The South West may stick out in an ungainly fashion from the bottom of the country but there’s still a wealth of riding to be found between Land’s End and Bristol.

Dartmoor

Deep in the heart of Devon lies Dartmoor, an imposing mass of granite that was spat out of the earth 300 million years ago. Today its bleakly beautiful landscape is defined by its hilltop tors and peaty moorland.

The riding on Dartmoor is another level though. The access is so good that you can enjoy some truly epic rides (one guide reckons he can show you a route with a ten km descent). Just make sure you pack correctly as it can be pretty wild up there.

If you fancy a ride there check out our 40 km killer route here.

The awesome racing scene

Is it just us or is everyone in the South West a racer? Who can blame them though with so many great options available!

If you want relaxed downhill action then the Tavi Woodlands winter series or Forest of Dean mini DH is for you, for XC you’re well served at both Haldon and Newnham Park and even enduro is making its presence felt with the South West Gravity Enduro Series.

The fact that everyone mingles at races makes for a really friendly scene and the more you take part the more riding buddies you’re guaranteed to meet.

It’s nicely out of the way

If they’re not on their holidays, most people seem to think that England stops just south of Bristol. Well, we’re glad they’re wrong and if they’re unwilling to travel any further then it’s their loss.

The great thing about the South West being harder to get to than the rest of the UK is that it means the trails are never over-run, even in the height of summer. You can explore to your heart’s content without the braking bumps and crowds that plague other riding destinations.

There’s always new trails

The Fly Up 417 Project in Gloucester may be stealing all the headlines at the moment but there is a wealth of new ridings popping up all over the south west at the moment.

In the past five years there have been new trails built at the Forest of Dean, Gawton, Haldon, Cardinham, Lanhydrock, the list goes on. If it’s been a while since you’ve ventured down there then you’re guaranteed to find something new.

The refreshments are sublime

Cider. Pasty. Sorted.

For a mid trail snack there’s always a cream tea, the only question is do you go for jam then cream or cream then jam?