South West Coastal Path – Anyone ridden it?

Just a thought as I’m down here at the moment.

Are you allowed to ride it?

Its pretty steep in places (well, it is up here on the Cornwall/North Devon border), especially up and down between the coves … some pretty hairy steps and switchbacks …. not too far from the cliff edge either 8O.

Just wondered if anyone has done it and how you got on?

Pretty much all footpath, isn’t it? And full of grockles this time of year. Would be an epic ride of doable end-to-end though.

Not much, but yeah around Cornwall most of it is doable, but the styles/steps are a bugger. More of a bugger with a loaded bike/panniers.

Not allowed, it’s a footpath innit, probably NT too.

I’ve had the same thought but for small rideable sections you’ll probably end up carrying a shed load unless you have rad trialz skills.

It’s all cheeky riding but I’ve done a little bit and with sufficient waving, smiling and giving way to walkers it’s quite good fun. Lots of techy steps because it’s a footpath. The stiles make it quite hard on the shoulders after a while…

i walked it about forty two years ago– its pretty much good for walkin –not sure its great for cyclo -cross!

It is NT/No cycling. Never been chucked off though…

best in the evenings when most people have gone t’pub

a pint for anyone whose ridden the section from Port Quin to Port Isaac 🙂

I’ve walked various sections of it and it’s excellent walking. It is a footpath so no riding officially, in fact it’s the sort of place that if you do ride you risk damaging mtb access and development elsewhere. As you say sections are steep up and down so hike a bike up and in some cases down as well

I believe it is indeed one bl00dy great footpath. However, I rode most of it (and loads of other roads/trails) during the heatwave of 2003. It was mighty hot so I suffered sunstroke on day 3 or 4.

Met a few walkers along the way and not one had an issue with me riding. – although I was perfectly courteous as normal. As others say above, plenty of sections, eg between coves, rivers, gullies where you need to hike down and then back up.

Tis a lot of fun though + loads of pubs + cracking views. Also feels kind of primeval because at times all you see is the rock-face (above and below) and waves crashing all around. I loved it.

Not infrequently the path stops at one end of a beach and resumes on the other. Does your bike like sand?

I don’t think it’s suitable for riding really, both because of attempts to conserve dunes and the number of walkers.

Some sections around Exmoor – some good tech+scenery. Pick your times to avoid conflict.

Here are some of my pics:

I think this was the Tintagel section:

Thanks all

wasn’t sure about the ‘no cycling’ bit but am now.
Met two sets of walkers yesterday with two different responses. ‘are you the only one’ and ‘hope you’ve got good gears’
Thanks for the pics spacemonkey …. lets me see what it could be like here with some sunshine. Sitting here at the moment, looking out of the cottage window at grey mist interspersed with hissing down rain.

I knew I should have gone to Finale Ligure!

The South West Coastal Path is a long distance footpath so no bikes allowed. I have walked a lot of it and I would say it is not suitable for cycling.

Access Rights

The National Trust is a big landowner but also very keen on promoting cycling on it’s properties. Check out the new trails at the Lanhydrock estate, part of the 1SW project, coming soon…..

1SW Project[/url]

NT Cycling[/url]

a pint for anyone whose ridden the section from Port Quin to Port Isaac

Was there last week. It was almost inevitable that there’d be some bell end on a mountain bike trying to ride it 🙄

Why shouldn’t they? As long as they aren’t barging their way through and are polite, why the snotty attitude?

Narrow, steep, side-slopes, exposed, walkers not looking where they are going, bike rider near the edge of the envelope = bad publicity for the rest of us.

Can’t comment on the North Devon / Cornwall bits but down in South Devon / Cornwall (specifically Rame Head running east past Plymouth to Inner/Outer Hope / Bolt Head) the riding is brilliant. Ok, yes it is all cheeky and you don’t want to be doing it with bikepacking gear (guess how I know this 🙄 ) on account of some ‘too steep to ride’ ascents and stiles / kissing gates but for some amazing singletrack it’s hard to beat – extremely varied, very up and down, sinuous & plenty of beach / ice cream stops. Regards ramblers etc I have only ever had one moaner (ooh er!) and I killed ’em with kindness! (Legal note – didn’t actually kill them) – most folks are either impressed you are managing it or interested where you’re heading. Whilst it might not be ‘cool’ a bell is a godsend. Ding ding!

Or should I have said ‘it’s all terrible, difficult, too many ramblers, you’ll die’ just so that lush singletrack stays empty……?

It’s where I learned to really ride, Porthtowan starts, going North. Utterly beautiful 🙂

I am surprised that some riders think it is OK to ride on what are clearly walker only paths.

Just because it is

lush singletrack

doesn’t mean you have a right to ride it.

By a similar token I don’t expect to find ramblers on the trails around Afan, Cwmcarn, etc. And I don’t.

There are loads of challenging off-road rides in the UK without resorting to long distance footpaths.

Could be the ultimate UK fat-bike ride? If its too steep, just drop onto the beach 😀

Often ride bits in North Cornwall when down with the in-laws, on a single speed, great fun. Have done loads around South Devon (some great bivvy spots) over the years and currently planning a ride from Exeter to Brixham, usually go early mornings, never had any problems with walkers.
Respect the trails (thinking of all the dog owners who leave their dog **** behind) and others on it, and you will be fine.

Respect the trails

Which is exactly what you are not doing. 🙄

Sean – rightly or wrongly, many people dont believe that capricious and outdated rights of way regulations deserve to be obeyed.

Whereas walking along a purpose built mountain bike trail is just plain stupid (as I told a couple with a toddler and baby in a pushchair last weekend).

capricious

??? It seems the only thing that is unpredictable about the South West Coastal Path is whether or not some loon on a MTB is going to come tearing down the path.

Yes I have also occasionally met walkers on dedicated MTB trails, mostly they are there by accident, so I stop and politely explain.

The SW Path is stunning, if you want to enjoy it, walk it. It is not a great cycle path anyway.

some loon on a MTB

Daily Mail reader? You’ll be wanting mountain bikes taxed on bridleways next 🙄

It is possible to ride bikes in close proximity to other people, safely and courteously, you know

I just always gave way to them 🙂

So if you’re not riding like a loon it’s ok then? That’s what Right to Roam essentially is in Scotland, coming to Wales soon. You never know, might get passed in England too…

There are loads of challenging off-road rides in the UK

Yeah, and if the SW coastal path was transplanted to that there Scotlandshire (which is still part of the UK for now) you’d presumably not have any issue at all with people riding on it? Why should it matter which part of the UK it is in?

I just always gave way to them

Daily Mail readers?

**** no, man.

EDIT: Though trying to argue with them can be an exercise in futility due to the brain damage.