Cornwall to Reading?

[perleman]

Hello

There are 3 of us who are reasonably fit (can comfortably run 10 miles, cycle for 2 hours without issue, have done an Iron Man etc etc) and we are planning a long ride over 5 days for charity. The route that appeals is Lands End to Reading as Reading is our head office location. It is about 300 miles.

Questions:

* Is this achievable - we can train for a few weeks before and are all OK fitness
* Looking at Mid Sept - are we better waiting till May next year for better weather?
* I have a hybrid bike is this suitable - we will camp but not take food (fry up / pub lunch)
* Any advantage to special shoes or special clothing or does going on a hybrid negate that?
* Any advice or tips - never done anything like this before but often nip out & do a 20 mile ride around Box Hill near where I live

Thanks!

 

[Saluki]

Cornwall is very lumpy, as I'm sure you know. You'd probably want to get your mileage up a bit over the next few weeks. Mid September sounds doable to me, hoping for a bit of an Indian Summer, as we've been having for a few years? Before moving to Cornwall, we used to come down for a couple of weeks mid-September and found the weather to be just fine. Avoid the A30 as it's a nightmare, try and avoid riding through the middle of Bodmin - unless approaching via the Camel Trail - due to the nightmare roadworks starting this monday. They'll be there for 9 months or more. Mind you, with a bike, you can get off and walk through or round.
I am sure your bike is fine, depending on what hybrid bike you have. Are there lugs to take a pannier rack, you are going to have to put your tent and some clothing somewhere.
I might suggest padded shorts, but then I prefer them to non padded legwear. I use clipless pedals and shoes - Shimano MTB shoes as I prefer riding that way but there are more than a few people who go touring in trainers and never bother with clipless pedals and special shoes. It all depends on preference.

If you have 6 weeks to train, I'd say to load up your bike and practice a bit beforehand. Get used to the feel of panniers and get your mileage up a bit. Then have a lot of fun

 

[Brains]

I've done your route in reverse.

I did London, along the Thames path to Reading (night one)
Along the K&A canal using the Sustrans map to Hungerford (night 2)
On to Bath (night 3)
Sustrans route to Welles (night 4)
Taunton (night 5)
Barnstable (night 6) a lumpy route to
Bude (night 7)
Wadebridge (parents home) Night 8

That was two of us pootling along the canal paths and looking at stuff, we strictly kept to the Sustrans routes, as my wife will not cycle in even the lightest of traffic
So totally possible to cut two days off the trip

I would stick to the Sustrans routes through Cornwall, it's a very lumpy county, so make use of the Camel trail end to end and the Tarka trail where you can, also I would follow the K&A canal where you can as it's by far the flattest route (so don't take the shorter route via the A303)
Do NOT even consider using the A30. It is a motorway in all but name. It is completely unsuitable for cycling

.

 

[ufkacbln]

+1
Sustrans through Cornwall to Bristol then along the Severn/ Thames route is enjoyable and perfectly possible

 

[Ian H]

A straightforward, not too hilly route though Cornwall would be A30 from Lands end through Penzance to Hayle. Then the A3047 through Camborne and follow towards the A39 until the A395 towards Launceston. Then the road through Lifton towards Okehampton. Old A30 to Exeter. Skirt the Blackdowns to Bridgwater and the Somerset Levels towards Wells. Aim for East of Bath towards the the A4.

 

[DanZac]

Just done Basingstoke to lands end and now heading north. As others have said its easily do-able just consider your route and dont get over optamistic on the miles you can cover per day as it is hilly.
I worked down to Frome on day 1 then cut across towards bridgewater where I picked up the route devised by Royston Wood (LEJOG a Safer way) for lands end at the end of day 4.
Be warned though its a pretty hilly route and uses mainly traffic free back roads.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Try combining these two routes (links below) before cutting off heading east to Reading via the back roads (Newbury, Thatcham, Theale) from Hungerford. The first is essentially @Ian H 's route to Exeter.
Penzance to Exmouth
Exmouth to Didcot
I'd have preferred to go via Padstow and the ferry to Rock part way through Cornwall, but didn't have time in the day.
From what you say (OP) on fitness levels of the trio, I think you'll find this a bit of a dawdle if you take five days over it. So you may want to go over Dartmoor to make it more fun. And well off the straight line is Cheddar Gorge.

Mid September is fine and out of school holidays.

 

[Brains]

Id use the Camel Trail, his mile 74 to 101 could have been flat

 

[Ajax Bay]

Id use the Camel Trail, his mile 74 to 101 could have been flat

An interesting if erroneous insight. Flat it is not, especially when you have to climb out of the Camel valley for the last 5km. I have enjoyed cycling the Camel Trail from Padstow down though Wadebridge to Bodmin and then turn NW towards Camelford. Recommended. I ended up going cross country (on a road bike - mistake) over the edge of Bodmin Moor to get to Davidstow airfield.
The distances aren't miles they're km. On the route I took, Wadebridge to the B3314/A39 junction near Slaughterbridge it's 22km + 363m of climb. Going on the Camel Trail you suggest @Brains , the distance is 33km (so 11km longer) and the climb is . . . . 473m. Lovely route but I had 200+km to do and only started at 8am from Penzance.

 

[perleman]

Thanks for the advice all! We have had to postpone till July as couldn't get time off so will pick up again then but I am pretty keen on this route, I love Cornwall for starters. Thanks

 

[Ajax Bay]

have had to postpone till July

Still doing this?