Trying to decide where to go for a break later in the year, we seem to have decided on either Scotland or Exmoor! Obviously we know where to head for cycling in Scotland but not so Exmoor - does anyone know the area? Is there much there?
MBR have said it is easy to miss out on a lot if you are not familiar with the place, there are 3 routes on their website but two are very short and classed as easy so we'd probably need to do them twice to make it worth while.
Hi, I go down that way every yr an have done for years, there are some good trails. I got out the OS map and marked my own routes which was good fun. But if you wont to know someone local then go on SingleTrack an call Knottie, (don't know him). But once down there you've got the Quantocks Hills, Mendip Hills. I allways camp at Minehead as thats a good base. If you fancy a day at the shops your 23 miles from Taunton, 18 miles from Lynton & Lynmouth North Devon with some nice routes.
we did plymouth to minehead via dartmoor/exmoor, old bird has probably still got the maps, unfortunately for us it was the worst week of weather that week with severe flooding etc, so we did not explore as much as planned, getting a to b was the achievement, if u email me nm71gh@yahoo.co.uk I can get old bird to see if she has the routes around exmoor still...
As Gayle said, the weather was really bad and we had to ride on-road. If I were you, I would get a copy of "South West Mountain Biking" by Nick Cotton, published by VG Guidebooks. It covers Exmoor, as well as Dartmoor, the Quantocks and the Mendips.
I have quite a few of Nick Cotton's books and the routes are always accurately described (unlike routes in the bike mags). I would always feel confident using his routes as they are well researched and they tell it like it is.
If you could hire a guide for a day then that is the way to go as I have done that myself in Northumberland and it was well worth it. Local knowledge can't be beaten. Definitely ask on STW - they don't bite these days and I find them really helpful on there.