Come and cycle with us on the Tarka Trail! Our south coast group is going north!
The Tarka Trail is a beautiful old stretch of land, once occupied with railway in north Devon. Well known for being flat and beautiful, it makes this an ideal cycling social adventure!
The plan is to catch the train from Exeter and to make our way to Barnstaple Station. Right by the station, we will find the Tarka Trail Bike hire shop where we can rent our bikes. They offer helmets and insurance, and should anyone have a puncture along the way, a rescue service also meaning they will drive to us with a new bike.
They shop offers a range of bikes, but I think we should aim for the hybrid bikes which cost £12.50 for 4 hours or £15 for a full day.
From Barnstaple, we will make our way to the Tarka trail, cycle to Instow for ice cream (6,5 miles) and then continue to Bideford for a pub/lunch break.
The path is mostly flat and straightforward. This will be a leisurely cycling experience so no competitive cyclists please! To confirm, this is a trip for all cyclists, new or experienced, the main thing is it’s about exploring a new area and enjoying something different.
NOTE: In total, we might cover around 20 miles over the day, but on the flat to emphasise.
The path is used by families, pedestrians and other cyclists so we need to be mindful of that. There's plenty of stops on the way for us to take in the views and have a chat.
We will return to Barnstaple to catch the train back to Exeter.
Note: should anyone want to bring their own bike, that’s fine. Please make your own arrangements on the train to do so, and ensure you have the necessary repair kit in case of any problems!
Train times:
Exeter to Barnstaple. Aiming for 10:20, arriving at 11:27
Barnstaple to Exeter: Aiming for 18:32, arriving at 19:40