We head down to Bissoe in Cornwall to explore some of the South West’s most secret trails
We head down to explore some of the South West’s most secret trails, and what we discover must be shared...
Cornwall is a popular holiday destination, known for its beaches and surfing. But it often confuses the hell out of people who’d like to do a bit of mountain biking while they’re there. Forum threads on the topic tend to result in the bewildered poster accepting they’ll just take a road bike and explore the quiet back lanes. In reality though, central Cornwall actually provides a rich network of trails suitable for all types of off-road cycling. So we decided to explore them, to provide you with a fun route to ride and an excuse to escape the crowds on the beach.
Rain, rain, sod off
The weather isn’t quite panning out as envisaged... After a long, rainy drive, Russell, Josiah (a local rider who contacted us a while back, being super-keen to show us around his local trails) and I find ourselves sat inside, gazing out at it splashing in the car park, creating puddles that are growing at an alarming rate. At this point, we’re not too keen to head out, especially when there’s a sale rail in the bike shop to peruse, a comfy sofa to sit on and delicious flapjacks to devour.
Thankfully, as Cornwall receives a liberal amount of rainfall throughout the year, the trails are quite adept at shedding the water and stony enough not to be affected too badly. So when
the rain eventually eases, we quickly jump on our bikes and weave our way around the puddles to start our adventure.
We’re instantly rewarded by the sun coming out and with a good trail leading us up the Poldice Valley. Gazing at the surrounding hills, we see some interesting-looking runs weaving their way down the slopes. This valley, and Unity Wood at the end, is a popular destination for enduro riders looking for some adrenaline-fuelled fun. We’re saving these trails for the end of our ride though, so we climb up out of the valley, over United Downs, for a reminder that Cornwall actually has some pretty stiff climbs.
Another thing to bear in mind is that this ride is made up of a complex combination of tracks and trails, and sees you turn this way and that throughout. It’s enough to send even the best of navigators dizzy! We highly recommend you use a GPS unit or phone app to help you follow the route – not least because you’ll want to be able to look up and enjoy the landscape and views too.
Trail switching
After climbing out of the Poldice Valley on rough byway tracks, we feel like we’re in the back of beyond, before we suddenly pop out by an industrial estate. We flee down a track, which looks nothing more than a forgotten ditch but turns into a lovely rocky little trail, before a road takes us past the sewage works, and then we’re in a glorious old deciduous woodland with mosscovered trunks and shafts of sunlight penetrating the thick canopy, creating a magical, if somewhat eerie, setting. This constant switching of terrain, direction and views continues throughout the day. People who think there aren’t that many trails around here are in for a wonderful surprise.
We skirt around old quarries, down rough sunken lanes with high walls, along bridleways and up linking country roads, discovering this largely forgotten area, concealed in the middle of the vast swarms of holidaymakers on the coasts. It feels like we’re on a stealth ride, hidden from sight and switching from one trail to the next. The views change from open moorland with no sign of civilisation to towns or caravan parks teaming with life, just around the corner.
Off the beaten track
At the southern end of the route, we pass a reservoir before climbing up farm tracks and then descending to Treskillard. Here, Josiah leads us off the main track on a trail that twists and turns right in between the amazing remains of the old mining buildings. These impressive stone structures lie dormant but are largely still standing strong. They’re a reminder of when Cornwall was once the world’s leader in tin mining, and this quiet part of the countryside was bustling.
We continue across the hillside, then drop down a trail that zig-zags its way to Carnkie before climbing back out the other side to the summit and viewpoint of Carn Brea. The views are superb,
stretching from coast to coast, so we take a break and soak it all in. Here also is the amazing 14th century Carn Brea Castle, which looks derelict, but within its thick stone walls is a cosy Middle Eastern restaurant, lit by candles. Just behind the castle, there’s a rather tasty, wiggly trail down the hill – the type that has you popping off rocks as you speed down. Although used by cyclists, it’s possibly not totally legal, so we’ve had to leave it out of our guide.
The next bit of trail, which wiggles around an old quarry, is fair game though, as are a number of unmarked tracks or white roads in the area, as we wind our way back past the town of Lanner Moor. The shop and pub here can provide refreshments, but we’re set on getting back to the Bike Chain cafe before it closes, so we press on.
Show stoppers
The climb out of town takes us up Carn Marth, one of a series of ancient hills that run along the backbone of Cornwall, stretching all the way down to Land’s End. This particular hill is home to an open-air theatre that’s hosted some pretty memorable shows. We’re here for the riding though, and that continues to be memorable in itself.
After descending, we head off narrow country lanes onto more seemingly forgotten, unmarked tracks, which look like overgrown ditches but sometimes provide superb nadgery singletrack. We continue down, before climbing up to the village of St Day and dropping back down into the Poldice Valley. The ride is anything but over just yet though, as there are some great trails in Unity Wood, a small woodland riddled with routes (and roots), with numerous sculpted trails. It’s popular with enduro riders, so there’s some technical riding, but there are some easier trails too, which are still great fun, with lovely berms.
Caked, then cake
After having our fill, we continue up the Poldice Valley, which is also well-known among enduro riders, for its big freeride lines and rugged technical downhill runs. There are cross-country trails to enjoy here too though – in fact, XC races have even been held here. The ground really does drain quickly in this area and there’s no sign of the earlier rain, except for a puddle just before the car park, which I gleefully plough through. It’s been a very clean ride up until now, but now my bike is filthy – and there’s no bike wash. I sheepishly load it into the back of Russell’s van while he scowls at me. Oops.
Back in the cafe, with coffee and cake in hand, we reflect on the day’s riding, which has felt like a whirlwind of different trails, directions and views. It’s shown us that there’s a host of great riding right in the middle of the Cornish peninsula. Add the various purpose-built mountain bike trails and facilities nearby – The Track at Portreath, Woody’s Bike Park near Fowey, Cardinham Woods on Bodmin Moor and the Lanhydrock trails, plus, over the border in Devon, Gawton Gravity Hub near Tavistock and Haldon Forest near Exeter – and, yes, Cornwall is a magnet for holidaymakers, but it’s also definitely somewhere you should bring your bike (and a GPS device too!).