfboard there

😉

trailmonkey
Thanks for the offer of guiding duties. Our plans are very loose (non existant) at the moment but could you email me Andy at Williams dash net dot co dot uk & if it is conveniant for you, we could take you up on the offer.

Andy

Borrow a kayak and play in the surf spoil a perfectly which is the only way to get a good wave at Bantham because it blows goats on a surfboard there just leave it on the beach and go and quaff ale at the Sloop all day instead

😉

(Borrow a kayak and just leave it on the beach and go and quaff ale at the Sloop all day instead) That sounds like it would suit my Kayaking skills better 😉

good”, well if there is any terrain like the quantocks (really enjoyed it there).

none whatsoever – well, one or two trails spring to mind but in general it’s a completely different type of riding. technical rather than fast and swoopy.

i’ll email you.

i think there might be more interesting stuff around the claypit areas ( cornworthy etc )

actually that should be cornwood not cornworthy

However, there is a little bit of interesting stuff around the actual Cornworthy, which happens to be on my ride into work…

if you’re going to get in your car and go to south dartmoor then either go a little bit further west to burrator or a bit further east to eastern dartmoor. the south is largely just tussocky moorland with the odd ex railway track and very few bits of decent singletrack. the other areas are much more fun.

Trailmonkey’s got it in for South Dartmoor, there’s plenty of good riding there. He’s just determined to keep on riding Lustleigh Cleave until his tyres have eroded it to the dimensions of the Grand Canyon 😉

Borrow a kayak and play in the surf spoil a perfectly which is the only way to get a good wave at Bantham because it blows goats on a surfboard there just ……..go and quaff ale at the Sloop all day

Borrow a sea kayak, get away from Bantham and explore the fabulous coves, cliffs and sea caves that festoon the coastline around here. Then quaff a jar or two of Teignworthy Springtide in a local public house 🙂

Or maybe a pint of Tribute…

Looks good, but I’m far safer on land.

Hey slugwash, where’s that cave? Looks good

He’s just determined to keep on riding Lustleigh Cleave until his tyres have eroded it to the dimensions of the Grand Canyon

busted

loving that cornworthy pic

Hey slugwash, where’s that cave? Looks good

Here’s the other end of it. Click on the photo for link with map…..

loving that cornworthy pic

Cheers. The self-timer gave me ten seconds to run back up the hill, hop on the bike and, hopefully, get a shot with me riding in it. Panda portraits are so much more simpler 🙂

Glorious South Devon! Here’s another Cornworthy piccie for yer…

PS @TM: shinythings has just entered the building. Time for coffee 🙂

rich are you out on monday for crispy’s ride?

andywill, I’ll be holidaying in Ashburton from Saturday.

I’m planning to ride about 25-30km from North Bovey sometime next week – the wife and kids will be at the Miniature Pony Centre in N Bovey!. I know the area vaguely having lived there many years ago, but not having a MTB at the time. I’ll be including Lustleigh Cleave in the ride.

Give me a shout if you want to meet – as I say I haven’t settled on a day yet, still waiting on the weather.

post up closer idle john. glad to guide if i’m available

cheers TM, that would be fanatastic.

I have a feeling my 25-30km may take 6 or 7 hours if done solo.

2 hours of riding, 5 hours of map reading, back-tracking, saying’ Oh I used to know someone who lived there, now who was it?’, and the ‘ride’ may take a lot longer if I get lured by the Ring o’bells.

rich are you out on monday for crispy’s ride?

Hopefully. The gearbox has gone on the car but I’m hoping to have it back and working by Monday morning. Otherwise I don’t really fancy pedalling up to Princetown and back either side of Crispy’s ride if my cars still in the garage.

i could pick you up from totnes on monday rich if you’re stuck and need a lift to royston vasey for cb’s ride?

IdleJon
email me Andy at Williams dash net dot co dot uk & I will give you my mobil No. & we could try & meet up with trailmonkey for a guided ride.

i could pick you up from totnes on monday rich if you’re stuck and need a lift to royston vasey for cb’s ride?

Cheers, I’ll e-mail you in the next day or two 🙂

I think I can help you out for next Monday 18th.

Andywill – ygm

If it doesn’t get to you can you bounce me an email back (addy in profile) cheers

I don’t ride as far down as Modbury, so can’t say 100% – but frankly I’d be staggered if it’s any less stuffed full of back-country lanes than the rest of South Devon is.

It’s close enough to the Norman settlement up at Blackdown Rings to have deep Saxon hollow-ways all over the place.

These are ‘typical’ and both within a couple of miles of Totnes, (but not in the Cornworthy direction. 😉 )

trailmonkey, andywills, apologies to you both.

We got here on Saturday, bike on back of car. Family days out on Sunday and Monday meant that my riding was restricted to a couple of hours each day. I’ve explored the green lanes in the Denbury area and found some nice trails. A little different from what I’m used to at home, but it would be worthwhile owning a MTB around here. A couple of bridleways in particular have been rather more technical than I’d expect. The climb up to Denbury hill-fort was as unexciting as I remember from walking it 20 years ago….and I’m not sure whether I was allowed up there as my map dates from that era as well. The pics already posted sum up what I’ve been riding.

The apologies are because I did my Dartmoor ride yesterday, taking a punt on the weather so I didn’t have time to post on here and make arrangements.

I love Dartmoor, but the sensation of stumbling around in a bog, in poor weather knowing that the trail is somewhere over there is not something I love. That’s what I had on Shapdon Tor and passing Grimspound.

It was a great ride though. Shapdon Tor, Grimspound, Haynes Down, Trendlebere Down, Houndtor woods (complete load of crap, pointless, horrible, muddy and a stupid climb back out…..), Lustleigh Cleave from the wrong direction and home. 30 odd km, over 1000m of climbing and some really excellent trails. Only one very poor trail – can you tell which one?

I had forgotten how hilly Devon is though. At least in Wales you climb a hill and it’s a big one so it takes a while – in Devon there always seems to be a 60m steep climb around the next bend. Good training!