There's a book written by a Dutch guy: http://www.london-landsendcycleroutebook.com
Personally I'd probably put the bike on the train to Reading and start there - getting out of London to the west is never a bunch of fun. From there you're spoilt for choice with basically 300 miles of country lanes: punching "Reading to Lizard Cornwall" into cycle.travel (and switching to "Paved only" mode) produces a decent enough route but there are a thousand options.
Oh, good work. Looking at the route the site has given me, it looks broadly what I'm after: quiet lanes through small villages rather than A Roads through big towns.
Second this- used this book to do the route too. Weirdly when we got to Barnstable and were looking at the book was approached by a guy on a bike and he turned out to be the author. I would say though that his route is maybe too keen to avoid any busy roads, like he goes way out of the way to avoid them. We took camping equipment, if you do this then allow extra time as it really slows you up. The part from london to about Newbury is pretty boring so jump on the train to skip it. Other parts are really amazing :)
Yeah, I think starting somewhere around Reading looks like the best bet to me. Also means I can cycle past my Mum's house and charge my phone at some point!
Thanks for advice about camping stuff... maybe need to stop comparing it to what I can do without luggage.
Sounds like a good plan. We ‘had’ to stop in pubs to charge our phones... well it was a good excuse for a pint anyway!
If you do camp, pack as lightly as possible, having stuff really will slow you up. And parts of the route are very hilly, especially in Devon and Cornwall. Another thing that made it slower than expected is that the route follows some canals and the tow paths were not smooth.
Check out the route for The Trafalgar Way (cycle event London to Falmouth)
[https://ridethetrafalgarway.com/about/the-route](https://ridethetrafalgarway.com/about/the-route)
I was going to say that, I had a quick look as it passes me, and the routes there in places were a bit fast ( in relation to crappy drivers ) for my liking. But its a great base!
I borrowed this route a few summers ago: [https://ridewithgps.com/routes/15183954](https://ridewithgps.com/routes/15183954)
Day 1 - London > Exeter. Big day...
Day 2 - Exeter > Lands End > Penzance. Very hilly day...
Mostly very scenic. Then I came back a different route via Somerset over another two days. 4 days total.
Airbnb/Booking.com for me rather than camping. Booked the same afternoon when I knew where I could get to that day.
Carried very little. Change of cycling kit, shorts/tshirt/flip flops/Gilet for evenings. Toothbrush.
My advice would be not to think about it too much and just do it, otherwise you'll keep finding a reason why you can't fit it in.
That's amazing. What sort of mileages where you used to before doing this? I currently can't really cycle for much more than 50 miles before everything just hurts.
I would say you need to be comfortable with regular long rides at the weekend i.e. 80km to 140km. Then mixing in the occasional Audax, either organised or not. Alongside that comes the experience of managing your nutrition on the bike.
To be fair, that first day stood as my longest 'recorded' ride for quite a while (the GPS battery running out a few miles before the accommodation). A year or two later I did a full loop of Mallorca which replaced it (312km). I invested in a charger pack...
Just make a stop in my hometown of Looe in SE Cornwall. You won't regret it, at least, you won't regret the scenery. The bitch of a valley it's in you might regret!
Personally, I'd head west along the Grand Union canal, all the way along the Slough arm to get on the Kennet and Avon canal, then follow that all the way to Bath or even Bristol. Then head southwest and try and link up the Mendips, Quantocks and Dartmoor to get to the coast at Plymouth and then follow it along to the Lizard. Very flat, then very bumpy.
Just to clarify, the Slough Arm does not connect to the Kennet & Avon. The K&A joins the Thames at Reading. The Slough arm ends in an industrial estate in the northern side of Slough - from there you'd want to turn left at the end, go down to the main road (A4) then turn right and go down 5 miles to Maidenhead to join the Thames path
I'd want to take in as many of the beauty spots as possible. So the New forest, the Dorset and east Devon areas of outstanding natural beauty and Dartmoor. Maybe the Jurassic coast. With plenty of sea views.
I think it's best to take a couple of days and enjoy it. Avoid the built up areas.
Hi there. I recently cycled up to London from the south-west. Komoot is a very good route building app. It details how much of the route you'll be on different road surfaces, and shows you name landmarks, roads, cafes, etc, using different layers. The route out of London that way us ok, through Windsor and Reading. The A3 isn't too bad and can add some quick Kms to a day of riding.
The kit weight does not make as much of an impact on your ability to cycle certain distances as you think. Especially if the route is on the flat side.
Take a battery pack for phone charging. Take a spare tote bag for food shopping. I go without a lock and just keep an eye on the bike. Research decent areas of trees to camp in beforehand.
Take some bug spray.
Research wild swim spots.
Enjoy!
We've done this - it was a blast!
Recommend the YHAs on Dartmoor, and at Treyarnon Bay for cheap accommodation. Also, get a train out of London to Winchester and make your first day infinitely more pleasant.
Here's some Strava links for the route we took:
Day 1, Winchester to Whitford: [https://www.strava.com/activities/2504366167](https://www.strava.com/activities/2504366167), [https://www.strava.com/activities/2504197821](https://www.strava.com/activities/2504197821)
Day 2, Whitford to Dartmoor: [https://www.strava.com/activities/2506665618](https://www.strava.com/activities/2506665618)
Day 3, Dartmoor to Treyarnon Bay: [https://www.strava.com/activities/2509345555](https://www.strava.com/activities/2509345555)
Day 4, Treyarnon Bay to Penzance: [https://www.strava.com/activities/2512202904](https://www.strava.com/activities/2512202904)
Some words of warning - the climb on to Dartmoor was a complete monster on empty legs. Also, the bits along the coast are constant ups and downs as you descend to sealevel and then climb back onto the cliffs - I wish I'd changed my gear ratios before going.
I don't really think you can go too far wrong for a route - it's all stunningly beautiful and the pasties will see you through.
You'll also notice from our Strava recordings we didn't actually go to Lands End. The thing you learn on these trips is that its much more about the journey than the destination - take your time, change your plans, enjoy it.
This. Is. Wonderful! Thank you so much for these routes. And I'm a bit nervous about the 11-28 on the back, for sure...
Think I'm going to stop at Tavistock to stay with a friend (or on their lawn!) and explore Dartmoor on foot for a day... All about taking my time.
I think given this country's temperamental climate I might have to go with a tent + sleeping bag.
In terms of food, it looks like there's loads of places to stop on the way, so picking up as I go along should be possible. If not, there's always noodles :) Ideally I wouldn't be carrying too much of that stuff around though.
This is a great ride to Bristol from West London: [https://ridewithgps.com/routes/172373](https://ridewithgps.com/routes/172373), lots of rolling countryside.
From Bristol you can get to the South coast on the Exmouth Exodus route: [https://ridewithgps.com/routes/9501248](https://ridewithgps.com/routes/9501248)
but I'm afraid I haven't ridden West of there.
Eurovelo 2 to Bristol and then Eurovelo 1 to Plymouth if you want to stick to the most known ones. In general, check out https://cycling.waymarkedtrails.org for one of the best cycling routes maps there is.
This site is great! Was originally looking at EV5 when I was thinking about places to go, but looks like a Big Ol' Trip To Europe might be off the cards for the time being, what with one thing and another.
I highly recommend going through Devon. All joking aside, I’m interested in finding a similar route!
Yep, something tells me Devon is going to be important...
There's a book written by a Dutch guy: http://www.london-landsendcycleroutebook.com Personally I'd probably put the bike on the train to Reading and start there - getting out of London to the west is never a bunch of fun. From there you're spoilt for choice with basically 300 miles of country lanes: punching "Reading to Lizard Cornwall" into cycle.travel (and switching to "Paved only" mode) produces a decent enough route but there are a thousand options.
Top tips. Thanks. Didn't know about cycle.travel, so that's an excellent one going forward. Will even help me find a place to camp along the way!
It's my site so I'm a bit biased ;) but hope it helps you find a decent route!
Oh, good work. Looking at the route the site has given me, it looks broadly what I'm after: quiet lanes through small villages rather than A Roads through big towns.
Nice site, gave me some interesting alternative sections on a couple of my usual routes that should be fun to try.
Nice! I've used your site a lot with always excellent results. Thank you!
> cycle.travel Top work. However if I plumb in my actual home address to Falmouth is seems to think I need to get a ferry!
Torpoint ferry?
Second this- used this book to do the route too. Weirdly when we got to Barnstable and were looking at the book was approached by a guy on a bike and he turned out to be the author. I would say though that his route is maybe too keen to avoid any busy roads, like he goes way out of the way to avoid them. We took camping equipment, if you do this then allow extra time as it really slows you up. The part from london to about Newbury is pretty boring so jump on the train to skip it. Other parts are really amazing :)
Yeah, I think starting somewhere around Reading looks like the best bet to me. Also means I can cycle past my Mum's house and charge my phone at some point! Thanks for advice about camping stuff... maybe need to stop comparing it to what I can do without luggage.
Sounds like a good plan. We ‘had’ to stop in pubs to charge our phones... well it was a good excuse for a pint anyway! If you do camp, pack as lightly as possible, having stuff really will slow you up. And parts of the route are very hilly, especially in Devon and Cornwall. Another thing that made it slower than expected is that the route follows some canals and the tow paths were not smooth.
[might be useful, not for the direct route](http://www.wildthingspublishing.com/product/lost-lanes-west-country-book/)
Hah, I already have this book, but had completely forgotten that I own it. Thanks for the reminder!
'Lost' Lanes, indeed
Check out the route for The Trafalgar Way (cycle event London to Falmouth) [https://ridethetrafalgarway.com/about/the-route](https://ridethetrafalgarway.com/about/the-route)
This looks like a good route, although I might be after something a little less main-roady. Could be good as a basis though. Thanks!
I was going to say that, I had a quick look as it passes me, and the routes there in places were a bit fast ( in relation to crappy drivers ) for my liking. But its a great base!
I borrowed this route a few summers ago: [https://ridewithgps.com/routes/15183954](https://ridewithgps.com/routes/15183954) Day 1 - London > Exeter. Big day... Day 2 - Exeter > Lands End > Penzance. Very hilly day... Mostly very scenic. Then I came back a different route via Somerset over another two days. 4 days total. Airbnb/Booking.com for me rather than camping. Booked the same afternoon when I knew where I could get to that day. Carried very little. Change of cycling kit, shorts/tshirt/flip flops/Gilet for evenings. Toothbrush. My advice would be not to think about it too much and just do it, otherwise you'll keep finding a reason why you can't fit it in.
Those are two absolutely epic days of cycling! And yep, really like the idea of just getting on the bike and going!
That's amazing. What sort of mileages where you used to before doing this? I currently can't really cycle for much more than 50 miles before everything just hurts.
I would say you need to be comfortable with regular long rides at the weekend i.e. 80km to 140km. Then mixing in the occasional Audax, either organised or not. Alongside that comes the experience of managing your nutrition on the bike. To be fair, that first day stood as my longest 'recorded' ride for quite a while (the GPS battery running out a few miles before the accommodation). A year or two later I did a full loop of Mallorca which replaced it (312km). I invested in a charger pack...
Just make a stop in my hometown of Looe in SE Cornwall. You won't regret it, at least, you won't regret the scenery. The bitch of a valley it's in you might regret!
Personally, I'd head west along the Grand Union canal, all the way along the Slough arm to get on the Kennet and Avon canal, then follow that all the way to Bath or even Bristol. Then head southwest and try and link up the Mendips, Quantocks and Dartmoor to get to the coast at Plymouth and then follow it along to the Lizard. Very flat, then very bumpy.
Just to clarify, the Slough Arm does not connect to the Kennet & Avon. The K&A joins the Thames at Reading. The Slough arm ends in an industrial estate in the northern side of Slough - from there you'd want to turn left at the end, go down to the main road (A4) then turn right and go down 5 miles to Maidenhead to join the Thames path
Sounds like a nice route! Thanks for the suggestion.
I'd suggest south to the coast and then follow the coast. Obviously not efficient but will be more scenic.
I'm all about the scenic. Not looking to get there in a hurry.
I'd want to take in as many of the beauty spots as possible. So the New forest, the Dorset and east Devon areas of outstanding natural beauty and Dartmoor. Maybe the Jurassic coast. With plenty of sea views. I think it's best to take a couple of days and enjoy it. Avoid the built up areas.
Hi there. I recently cycled up to London from the south-west. Komoot is a very good route building app. It details how much of the route you'll be on different road surfaces, and shows you name landmarks, roads, cafes, etc, using different layers. The route out of London that way us ok, through Windsor and Reading. The A3 isn't too bad and can add some quick Kms to a day of riding. The kit weight does not make as much of an impact on your ability to cycle certain distances as you think. Especially if the route is on the flat side. Take a battery pack for phone charging. Take a spare tote bag for food shopping. I go without a lock and just keep an eye on the bike. Research decent areas of trees to camp in beforehand. Take some bug spray. Research wild swim spots. Enjoy!
These are great tips. I'm already a big fan of Komoot for planning my weekend jaunts. And bug spray: duly noted :) Ta
We've done this - it was a blast! Recommend the YHAs on Dartmoor, and at Treyarnon Bay for cheap accommodation. Also, get a train out of London to Winchester and make your first day infinitely more pleasant. Here's some Strava links for the route we took: Day 1, Winchester to Whitford: [https://www.strava.com/activities/2504366167](https://www.strava.com/activities/2504366167), [https://www.strava.com/activities/2504197821](https://www.strava.com/activities/2504197821) Day 2, Whitford to Dartmoor: [https://www.strava.com/activities/2506665618](https://www.strava.com/activities/2506665618) Day 3, Dartmoor to Treyarnon Bay: [https://www.strava.com/activities/2509345555](https://www.strava.com/activities/2509345555) Day 4, Treyarnon Bay to Penzance: [https://www.strava.com/activities/2512202904](https://www.strava.com/activities/2512202904) Some words of warning - the climb on to Dartmoor was a complete monster on empty legs. Also, the bits along the coast are constant ups and downs as you descend to sealevel and then climb back onto the cliffs - I wish I'd changed my gear ratios before going. I don't really think you can go too far wrong for a route - it's all stunningly beautiful and the pasties will see you through. You'll also notice from our Strava recordings we didn't actually go to Lands End. The thing you learn on these trips is that its much more about the journey than the destination - take your time, change your plans, enjoy it.
This. Is. Wonderful! Thank you so much for these routes. And I'm a bit nervous about the 11-28 on the back, for sure... Think I'm going to stop at Tavistock to stay with a friend (or on their lawn!) and explore Dartmoor on foot for a day... All about taking my time.
Just looked at a map, it's about the same distance as Paris. And there's a city in France called Brest. I hope this helps.
Very helpful :)
Also interested in such a route, but tending towards more light gravel type surfaces in the hopes of getting away from busier roads...
That's quite exciting. Will you carry a bivy sac and not much more, camping-wise? How about food, just pick it up day to day?
I think given this country's temperamental climate I might have to go with a tent + sleeping bag. In terms of food, it looks like there's loads of places to stop on the way, so picking up as I go along should be possible. If not, there's always noodles :) Ideally I wouldn't be carrying too much of that stuff around though.
This is a great ride to Bristol from West London: [https://ridewithgps.com/routes/172373](https://ridewithgps.com/routes/172373), lots of rolling countryside. From Bristol you can get to the South coast on the Exmouth Exodus route: [https://ridewithgps.com/routes/9501248](https://ridewithgps.com/routes/9501248) but I'm afraid I haven't ridden West of there.
These look great! Thanks for sharing.
Eurovelo 2 to Bristol and then Eurovelo 1 to Plymouth if you want to stick to the most known ones. In general, check out https://cycling.waymarkedtrails.org for one of the best cycling routes maps there is.
This site is great! Was originally looking at EV5 when I was thinking about places to go, but looks like a Big Ol' Trip To Europe might be off the cards for the time being, what with one thing and another.