A30

Specific board for this popular undertaking.
Tiggertoo
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A30

Post by Tiggertoo »

Question for Mick F: Would you ride A30 from Penzance to Bodmin then A38 to Plymouth?
nico36
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Re: A30

Post by nico36 »

No, there are lots of ways to progress north without going on the A30, it's a dangerous road for cyclists.
Tiggertoo
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Re: A30

Post by Tiggertoo »

My main motivation is to ride between the two towns without having to hug the coast and cross rivers on a ferry - of which there are about four I believe.
Jon Lucas
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Re: A30

Post by Jon Lucas »

Tiggertoo wrote: 12 Aug 2022, 10:47pm My main motivation is to ride between the two towns without having to hug the coast and cross rivers on a ferry - of which there are about four I believe.
I can't imagine why anyone would not want to cross a river using a ferry (apart from the added cost). It is a wonderful experience. :)

A direct route along the south coast would involve ferries at the Helford estuary, across the Fal estuary and the Fowey estuary (and also the Looe estuary, but by that time you would be past Bodmin), or along the north coast the only ferry you would need to use is across the Camel estuary. The hills would be far more of a disincentive!
rareposter
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Re: A30

Post by rareposter »

Tiggertoo wrote: 12 Aug 2022, 10:47pm My main motivation is to ride between the two towns without having to hug the coast and cross rivers on a ferry - of which there are about four I believe.
Loads of routes that don't require the A30 or ferries.
Draw a line from Marazion up to Truro via Leedstown > Praze-an-Beeble > Bissoe. Then it's more northerly, cross the A30 at Victoria and run parallel to the A30 for a bit until Lanhydrock where you meet the B3268. Turn left. Next stop, Bodmin. Via that route, Bodmin is about 100km from LE.

I can see why you'd use the A30 if you were on a record attempt and had a van behind you for safety but why any other cyclist would ever have need for it is a mystery - there are hundreds of lovely little lanes not that far away; it looks a truly miserable and dangerous road to try and ride.
Jamesh
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Re: A30

Post by Jamesh »

It's not allowed apart from record attempts with following car iirc?

Look at Mick F route.
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Mick F
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Re: A30

Post by Mick F »

Tiggertoo wrote: 12 Aug 2022, 8:25pm Question for Mick F: Would you ride A30 from Penzance to Bodmin then A38 to Plymouth?
LE to JOG?

A30 to Penzance OK
A30 from Penzance to Hayle OK

As for further on, go through Hayle town centre, then out on the Old A30 via Connor Downs.
Here's my advice ..............
From LE follow the A30 to Penzance.
You can either go through the town centre or follow the bypass round to the north of the town. Either way, you end up on a roundabout on the A30 and follow this to another big roundabout where you can bear left for Hayle.

Go through the centre of Hayle and come out at another A30 roundabout. Take the second exit signposted Connor Downs. This is the Old A30 and you’ll be getting on and off that until you reach Okehampton.

Go over the Downs, and keep going and through Camborne town centre and into Redruth town centre following the old roads and the route of the Old A30. After Redruth, head for Scorrier and Blackwater again on the Old A30.

At the other end of Blackwater, you come to a roundabout at Three Burrows. Get on the A30. It’s single carriageway mainly and ok to cycle on. In the future, they are going to dual this stretch and I’m going to have to sort out a better cycling route!

You could turn off at Three Burrows onto the A3075 towards Newquay, but I think that’s taking you out of your way. Some folk have gone that way, then worked their way east back along the A392 through Quintrell Downs to pick up my described route.

Follow the A30 to Zelah - turn off the main road and go through the village Old A30 - and out again for a short time back on the A30 turning off left through St Newlyn East.

Cross the A3058 at Gummow’s Shop and cross the A392 at White Cross and go through St Columb Major. At the other end, pop out onto the A39 and head north and this will take you to Wadebridge. You can go down through the town, or stay up on the main road, but either way you will end up north of the town on the A39 heading for Camelford.

A few miles north of Camelford, turn east onto the A395 at Davidstow. Follow this through Hallworthy and over Wilsey Down and find a left turn onto minor roads to go through Tresmeer and Egloskerry. This road will take you to St Stephens just north of Launceston.

As you come out by the church, turn right onto the A388 (staggered junction) then immediately left and drop down into Newport at a mini roundabout opposite a Spar shop. Turn left up the hill a short way, then right. (east)

This road will take you to the north of Launceston on a fairly level road (Launceston town is high up on a hill with a Norman castle to your right). Pop out at a T junction and go right, following this to pop out onto the Old A30 by Launceston rugby ground and turn left.

Cross Polson Bridge over the border into Devon, and keep going.

Go through Lifton Down, Lifton, Tinhay, Portgate, Lewdown, Combebow, past Bridestowe, and climb up to nearly 1,000ft at Sourton where you turn left onto the A386 at a T junction.

Go under the A30 dual carriageway and follow the road past the services and Little Chef etc. Do not go onto the A30 despite the signpost for Okehampton.

Follow the A386 for less than a mile and see a small crossroads. Turn right signposted Meldon. This little road goes down hill and bends to the left and becomes an almost disused part of the Old A30, pop out onto the Old A30 proper, bearing left, and head into Okehampton town.

You are now about 100miles from LE and where most folk stop for their first night.
Mick F. Cornwall
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MrsHJ
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Re: A30

Post by MrsHJ »

Would not recommend cycling on the A38, there have been cyclist deaths- it’s a dual carriage way that’s treated as a motorway from Saltash and not good for cyclists before that. I am not so good on the Cornish section but spend a lot of time on the A38 in Devon.

Presumably you have a particular reason to head for Plymouth as it isn’t on most LEJOG routes?
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Mick F
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Re: A30

Post by Mick F »

A38 in Devon has a long stretch of cycling lanes.
Done all the bridges over the A38 from Exeter to Bodmin, so I know much of it through Devon.

Yes, good question.
Why Plymouth on a LEJOG?
Mick F. Cornwall
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MrsHJ
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Re: A30

Post by MrsHJ »

Mick F wrote: 14 Aug 2022, 7:39pm A38 in Devon has a long stretch of cycling lanes.
Done all the bridges over the A38 from Exeter to Bodmin, so I know much of it through Devon.

Yes, good question.
Why Plymouth on a LEJOG?
Saw the after events of a cyclist being mown down in the A38 just before Lee Mill-member of staff working at the Tesco there. Very grim- I’ve found that the problem is there aren’t cycle lanes throughout and where they aren’t there there wasn’t an alternative solution- is it maybe slightly more joined up now or just the old- oh well, we’ve done most of it, good luck with the rest.

As I haven’t tried to cycle it recently and have stuck to the lanes I could be out of date.
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Mick F
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Re: A30

Post by Mick F »

Tesco Lee Mill.
We used to shop there soon after it opened ............... 1980?
Off topic eh? :wink:

I've often cycled down from Wotter and Cornwood to Lee Mill past Tesco etc but turned south then north over the A38 to go via Langage and Ridgeway into Plympton. Cycle lanes all the way into Plymouth along the banks of the River Plym either via Saltram, or Embankment into Plymouth city.
Mick F. Cornwall
Tiggertoo
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Re: A30

Post by Tiggertoo »

MrsHJ wrote: 14 Aug 2022, 6:50pm Would not recommend cycling on the A38, there have been cyclist deaths- it’s a dual carriage way that’s treated as a motorway from Saltash and not good for cyclists before that. I am not so good on the Cornish section but spend a lot of time on the A38 in Devon.

Presumably you have a particular reason to head for Plymouth as it isn’t on most LEJOG routes?
Very good question and one I have asked the organizers of the tour (Peak Tours) without a good answer. So I am trying to find a better way to get there (Future Inn, Plymouth) than the route they are posting.
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Mick F
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Re: A30

Post by Mick F »

Bodmin to Saltash on the A38 is horrible in the extreme, especially through the Glynn Valley. I've done it, but it isn't nice at all.

Bodmin to Plymouth I have two options.

You could head south out of Bodmin and then east towards West Taphouse on the A390. From there you can get to Dobwalls.

Other option is to head north just as you get onto the A38 and past the Crematorium to Fletchers Bridge and St Neot and thence down to Dobwalls.

From Dobwalls, go south via Sandplace and Hessenford on the A374 and cross over the Torpoint Ferry to Plymouth. (free for bikes and pedestrians)

To get to the Future Inn at the northern end of the city, there are loads of pavement and cycle lanes.

The above options are further than the A38, but IMHO you would live to tell the tale if you kept off it. It's bad enough driving the damned thing! :shock:
Mick F. Cornwall
ken66
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Re: A30

Post by ken66 »

FWIW (not a lot I hear some say) I rode the Peak Tours 14 day LEJOG route in May. I thought the routes chosen were superb & the overall organisation excellent. I have no vested interest!
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MrsHJ
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Re: A30

Post by MrsHJ »

Tiggertoo wrote: 14 Aug 2022, 9:03pm
MrsHJ wrote: 14 Aug 2022, 6:50pm Would not recommend cycling on the A38, there have been cyclist deaths- it’s a dual carriage way that’s treated as a motorway from Saltash and not good for cyclists before that. I am not so good on the Cornish section but spend a lot of time on the A38 in Devon.

Presumably you have a particular reason to head for Plymouth as it isn’t on most LEJOG routes?
Very good question and one I have asked the organizers of the tour (Peak Tours) without a good answer. So I am trying to find a better way to get there (Future Inn, Plymouth) than the route they are posting.
Scratches head- there is a ferry from Torpoint. Not sure how much use it would be (I’ve never caught it)- commuters use it quite a lot. Edit: Aha- I see Mick has mentioned it. Agree that cycling in Plymouth is absolutely fine.
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