Wadebridge to Padstow bike ride on the camel trail

At the moment I appear to be living it quite possibly the best place in the UK, the weather has been stunning for weeks now. I am hearing on the radio and on the news that there has been terrible flooding in London, thunderstorms in Ireland and very chilly temperatures across the majority of the east of England. However in the south west we are being blessed with day after day of glorious warm sunshine and I am making the most of it.

After a long day stuck in the office, as soon as I finished work on Friday we loaded up our bikes into the van and headed a few miles up the road to Wadebridge to spend an evening cycling in the Cornish sunshine. 

Cruiser bike ready to ride

I feel so incredibly lucky to have such an amazing cycle route just a few miles from my house a route that spans a total length of 18.2 miles all completely off roads and winding its way from the coast of Padstow along the river camel to Wadebridge, up to Bodmin and then on up to Wenfordbridge and the end of the trail.

After a long day at work it was the perfect summers evening to cycle from Wadebridge to Padstow and back. It's a completely flat trail and this meant that I was able to utilise my completely useless but ever so cool cruiser. Buying a bike in Cornwall that has no gears and can only be used on the flat is quite possibly a complete waste of money however the camel trail is the perfect place to use a bike like this. 

Within about 30 minutes we had cycled the 5 miles from Wadebridge to Padstow and were in the bustling harbour. We grabbed a chippy tea and a beer and sat on the harbour wall watching the ferry boat chug to and from Padstow to Rock across the river. Padstow is so beautiful if not perhaps a little spoilt by being so busy but we found a nice quiet spot and enjoyed the evening. 

The camel estuary between Wadebridge and Padstow

Sun setting over the river Camel, Cornwall

Iron bridge over the river camel, near Padstow, Cornwall

Padstow in the evening sun

Padstow harbour

Last of the sunlight over the camel estuary, Padstow, Cornwall

Looking across to Rock from Padstow

My other half doing his best seagull impression.

Padstow to Rock water taxi

As night began to fall we headed back to the trail to cycle back to Wadebridge and then home. However we were slightly drawn to the ice cream parlour and had to stop for a bit of dessert to fuel the cycle back. Although by the time the ice cream was consumed and we were back in the saddle of our bikes the evening was definitely drawing in and the light was fading fast. 

 

Icecream eating in Padstow, Cornwall

We cycled back just as it was getting a bit too dark and arrived back into Wadebridge at twenty past ten at night!!!! How amazing is that! night time cycling. 

We had an absolutely gorgeous night out, chippy tea, beer and ice cream but felt ever so slightly less guilty about consuming all this naughty food as the ten mile bike ride to get it cancelled it out... plus calories don't count on a Friday, do they?