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DARTMOOR ROUTES
Dartmoor's scenery is unlike anything else in the country, with granite tors rising up out of the landscape, streams cutting through valleys and a bleak, grassy moorland plateau - all riddled with mountain bike tracks and trails to test every ability. |
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Granite Way & Meldon Reservoir
An easy introduction to the delights of Dartmoor, with great views over Devon. Includes one testing little descent.
Route Grade: medium. Distance 16km |
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Peter Tavy & the Merrivale Range
For a short route this offers almost full Dartmoor spectrum: dingly dell farmland, remote moorland, a military firing range, a standing stone, a cracking descent and a good pub at the bottom of the hill.
Route Grade: hard . Distance 13km |
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Bellever & the Stepping Stones
Warm up on wide forest tracks then down hill on singletrack, more wide tracks then a change of scene; a testing descent, testing flat sections, magical stepping stone river crossings, more climbing before enjoying perhaps the best descent of the day, and then a bit more climbing before your back onto the forest tracks and the finish.
Route Grade:hard. Distance 20km
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Postbridge & Challacombe Down
You’re on Dartmoor central plateau and spend most of the time between 300 and 450 metres. Magic moments and a bi of tricky singletrack down through heather to tin mine ruins.
Route Grade: medium . Distance 16km |
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Grimspound & Hound Tor
The toughest of the Dartmoor rides – killer climbs and fast descents set in fantastic scenery.
Route Grade: extreme . Distance 30 |
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North Bovey & Foxworthy Route
A steep climb leads to huge views of the Tors ahead. The route flanks Easdon Tor then it’s climbing again before contouring along then dropping down and onto singletrack and a series of drop offs. A bit of climbing again before crossing the river to the finish.
Route Grade: medium . Distance 13km |
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Princetown to Burrator Route
A granite dust track to solve problems of peat erosion that offers some tricky bits for mountain bikers, a teeth rattling descent and a ‘How much can you ride?’ climb back up the famous granite path.
Route Grade: hard. Distance 21km |
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Avon Dam & Scorrition Route
This is one of the longest and toughest routes in the guide. If you like fast, open descents this route has it in buckets.
Route Grade: hard. Distance 30km |
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Lydford & Mary Tavy Route
One of the easiest Dartmoor rides – save this route as a treat for yourself when you want a gentle potter. Tow excellent pubs along the way.
Route Grade: medium . Distance 17km |
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Two Bridges, Princetown & Hexworthy
Real 'roof of the moor stuff'
Route Grade: medium. Distance 16km |
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EXMOOR ROUTES
Exmoor is smaller and more intimate than Dartmoor, with a denser network of byways and bridleways criss-crossing the moor. The variety is even greater as Exmoor offers mountain biking high up above the coast as well as on tracks over high heather moorland. A speciality of the area is the rollercoaster stone stream beds - punctuated with serial drop-offs. |
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Lynton & the Valley of the Rocks
This route would be worth the sea view alone. Throw in the Valley of the Rocks, a wonderful graded zigzag climb and some great stream crossings in hidden combes and you have a fine coast and moors ride.
Route Grade: hard
. Distance 22km |
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Porlock Weir & County Gate
This starts at sea level and climbs to over 400 metres; so you can look forward to a long well deserved descent in the final part of the route.
Route Grade: hard . Distance 22km |
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Withypool & Sportsman’s Inn
Quite possibly the finest route in the heart of the moorland with a sprinkling of everything.
Route Grade: hard . Distance 22km |
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Oareford & Larkbarrow
A route going from nowhere to nowhere via nowhere. Why do it? Because it’s there. Includes a great descent and a sting in the tail lung busting climb at the finish.
Route Grade: hard . Distance 18km |
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Horner Wood Route
Everything about this route is extreme. It is extremely short, the climbs are extremely tough, the descents are extremely steep and the whole woodland is extremely beautiful.
Route Grade: extreme . Distance 10km |
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Selworthy Beacon Route
Stone tracks with excellent drainage through a landscape of heather and fern, but with amazing sea views a an added bonus.
Route Grade: hard . Distance 20km |
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Winsford & Exford
Rough moorland to rollercoaster stone bedrock descent, fearsome climbs and gentle riverside tracks.
Route Grade: hard . Distance 30km |
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Winsford & Wheddon Cross
Several fine descents, some stony and technical, others grassy and open, set in the heart of Exmoor
Route Grade: hard . Distance 27km |
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Dulverton & Winsford Route
Starting at Dulverton this route has a bit of everything, good stone tracks, easy climbs, hair-raising and breezalong descents.
Route Grade: hard . Distance 20km |
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Wimbleball Reservoir Route
A long and testing descent (and what a descent) at the start then the rest is a lovely potter around the reservoir.
Route Grade: hard . Distance 22km |
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Carhampton & Croydon Hill
This takes you to the highest point in the forest then it's a fast and furious descent, with one short climb to break into two, to drop you down 350 metres and back to Carhampton.
Route Grade: hard . Distance 17km |
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Monksilver & Brompton Ralph
The mountain biking route just gets better and better as it goes on – and the final descent down Monksilver will have you gagging to come back and do it again.
Route Grade: hard . Distance 19km |
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QUANTOCKS ROUTES
The Quantock Hills pack in well over a hundred miles of trails on well drained tracks through gorse, heather and woodland from the broad and easy ridge trail to excellent testing, twisty singletrack. |
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Quantocks Ridge Route
A real ‘roof of the world’ route, undulating between 300 and 350 metres. Good all year round riding and a great route to introduce novices to the joys of mountain biking.
Route Grade: hard . Distance 11km e/w (22km) |
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Holford & the Great Road
Easy woodland climb, a tough woodland climb, easy cruising on broad tracks, a bit of mud and splash, great views and a fast descent, half open, half wooded with innumerable options to tweak or extend it.
Route Grade: medium . Distance 14km |
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Aisholt & the Southern Combes
Long easy climb, testing descent, great pub, impossible climb (now there is a challenge!), a taste of the famous Quantocks ridge and a second long descent give you the idea.
Route Grade: medium . Distance 16km
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Enmore & Cothelstone Hill
Six significant climbs, and what goes up must come down; so it’s a real rollercoaster of a route.
Route Grade: medium . Distance 19km |
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MENDIPS ROUTES
The Mendips are a whale-back shaped ridge of carboniferous limestone stretching east from Weston-super-Mare to beyond Shepton Mallet, with the Cheddar Gorge as its most famous landmark. |
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Cheddar Challenge (Bonus Route)
A great ride that also provides an opportunity to sample the glorious singletrack of Black Down and Beacon Batch.
Route Grade: medium 29km |
