A30 Alternatives

[hellymedic]

In another thread, following the dreadful news of two deaths on the A30 today, jogler stated <<there are far less risky alternatives which add no time to the duration of an E2E>>
It's a very long time since I did my E2E. I was not time-limited because I had no job at the time. I was, however, cycling solo and had all my gear for a month with me. I was not camping but stayed in YHs and B&Bs. I was a useless climber, even then. After several days of slow progress, mostly following the coast, I developed tenosynovitis in my ankle, probably from pushing the bike uphill on minor roads.
I then resorted to the A30 and found its easier contours and smooth surface a great relief. I started making more useful progress.
I'm afraid I'm not convinced by this assertion but I'd love to know what others think or have done.
I did not think 'On The Road' was the place for this discussion.

[vorsprung]

I am not really an expert on riding in cornwall

However,  it is my impression that the flatest route from penzance to Bodmin is the fast a30
The north coast via Zennor and St Ives is Loverly but lumpy
After Bodmin ISTR there is an old A30 route which  is quieter 

[Ian H]

Here's a reasonable compromise; a bit slower, possibly. Googlemap

[Hummers]

We followed a reasonably similar route to Ian's when we did Lands End to London around 2 weeks ago in terms of bypassing Bodmin by heading north to the A39 and dropping back down again.

After that, we used the old A30 all the way to just past Honiton and for pretty much the rest of the way to London. Apart from a 2 mile stretch north of Salisbury (again avoidable) it was OK all the way to Staines where we diverted off onto the A315.

We also started at 6pm from Lands End on a Saturday (non-school holiday weekend) so it was a reasonably quiet time of the day and certainly missed the worst of the traffic until we hit Salisbury  .

H

[Euan Uzami]

Sorry if OT but end to end riders might also think about looking for alternatives to the A9 in Scotland, I when I was up there  recently saw quite a few cycle tourists, but the average speed of cars on single carriageway sections was shocking, well over 70. If you are doing the limit in a car you are basically going to be holding the traffic up.

[Hummers]

Sorry if OT but end to end riders might also think about looking for alternatives to the A9 in Scotland, I when I was up there  recently saw quite a few cycle tourists, but the average speed of cars on single carriageway sections was shocking, well over 70. If you are doing the limit in a car you are basically going to be holding the traffic up.

There is a national cycle route that tries to avoid (most) of the A9 by either cycle path or the parallel minor roads. The thing is, I don't think End-End riders know about it and I have seen a number of riders on the A9 which (in my opinion) a very dangerous road.

H

[teethgrinder]

There is a national cycle route that tries to avoid (most) of the A9 by either cycle path or the parallel minor roads. The thing is, I don't think End-End riders know about it and I have seen a number of riders on the A9 which (in my opinion) a very dangerous road.

H

The Sustrans route is pretty crap in places too. I tried it for a short while in 2006 and gave up when it turned into a flight of stairs. Bugger doing that with camping gear/a tandem/trike/recumbent etc. Come to think of it, bugger doing that with a child trailer.
However, the climb up the Pass of Drumochter, allthough was twisty turny, narrow so more than 12mph was often too fast even when the track was clear, it's a lot more pleasant than the A9 if you're a slow rider not on a tandem trike (a tandem might manage) It's more fun than the A9 and worth slowing down a bit to do unless you need to get a move on, though you'd have to be pretty fast for it to be worthwhile using the A9.
The sections of old A9 are very nice. Some of them are "hidden" though I think they are marked with Sustrans signs and some of the old A9 goes through the towns. The Sustrans route seems a lot better once you get to the Pass of Drummochter all the way to Inverness.
Funny how people's ideas about roads differ. I quite like the A9 and prefer it to the A30.

Another alternative is further east, which involves a lot of arrowed climbs. Never tried that route myself yet. Last time I went that way I was on about a 95" fixed and didn't fancy walking so took a flatter route.
Or there is the western route, which is single carriageway A85/A82 over Rannoch Moor. The scenery is nice (especially Glencoe) but I don't like that road. On my way back from Scotland on my last trip I hung around Glencoe until evening so that I could do that road and get through Glasgow through the night, just to avoid shitty driving (close passes at high speed with oncoming traffic). I'd have much prefered the A9 YMMV You'd then have to go via Loch Ness up to Inverness which gets very busy and is a narrow single carriageway road. I've only done that once on my 95" fixed, so was shifting a fair bit, which makes heavy traffic feel not so bad.
It'd add on a few miles too.

[Si_Co]

The tricky bit is getting over Bodmin Moor, personally I'd go Bodmin to Camelford (great pub - the masons) on the Camel trail- good surface flat as a pancake to pick up the A39 as Hummers says. There is no old A30 through Bolventor - bad bit of road, lots of locals killed in cars here, speeds relgulary in excess of 100mph done here. The old A30 bit will only get you as far as the turn to Blisland and they're strange out there 

Bodmin to Truro use the lanes parallel to the A30, through Truro using A390 to Chacewater and Scorrier. A3047 to Camborne, through Rosewater and Angarrack, through Hayle along the seafront. Tricky nav bit through the lanes to Marazion (warning here be lumps), along the front to Penzance. A30 after Penzance.

I lived in Camelford for a number of years and that's how I'd do it, it is lumpier than the A30 but this is one the most beautiful parts of the world and shouldn't be rushed 

Stay away from the north coast route unless you take crampons, the A39 between wadebridge and camelford is nasty for cyclists (if you do take this route go through St Endellion and Delabole). After Camelford A39 is big, wide and relatively quiet with gentle (ish) gradients to Bude.

For Devon see vorsprung.

hth

[Si_Co]

ISTR that jogler has a route that uses the mineral tramways around the back of Truro to Redruth, no doubt he'll be along shortly.

Additionally Bodmin to Truro should be even easier now that I remember they've dulled the A30 by Goss Moor since I left, the old road is now supposed to be a cycle route, that happened after I moved so can't comment

[jogler]

through Hayle along the seafront. Tricky nav bit through the lanes to Marazion (warning here be lumps), along the front to Penzance.

there is now a signed cycle route thru' the lanes to Maz.. No nav.tricks reqd

ISTR that jogler has a route that uses the mineral tramways around the back of Truro to Redruth,

It's a secret;if I tell you I'll then have to kill you

, that happened after I moved so can't comment

We should take a ride down there to do a recce
Start @ JoG & nip into the LE Hotel for a pint via a diversion to that special place on the The Lizard

[jogler]

but this is one the most beautiful parts of the world and shouldn't be rushed 

+1

  through the lanes to Marazion (warning here be lumps),

There be no only one lump* on my route & that's at the very end into Maz.,which is immediatley followed by a gentle downhill with a marvellous view of St.Michaels Mount & a T junction onto Higher Fore St/Turnpike Rd with the entrance to the Fire Engine Inn virtually directly opposite.
Excellent route planning IMHO

* & that's a comment from someone who hates hills so it must be flat(ish)

[Hillbilly]

(A9)

I cycle on and off in Scotland, so have a bit of an "outsiders" perspective.  I always avoid the A9 south of Inverness.  It just isn't a nice road because of the traffic and the layout of the road.  As has been said downthread, the Sustrans alternative is not great for road bikes in places.  Whilst there are some nice B road alternatives that run parallel to the carriageway(such as the B road through Blair Atholl) personally I choose to go via Crieff and then head to either Pitlochry (via Tay Forest and Loch Tummel) or Dunkeld, then onwards to the A93.  It is more scenic in both senses (for the non-audax contingent - it is prettier and hillier) but has much lower traffic volumes.

The other alternative is to cycle through the heart of Fife and across the Tay Bridge into Dundee (which, although a city, has a riverside escape route via Invergowrie in the west end and then up North via Newtyle/Alyth).

This may all change over the next decade.  The A9 is, I think, being upgraded to a dual carriageway north of Perth.  I vaguely recall talk of cycling faclities being reconsidered.  Someone local may be able to suggest what this means for cycling routes via the A9 (I think some groups were seeking to have good cycling facilities put in alongside the dualling)?

[frankly frankie]

In another thread, following the dreadful news of two deaths on the A30 today, jogler stated <<there are far less risky alternatives which add no time to the duration of an E2E>>

I sympathise with the sentiment, but jogler was wrong.  From the Lands End car park, the A30 is quite simply the quickest and easiest** way to cycle out of Cornwall.

** provided you have no fear, and little imagination.