Cycling in St Ives and West Cornwall offers an exhilarating blend of breathtaking scenery and challenging terrain (there are lots of hills!).
The area's winding coastal roads and scenic trails provide cyclists with stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean, rugged cliffs, and lovely villages.
Routes such as the St Ives to Lands End cycle path, part of the National Cycle Network, take cyclists through picturesque landscapes, including lush countryside and dramatic coastal vistas.
If you are not a strong cyclist (like me) I highly recommend hiring an e-bike. There is a shop in St Ives who will help you out and give you tips on riding too.
St Ives e-Bikes
The e-bike shop has moved into town (it used to be on Alexandra Rd). They have a fleet of excellent e-bikes to hire, along with regular non-electric bikes.
You can hire an e-bike from £48 per day, or £180 per week - non-electric bike hire costs less. Included in the hire price is helmets, locks and a free call out service if you run into any issues including punctures.
Child seats and dog trailers are also available to hire.
You can either pick up the bike from the shop in St Ives, or they will deliver it to your accomodation for an extra fee.
Click here for more information about St Ives e-Bikes >>
Good Places To Go Cycling Near St Ives
King George V Memorial Walk
CLICK FOR MAP: Hayle, TR27 4BL
For new cyclists and younger children, the King George V Memorial Walk in Hayle is a great place to find your wheels. It is closed to traffic on a Sunday, and you will often find young scooters and cyclists along here. We can often be found scooting down here as it is not only easy and safe for the kids, it is a lovely walk through the beautifully planted gardens, and along the estuary.
First and Last Cycle Trail
This is a cycle route that runs for 25 miles from Land's End to Marazion and then Hayle.
The Land's End to Castallack (near Mousehole) is all inland, and then you follow the coast to Marazion. The trail then cuts across country over to Hayle.
There are 5 off road sections and the rest is on normal roads.
We often take our bikes down to the Newlyn - Marazion section and cycle along the prom there. It is a smooth, easy ride but it does get busy on a sunny weekend!
There are lots of places to stop for loos and refreshments along the way.
The Mineral Tramways
This is a 37.5 mile long route, starting at Portreath. It is actually 6 trails which loop around, some linking, some not. Most of the trails are traffic free and are fairly flat. We are planning on doing the Coast to Coast section, which says it is pretty flat and mainly offroad. It goes from Portreath to Devoran - I will let you know how it goes!
Camel Trail
The Camel Trail is 18 miles long and stretches from Padstow to Wenfordbridge. This is a brilliant trail to do with the family, as most of it is off road. We like to cycle the Wadebridge to Padstow section which is 5.5 miles each way. It is easy to park in Wadebridge and hire the bikes. It is then a really easy cycle on the disused railway line to Padstow and back. Perfect for short little legs!
You can hire bikes at Padstow, Wadebridge, Bodmin and Wenfordbridge. You must use a licenced provider for bike hire on this trail.
There are lots of loos and refreshment places along the way.
West Kernow Way
This is a new cycle trail which has only recently opened. It is a 230km (not a typo) route which loops around Cornwall in a figure of 8. It covers a mixture of quiet lanes, cycle paths and bridleways, so it is quite a challenging off road ride.
The route goes through Penzance - Land's End - St Just - St Erth - Carn Brea - Portreath - Scorrier - Stithians - Constantine - Gweek - Coverack - Lizard - Mullion - Porthleven - Marazion.
Apparently it can be completed in 3-4 days!
The Track, Portreath
CLICK FOR MAP: New Portreath Road, Redruth, TR16 4HN
The Track is a Family bike park suitable for all ages and abilities from novice to expert. With miles of different trails to choose from there’s something for everyone.
It is a superb facility which helps to really increase your child's confidence in bike riding.
Prices per session:
Over 13s: £10
7-12s: £8
Under 7s: £4
