Cycling UK Forum

Hi,
We will be visiting St Austell in a couple of weeks and I have been trying to find more information about the Clay Trails.
My wife suffers from Vertigo and doesn't like cycling too close (i.e. less than a few metres) to steep slopes.

I was looking at using the Wheal Martyn trail that runs from:
Tremena Road, St Austell (https://w3w.co/aged.nooks.tries)
Alongside Bodmin Road (B3274)
Drummer's Hill
North of Ruddle's Pit
South of the Carlaze solar farm
Up to Trethurgy
and then down to the Eden Project.

Does anyone have any local knowledge of how close those paths are to the edge ?
Are we talking a couple of feet or a couple of metres ?

We don't mind having to walk short sections of the route, but we don't want to end up walking the whole 5 miles.

I did try looking at various sites like, http://www.claytrails.co.uk/ but I cannot find anything that gives detailed pictures or video of the whole route.

Many thanks.

Very likely we are going to be doing some trails this weekend. Watch this space...

sosbloke wrote: ↑9 Aug 2022, 10:54amDoes anyone have any local knowledge of how close those paths are to the edge ?

A local YouTuber made a video of him riding an event around there a few weeks ago, which might give you an idea of whether the exposure to drops is manageable. If you also go to the website for the event, you can see a map (and download a gpx file) for the route he was riding - he was doing the 25 mile variant. http://cornishalpinechallenge.org.uk/25miles.html (I've seen this guy out and about on the local trails, and he's not a racing-snake, and definitely not fond of hills, so take his complaints about how hard the route is with a pinch of salt.)

Thanks DevonDamo and peetee

Cornwall alpine challenge uses a lot of closed private industrial roads.

I must have road all the clay trails by now, I use some of it daily on my commute.

There isn’t any prolonged sections with drops, it’s all inland. To be honest I can’t think of a single point that puts you close to a big drop unless you go off the stated path.

I've ridden all these trails and I also suffer from Vertigo. I don't think you will have a problem.
BTW the trails are named after the clay pits they traverse. The surface is mostly gravel, with bits of clay underneath in places; if you do get a wet day you'll get white clay splashes from puddles.

Thanks @fossala and @ChrisF

Having watched the Alpine Challenge video, linked by DevonDamo, I think we will certainly manage the section from St Austell up to the Wheal Martyn museum but the section over to the Eden project is maybe a bit too off road for my wifes hybrid bike.