Cornwall: Routes and Areas

Going to be staying in St Ives for a week and will be taking the Gravel Wagon. Any reccs for shortish (nothing longer than 50k? There's a lot of elevation round there) day rides or destinations? Don't mind surface so long as it isn't anything absolutely brutal.

Scotsman here. Crossing the Channel to Plymouth and riding road to St Austell. I have family down there and while I am very experienced and very confident the Cornish roads give me the heebie jeebies with the high hedges and stories from my Cornish firefighter cousin.

Anyway, riding from Plymouth to St Austell, on road, after 20:30....Good idea? Better than day time perhaps?

It’s a great route but would be horrible/lethal in the dark. For daylight hours;
Take ferry to Torpoint, coast road to Downderry, Looe, Bodinnick ferry, Par and St Austell. In the dark I’d just catch the train.

Day time it is. Frustrating to pay for a hotel when it's a fairly short ride away but I reckon its up there with the most dangerous I'd have ridden this summer. Best not to die now. Cheers for the affirmation.

Easy enough to chuck a loaded bike on the train?

Haven't tried since GWR changed the bike arrangements. Depends whether it's the main London-Penzance one, or just the small local train. Small train is easy but the London train would be tricky.

Lol you'd never get there before midnight! If you really want to ride from ferry, head to Saltash station. Loads easier to get on the right platform.

Cyclingwise you could Torpoint,(free for cyclists), Lower Tregantle, Portwinkle, Narkurs, Hessenford, Sandplace, left past Treworgy cotrages to Pelynt, Lanteglos Highway, Fowey.

Aw yeah time doesn't bother me, been at it for 4 months, but to survive the Balkans/Italy n get splattered in England would be somewhat galling. I will look into Saltash, cheers.

Seems like you "simply" book a bike spot with the ticket online and hopefully it's as simple as that.

Cheers troops

Are you signed up to warmshowers if you want to avoid a hotel?

My folks lived in Polruan for a while, I'd be pretty angsty on the road to bodinnick / lanteglos highway. I never took my bike down for a ride when visiting, fast, windy roads. Tbh my dad who rode around used to complain mostly about tourists driving standards as not used to it.

Still, absolutely gorgeous scenery along the coastline there, and Fowey is lovely.

The plus side for that road is you are less likely to have a head on.

I never got round to that, felt bad that I wouldn't be able to offer my place at any point in the foreseeable. Ferry ticket and train ticket booked. Can't bring myself to plan the ride to Scotland yet.

I'm staying near Bodmin Moor and Strava has suggested a route going over the top of it North to South. From near South Carne to Codda it's not clear if this is paved or not. Does anyone happen to know? On a road bike with 28s

Not paved. Looks like a stony track or nothing from this guy's ride. https://www.strava.com/activities/3769540121#2874386043477353650

Thanks!