A39 and A30 alternatives

[ipswichcycler]

In 2014 I cycled from Lowestoft to Lands End and from Barnstaple went along A39 and then A30. It suited me at the time and got me to where I wanted to be but wasn't the best. Any other options that are flat-ish to pass through Devon and Cornwall?

Recommendations most welcome.

[mjr]

See viewtopic.php?f=22&t=124647&start=15#p1271096 or other search results for place names in Cornwall?

[Mick F]

In 2014 I cycled from Lowestoft to Lands End and from Barnstaple went along A39 and then A30. It suited me at the time and got me to where I wanted to be but wasn't the best. Any other options that are flat-ish to pass through Devon and Cornwall?

Recommendations most welcome.

From where are you entering Devon?
Are you doing JOGLE?

If coming SW, come down to Gloucester and not down the Wye Valley over the Severn.
Follow the A38 towards Bristol.
Many ways SW to avoid Bristol city centre, but you need to end up on the A38 heading for Bridgwater.
From there, it's Taunton, Wellington and Tiverton.

Taunton is ok, and go through Wellington town centre and down the A38 to M5 J27.
Cross over the M5 and head through Samford Peverell and Halberton into Tiverton, then down to Bickleigh.
Do not go up Bickleigh Hill to Crediton!

Instead, go south and turn off along Rob's Passage to Crediton. Look it up on here for the route!

From there, do Copplestone, Bow, and Okehampton town centre.
As you leave the town, keep going up the hill and past Bettly Cottles Inn and turn off right before you cross over the A30. Just past a farm on your right.
Top of the hill, turn left and go past the Travel Lodge and the service area and pass under the A30 then turn right. This is the Old A30 and keep going with many long downhills and it'll take you over the bridge into Cornwall by Launceston Rugby ground.

Turn right opposite the playing field and to another junction just past the water works and turn left. Keep going to the end and turn left, then right at the mini roundabout.

Up the hill, and right and then left at St Stephens and keep on that road through Egloskerry and Tresmeer to pop out on the A395 and head west for Davidstow through Hallworthy.

At the end of the road, it's the A39 and turn south through Camelford and Wadebridge to St Columb Major.
Cross over the Newquay road and go via St Newlyn East to the A30 and Zenor. Rejoin the A30 for a short while to Blackwater and follow the Old A30 again through Redruth and Camborne and Connor Downs to Hayle.

Through Hayle town centre and join the A30 for Penzance. Go through the town and out again for LE.

[ipswichcycler]

Thank you Mick F for the very thorough reply. I like the idea of a big ride like Lejog but also like to just go on a long ride and see what I see. Might just go on another lowestoft to lands end route. Last time I came into Devon from Marlborough to Wells to Minehead to Barnstaple to Wadebridge to somewhere near Penzance. For me it’s just a recreational ride / holiday.

[Jamesh]

Can second Mick F route through Cornwall, I thought his route was great to avoid major hills.

Cheers James

[LittleGreyCat]

Reading this very detailed reply made me wonder if there was scope to put these routes into Cycle.Travel then store the links somewhere on the forum.

[wjhall]

[....
Follow the A38 towards Bristol.
Many ways SW to avoid Bristol city centre, but you need to end up on the A38 heading for Bridgwater.
From there, it's Taunton, Wellington and Tiverton.....

This bit continues to puzzle me. If you are using the A38 north and south of Bristol, which I would not, there does not seem any obvious reason not to follow it through Bristol. I assume it is signposted right through, as a resident I have never noticed. The speed limits are lower than on the country sections and it is mostly single carriageway after Filton. You might wish to cut through the centre to avoid the short three lane bit along Bond Street.

In the same way that I would not use the A38 outside I Bristol I would cut through Bristol on minor roads, identifiable by route planners, depending whether I merely regarded Bristol as an obstruction, or wished to see some part of it.

WJH

[Mick F]

I understand there's a cycle way through Bristol alongside the M5 or something.
The "Wimps LEJOG" went that way. Much the flattest way I understand.

When I've been through on JOGLE, I've come up through Church Hill on the A38 and crossed the Avon turning west on the A4, then up the hill past Bristol Zoo to catch the A38 again for Gloucester.
Also, on another occasion coming south, I went straight through the city centre.
....... and on another occasion going north, I climbed up to Clifton Suspension Bridge and crossed there.

Years ago, I went across the Severn and up the Wye Valley.
Interesting, but not something I would bother with again. Much better to go through Gloucester.

Each time I'be been through, I've been on different routes, but the Wimps idea sounds best.

[mjr]

I understand there's a cycle way through Bristol alongside the M5 or something.
The "Wimps LEJOG" went that way. Much the flattest way I understand.

National 410 Clevedon to Thornbury shadows the M5 and is probably the way you mean, although it bypasses Bristol rather than going right through it.

If you don't mind one short climb, I think there's a fairly obvious shortcut on B roads and by roads between Lawrence Weston and Thornbury via Henbury and Almondsbury removing 6 miles if you're using the A38 or 3 miles (mostly industrial IIRC) if you're using National 41 up the Severn Valley.

[whoof]

[....
Follow the A38 towards Bristol.
Many ways SW to avoid Bristol city centre, but you need to end up on the A38 heading for Bridgwater.
From there, it's Taunton, Wellington and Tiverton.....

This bit continues to puzzle me. If you are using the A38 north and south of Bristol, which I would not, there does not seem any obvious reason not to follow it through Bristol. I assume it is signposted right through, as a resident I have never noticed. The speed limits are lower than on the country sections and it is mostly single carriageway after Filton. You might wish to cut through the centre to avoid the short three lane bit along Bond Street.

In the same way that I would not use the A38 outside I Bristol I would cut through Bristol on minor roads, identifiable by route planners, depending whether I merely regarded Bristol as an obstruction, or wished to see some part of it.

WJH

Agreed if you are going to ride the A38 either side (which I wouldn't) you may as well ride up Cheltenham and Gloucester Road (A38).

If I wanted to not go through Bristol I would choose.

or

[cycleruk]

Wimps - Round Bristol:-
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27672373

Gloucester route:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27219348

Obviously we were going south to north. Sometimes though it's more practical to use a bit of main road but an effort was made not too.
These 2 routes show the camp sites we used.

[whoof]

Wimps - Round Bristol:-
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27672373

Nice route between the M5 and Pilning if you're an Eddie Stobbart fan other than that not great.

[Morzedec]

'Jour, I did Penzance to Bodmin Saturday last, in the pouring rain. Small lanes (via Marazion) to Hayle and Blackwater, then the A39, and then across to Newlyn East and St Columb to Victoria and along the old A30 to Bodmin.

It was terrible: standing water everywhere, rubbish visibility, and not an open cafe in sight.

Sigh: back to my region of France next week, where it never rains and there is no traffic.

Happy days.

[wjhall]

In the same way that I would not use the A38 outside I Bristol ...

WJH

Agreed if you ar....

If I wanted to not go through Bristol I would choose.

BBBA.jpg

or

I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw Kingsweston Lane on the route, and was even more puzzled when I realised that the planner had taken a dog leg to reach it. However, it can be part of a perfectly functional route, although logically one that follows the A403 which has shared pavements or parallel cycle paths all the way from Severn Beach to Kingsweston Lane, or even on to Avonmouth apart from the railway bridge. So I expect people will survive a short bit of Kingsweston Lane, especially now that the speed limits have been reduced again. This version coming straight down the A403 is more logical.

Anyone suffering from A38 nostalgia can ride on the A403 rather than beside it.

The planner is essentially right, marginally shorter routes to the SW from NW Bristol do tend to be over the M5 bridge, but the A403 route is somewhat industrial with glimpses of the estuary at the start.


However, the more attractive routes through NW Bristol are actually a little further east, passing through the Westbury-on-Trym-Stoke Bishop-Clifton area, which seemed to be where your route was headed before it took the dog leg back at Hallen into the industrial area. The key is the Easter Compton - Spaniorum - Hallen road, then to Sea Mills harbour for the Portway shared pavement towards Shirehampton and the M5 bridge or S through the docks and Long Ashton. The most pleasant but hillier route on minor roads through the leafy suburbs, over the Clifton suspension bridge and out through Ashton Court park is also easily accessible.

For other parts of Bristol different approaches will be needed, but passing through NW Bristol is the shortest and most pleasant, and probably lowest traffic option.

[whoof]

In the same way that I would not use the A38 outside I Bristol ...

WJH

Agreed if you ar....

If I wanted to not go through Bristol I would choose.

BBBA.jpg

or

I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw Kingsweston Lane on the route, and was even more puzzled when I realised that the planner had taken a dog leg to reach it.

Kingsweston Lane is really quite at weekends and I don't find it bad at other times and is all of 2 km long.
If you follow NCN route 41 you go through an underpass which is a popular car burning spot and is regularly covered in broken glass. Poplar Way East also has a burger van for a cheap food stop.