Cycling Collection by Katherine Moore
West Kernow Way — Bikepacking the rugged wild west of Cornwall
6 routes
20:07
269km
3,260m
The figure of eight circuit was put together by British cycling charity, CyclingUK, and follows on from the resounding success of the King Alfred’s Way (komoot.com/collection/1025015) launched the previous year. The two main sites that it includes in West Cornwall are Land’s End and Lizard Point: otherwise it mostly sticks to lesser known tracks and trails, avoiding some of the larger honeypot towns like St Ives and Falmouth.
For me, the highlights of the West Kernow Way included the rocky coastal bridleways around Cape Cornwall, a refreshing sea dip at Kennack Sands, the delicious local mussels and Cornish pasties, spectacular moorland trails on the Lizard Peninsula and wrapping up our ride with a swim at the wonderful Jubilee Pool lido in Penzance.
Here, I’ve split the full route into five stages. You can choose to ride these a day at a time, or combine them to complete the route in fewer days. I rode it in three, long days, but I’d suggest erring on the side of caution when it comes to trying to squeeze it into a really short time frame: the steep hills are really quite hard-going at times and you’ll want to leave plenty of time to explore the gorgeous coastal villages, eat pasties, sample the cream teas, dip in the sea… you get the idea. To plan your own schedule, check out the full route here: komoot.com/tour/448676537
There is no ‘best bike’ for this route as a lot will depend on personal preference, though I’d say either a gravel bike or hardtail MTB would be a good choice. It’s certainly not a route for skinny tyres, with plenty of rocky trails, so I’d suggest a minimum of 40mm tyres. Gearing is also really important: as anyone who’s ridden in Cornwall before will know, the hills can be very steep!
I’d recommend the shoulder seasons for the best time of year to take on this route, as the county is less likely to be busy with peak holiday season, which might make exploring and finding accommodation and places to eat a bit easier. In the spring, you can enjoy an abundance of colour on the Cornish coastline with many unique wildflower species, and in autumn the return of migratory birds for the winter as well as gorgeous red, yellow and brown hues through the woodland sections.
Travel to the West Kernow Way is really easy, thanks to the start and finish in Penzance, which is the last stop on the main train line from London. There are also a number of cycling-friendly accommodation options in the town, so you can travel down in advance of your trip and overnight in comfort, or enjoy a little luxury once you’re done before heading home!
For the lastest route information and to support the work of CyclingUK, visit: cyclinguk.org/route/west-kernow-way-gpx-and-map
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The West Kernow Way
242km
3,330m
3,330m
Last updated: November 17, 2024
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Activities
44.0km
03:24
570m
450m
Hard gravel ride. Very good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route.
49.5km
03:58
610m
720m
Hard gravel ride. Very good fitness required. Some segments of this route may be unpaved and difficult to ride.
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51.9km
03:40
530m
530m
Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route.
54.4km
04:10
830m
730m
Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route.
59.3km
04:13
560m
670m
Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route.
9.31km
00:41
170m
150m
Moderate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.
Collection Stats
Activities
6
Distance
269 km
Duration
20:07 h
Elevation
3,260 m
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