My favourite West Country riding — South-West Gravel Gold

South-West is best, or so the saying goes. I may be biased as this is my home turf, but there’s certainly a lot of truth in that. From the coast of Cornwall to the wild national parks of Dartmoor and Exmoor, countless protected areas of natural beauty, conservation sites, the Jurassic Coastline and idyllic rural scenes; the South-West is surely one of the most wonderful places to explore by bike.

When it comes to riding off-road here, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Difficult as it was, here I’ve managed to narrow it down to my favourite few areas to explore, which include the mining trails of inland Cornwall, my childhood playground in East Devon, the wilderness of Dartmoor, the all-too-often forgotten Quantock and Mendip Hills and the golden Cotswolds.

Most of these routes are accessible by train, so you can easily enjoy them as a day trip or weekender. Popular with tourists seeking rural escape, the South-West boasts not only an overwhelmingly friendly population, but also a swell number of tea rooms, cafes, pubs, campsites and guesthouses, all to keep you well fed, watered and rested on your jollies.

As these are gravel routes, they can all be ridden on a gravel, cyclo-cross or mountain bike, although I would recommend tyre widths of 40mm and above. The routes vary in difficulty and length, so check the Tour information and descriptions before you leave.

The West County is well known for being very wet. Therefore, a lot of these trails become pretty tough-going in the winter. It’s best to try them in the drier months, and always make sure you have waterproofs with you, just in case!