my missus is away this weekend so thinking of riding to Lands End and back (if the weather forecast stays ok)
anyone have experience on the roads in Cornwall? worth the trip?
thinking of blatting down via M5 after work on Friday
spend saturday morning visiting lands end and the countryside
saturday afternoon/evening back home
got to pick the missus up from airport on sunday afternoon
sounds like a cool trip.
Weather is MEANT to be nice this weekend.
arrrrrg save it till i get my bike back next week!!!
yeah have been looking at weather forecast for various places along the route, its a bit mixed at the mo…will keep an eye on it
Be far more interesting going down the A303 & the A30 rather than the M5. M5 will be quicker. M5 ends at Exeter, and from there you have the choice of the A38 or A30. A30 will take you straight to Penzance, and from there it is a short way to Lands Ends.
If you come back along the A38 through Plymouth you have to go over the Tamar Bridge (Toll, but bikes are free).
Some lovely roads down in Cornwall, but take it steady lots of accidents involving bikes on the Cornish roads.
If you are going pick us up some Rodda’s Clotted Cream. 
OK, first off…the trip sounds OUTSTANDING…wish I could get the beast over there…I’d go along gladly.
Having said that…what in the HELL is Rodda’s Clotted Cream?! (Surely they wouldn’t give something meant to be consumed a name like that?!)
hey check this out…
http://londonbikers.com/forums/Topic348334-23-1.aspx
i just came back from Land’s End 
I suggest:
A4 > M4 > M25 > M3 > A303 > A358 (Axminster) > A35 > A30 > M5 > A30 down to Penzance
and then
A30 > A391 (St Austell) > A390 (Liskeard) > A38 > A390 (Tavistock) > then option B3357 into Dartmoor Forest or A386 (Pymouth)> A38 > M5 > A30 (Honiton) > A35 (Dorchester) > A31 towards Southampton and i suggest you go thru Lyndhurst > M27 > M3 down to london
Henry I’m up for it again in a week or two if you wish…
They certainly did http://www.roddas.co.uk/ brest enjoyed on a nice large scone, with butter and strawberry jam, with a dollop of cream on the top. Lovely.
nice one i’ve been getting more and more grumpy that all this cool stuff is going on and i can’t join in.
We did it a few yrs back (on 125s and L plates, so it took us a little longer than a weekend 
).
Both suggested routes are good ones.
Land End itself is rubbish (a shabby attempt at a mini theme park), but the views are excellent. The only good thing is you can pay to get a photo of you with your bike in front of the sign showing how far it is to everywhere in the world. (It doesn’t look like you’re meant to take your bike down there, but if you ask the photographer they’re happy for you to do it. We still look at our photo now and then and reminisce)
Much better place to chill if it’s a nice day, imho is the Minack Theatre (google it: open air amphitheatre a few miles from LE with excellent views over the sea where two currents meet)
St Ives is excellent (and nr LE). It’s a nightmare to go to in a car, but on a bike you can go straight to the seafront and park on the end of the harbour walls.
You go past a good cider farm on the way down to LE (once you’re inside Cornwall - can’t remember the name, but it’s on a brown signpost off the A30). Also, on the way back, if you’re interested in cider (can you guess that I am?) there’s the famous Cider Bar in Newton Abbot, one of the few remaining cider bars left in the country. They only sell cider. It’s the most unique pub you’ll ever go to, but give it a miss if you want a juke box, or electronic games, or lager, or anything other than scrumpy, a cornish pasty, or a ham/cheese/onion roll. Perfection in a pub (but you will want to stay the night)
Have fun. It’s a long way to go in a weekend, though, so do be careful and take plenty of breaks.
cool ,what a coincidence! :w00t:
sorry guys but I am thinking i need to do it this weekend if any as i am not comfortable taking the missus as a pillion any time soon
yeah i know, but i need to get down there quickly on Friday evening as Saturday is my only play day really, Sunday have to be back to be at Gatwick with the car for 18:00
will take the longer way back on sat
How far, in miles, is the trip? (Too lazy to go mapquest it at the moment)…or does the trip just take a long time due to the infernal English traffic?The last time I was in the UK, I stayed with my sister in law in Nottingham…we took a trip up to the Peaks District and it took FOR-EVAH…I mean, it might have been faster to just get out and walk. And that wasn’t even a long trip mileage wise.
It’s around 700 miles return trip, depending on route. But it’s a fair few hours in the saddle if you’re not used to it (or even if you are), and if you’re planning to do it in a weekend, and you’re on your own, and it rains (as it will do this weekend), then it only gets longer…
As you say, our roads are congested. It takes me the best part of an hour to get OUT of London whenever we set off on a trip, and that’s only 15 or so miles!
A30 is a bit pants!! i went to lands end in feb and the place itself is rubbish!! but you have to go to say that youve been!!! after penzance the contry roads are a bit more exciting but if its gonna be busy dwon there then you will be sat behind a que of cars. some good roads between padstow and newquay sticking as close to the coast as possible!! and if your into your fish and chips then padstow is the place to stop for lunch at Rick steins chippy!!
have a good trip:)
have you introduced yourself in the newbie section!!stranger!!
yumm 
but i heard you have to pay full top notch prices?
Went down to Plymouth for work a wee while ago. Can I suggest the following?
Take the A303 when you’re far enough out of London. Some annoying bits but it gets you there quickly without using the Mway. Turn off for Salisbury and when there look for the A36 (if you’re in a rush of sorts, skip the salisbury turn and pick the A36 up straight from the A303). Follow this to Frome. It’s awesome. You can then jump on the M5 (try to avoid Glastonbury - it’s gash, 50’s and 30’s the whole way) for a wee bit to speed the process up.
Once at Exeter you don’t have much choice - the A30 and A38 are both boring dual carriageways. Depending on what your schedule is, I’d turn south and go via Totnes and Dartmouth. Take the teeny tiny ferry across Dartmouth, it’s fun!
To the North of the Peninsula, towards Bude, try getting to the B3263 and B3254 (IIRC) - ending at Tresparrett Posts (!) and Crackington Haven (snicker!). The hill at Crackington is 20% so practice squeezing your front brake round the bends there. You’ll be rewarded with a massive pub with a huge car park at the bottom.
If Land’s End is anything like John O’Groats, prepare to be disappointed but enjoy how you get there. 
don’t want to cause stir, but why is everybody saying that land’s end is cr@p?!?! why are you knocking it down so much??!
not sure guys what your expectations are really … it is what it is “Land’s End”, that’s it… not much to see some have said…well on the contrary i argue there’s a lot to see, the infinity of the ocean, the bear naked land that goes for miles in front of you, the rocky coast with peaks sticking out of the sea like they are little islands on their own, the contrast of the ocean with the brownish fields… and i could go on and on… c’mon guys… what’s the matter!
Orange…enjoy it mate!
One thing though don’t go by yourself if you’re going late afternoon it is pouring down buckets…it is a long trip and even longer when it p1$$es down…believe me i’ve done it last week and was not a walk in the park…
