Cycling the Bissoe Trail: Devoran to Portreath

When a glorious, mini September heatwave presented itself last weekend, it seemed the perfect opportunity to strap the bikes on the back of the car and head towards a cycle trail in Cornwall. Fresh air, exercise and some last minute tanning was on the agenda, and the Sunday cycle didn’t disappoint.

“Once you learn to ride a bike, you never forget…”

True! I can vouch for this old saying. Aside from the odd spin class here and there, I probably hadn’t mounted a bike since 2012. The first half an hour I did feel like Bambi on ice, but it really does all come flooding back to you. By the time I got acquainted with the pedals, gear changes and brakes, I had no trouble zooming along.

The Bissoe Cycle Trail in Cornwall

Roughly 22 miles (there and back), the Bissoe Trail is one of Cornwall’s most popular routes for cyclists, keen walkers and joggers. The trail starts in Devoran and ends on the north Cornish coast in Portreath. I’d suggest doing it this way round, so you can take a much needed rest on the beach.

We parked at the Bike Chain Bissoe car park to start our route (TR4 8QZ). As well as lots of parking, there is such a lovely cafe offering light bites, coffees, teas and hot chocolates as well as irresistible cakes from Rustic Cakes Cornwall. You can even treat yourself to some new cycle shorts at the shop.

Parking costs £3 but you can redeem that against a purchase in the cafe, and cash or card is accepted.

We actually had a flat bike tyre, but the cafe owner happily pumped it up for us, which we really appreciated! In addition to the super friendly service and unreal cakes, Bike Chain Bissoe offer year round bike hire if you don’t have your own pair of wheels and saddle. However, for COVID-related reasons they aren’t operating the bike hire side of the business at the moment.

Coast to Coast

Once our flat tyre was sorted, we were off. There are lots of little detours and routes you can take, but we stuck to the Coast to Coast trail, following the mineral tramways all the way to Portreath.

Terrain-wise, I’d say it was about 60% flat, 40% light incline. For the average cyclist, it should take about two hours each way. Mainly across stony bridleways and country lanes, there is a very small portion of on-road cycling involved too.

Pub and cafe pit stops

You might not need to pause until you get to Portreath, but let me tell you I sure did! It probably wasn’t the smartest idea to choose a four hour ride with zero practise. Nonetheless, it was great fun.

The Fox and Hounds is a proper Cornish pub about five miles along the trail. Serving great food and plenty of local ales and tipples, we stopped off here for a swift drink and to give our legs (and bums!) a rest from the bikes. The pub has a real authentic community feel about it, and they have a brilliant outdoor marquee with social distancing measures in place.

We also passed a little cafe called Bon Appetit which looked like a great spot for an energising caffeine-boost.

Portreath Beach

The best part about this cycle trail in Cornwall is arriving down into the fishing village of Portreath. I always forget how stunning the beach is here. Just flying down the hill and being hit by the smell of sea salt in the air took me right back to Bissoe Trail bike rides as a kid!

After a filling goat’s cheese and pepper panini from The Hub and a snooze in the sunshine, it was time to head back. I anticipated taking more photos for blogging purposes, but I definitely over-estimated my ability to hold a phone and not fall off the bike.

I’d definitely do this bike ride again, but would make sure to set off earlier to allow more time to enjoy exploring Portreath. If you are a bit of a beginner like me, just mentally prepare yourself for spending a good four hours on your bike. And maybe invest in a pair of padded cycle shorts… 🍑

Do you have any Cornish bike ride recommendations?

I’d love to hear them, feel free to leave a comment!

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