Forum ride: Crediton to Dartmoor. Saturday, 18th February, 2023

[ColinJ]

Details to follow later!

 

[Fab Foodie]

Woo hoo!

 

[colly]

Possible, but unlikely tbh. But you never know.
🤔

 

[Fab Foodie]

I can offer some accommodation for those further afield.

 

[Jameshow]

I can offer some accommodation for those further afield.

Where is kirton...

I'd be interested if on weekend and happy to share driving with anyone wanting a quick weekend trip!

 

[Fab Foodie]

Where is kirton...

I'd be interested if on weekend and happy to share driving with anyone wanting a quick weekend trip!

Just 7 miles NW of Exeter on the A377... in lumpyland!

 

[ColinJ]

Think Crediton... It confused me too!

I was thinking probably a Saturday, but perhaps a Sunday? I have to fit in with what my family are up to, unless I stretch my visit to cover 2 weekends, and do the ride the weekend that the others are not there.

 

[ColinJ]

I will come up with some ideas and run them past @Ian H, who obviously knows the area much better than me.

I really don't like (most) A-roads so I will want to avoid them where possible. That also goes for busy B-roads. OTOH, I have already discovered some crazily narrow/steep/rutted lanes in the area and will try to give most of them a miss too.

 

[Ian H]

In Feb most A and B roads will be fine. Exeter through Crediton as far as Copplestone tends to be busy, but is fine further north. Going west there are many possibilities.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Have a hilly route via Haldon hill down to the coast at Dawlish then a flat return run on the cycle path up the estuary to Exeter. Scenic and all the hard work in the first half.

 

[ColinJ]

Have a hilly route via Haldon hill down to the coast at Dawlish then a flat return run on the cycle path up the estuary to Exeter. Scenic and all the hard work in the first half.

Pretty much what I was thinking.

I rode it via Dawlish my first time out there. The second time I didn't bother with Dawlish and came down to Cockwood instead, then the estuary path to Exeter, Exwick, Cowley, Upton Pyne...

I was thinking... Crediton, 'lumpiness', Cockwood, estuary path to Exeter. Stop somewhere there for coffee and a snack - Quayside? Then Exwick, Cowley, Upton Pyne... Then Jackmoor, Sweetham, Crediton OR (if still feeling energetic) Brampford Speke, Thorverton, Shobrooke, Crediton.

So, it is really a case of defining that lumpiness! Do you have a GPX of your route from Crediton to the estuary? If not, just give a detailed list of the places that you pass through and I will plot it myself to compare with my ideas.

 

[ColinJ]

In Feb most A and B roads will be fine. Exeter through Crediton as far as Copplestone tends to be busy, but is fine further north. Going west there are many possibilities.

I definitely do not want to ride on the Exeter-Crediton-Copplestone road!

I just looked at the B3193 down the Teign valley. That seems quite a nice road without tourist traffic on it. It looks like it might be prone to flooding in a couple of places though?

After the B3193, how about Chudleigh, Ashcombe, Gulliford, Cofton, Cockwood? I enjoyed that section when I rode it last year.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Pretty much what I was thinking.

I rode it via Dawlish my first time out there. The second time I didn't bother with Dawlish and came down to Cockwood instead, then the estuary path to Exeter, Exwick, Cowley, Upton Pyne...

I was thinking... Crediton, 'lumpiness', Cockwood, estuary path to Exeter. Stop somewhere there for coffee and a snack - Quayside? Then Exwick, Cowley, Upton Pyne... Then Jackmoor, Sweetham, Crediton OR (if still feeling energetic) Brampford Speke, Thorverton, Shobrooke, Crediton.

So, it is really a case of defining that lumpiness! Do you have a GPX of your route from Crediton to the estuary? If not, just give a detailed list of the places that you pass through and I will plot it myself to compare with my ideas.

Yep, can sort a gpx for you. Pub at Cockwood is good as is my fave - Double Locks!

 

[Fab Foodie]

I definitely do not want to ride on the Exeter-Crediton-Copplestone road!

I just looked at the B3193 down the Teign valley. That seems quite a nice road without tourist traffic on it. It looks like it might be prone to flooding in a couple of places though?

After the B3193, how about Chudleigh, Ashcombe, Gulliford, Cofton, Cockwood? I enjoyed that section when I rode it last year.

Will take a peek!

 

[ColinJ]

I just checked the road from Tedburn St Mary to Pathfinder Village (interesting place!), over the A30, round to Longdown. That looked okay, as did the B3212 to the B3193 at Farrant's Bridge.

I'm on a roll now... I did the tough climb from Crediton station to Bowlish last year. That was good. I just noticed that it is possible to keep going past the side of Pathfinder Village from there, bypassing Tedburn St Mary, then over the A30 etc. That could be a challenging alternative to Harford Hill? (I noticed the dip at the bridge at Harford looks like a flood risk?)

With Bowlish and Thorverton variations, the route would be around 84 km (52 miles). The Harford/Sweetham route a smidge shorter, and a fair bit easier.

I am still open to other suggestions.

I'd rather not plan on doing 100 km in advance, not knowing what the weather will be like, how fit I will be, and how much time my family will put up with my absence! If everything turned out well, I might do an extra loop somewhere after saying goodbye to the peloton.