Here's a nice little ride that you can knock off in a couple of hours first thing before getting on with the rest of your day. It's only 38km with roughly a vertical kilometre of climbing it's a test for your climbing legs! The ride as described starts in Mevagissey...

• Total Distance: 38km with options to extend
• Elevation Gain: Approx. 960m
• Time: depends, 1.5-2hrs
• Gearing: whatever you normally use. Climbs are steep but short.
• Map: OS Landranger 204

From the centre of the village take the St Austell road out past the playing field where it climbs up to the cross-roads at Tregiskey. Turn left here and follow the road for a few km until shortly after a camping/caravan site on the left you come to a junction on the outside of a tight, off-camber left hand bend.... turn right here. (note if you continue right round the bend you can visit the Lost Gardens of Heligan and the brilliant Lobbs Farm Shop). Follow this road now as it ducks, dives, weaves and climbs it's way eventually to a T-junction with signs to Grampound & Truro (right) and Tregony & St Mawes (left). Turn left. The road eventually descends through the village of Tregony to reach a t-junction in the valley bottom by the river. Turn left here towards St Mawes.

It's a steady climb out of the valley but the initially steep gradient soon eases. Stay on this road in the St Mawes direction for a few km until shortly after you pass through the village of Ruan Highlanes you come to a turning on the left signed to Veryan, take this left turn (you can continue on to Portscatho and St Mawes as an 'out and back' extension if you have time). The road now narrows and descends steeply (take care) into a wooded valley... predictably there's now a nasty little climb back out again - but it's only a short climb! The road arrives at a t-junction in the pretty village of Veryan. Turn left down the hill to follow the road past the village green before gently climbing out of the village.

You need to stay on this road for a while now.... you're looking out for a left hand bend with a junction on the outside of the bend, but not the first such junction you come to (the first one is signed to Portloe and Portholland). The junction you want is the second one and is on a sweeping left hand bend, go right at this turn and follow road to a t-junction after a couple of km. Turn right here and then take the next right shortly afterwards.

This road descends steadily to a wooded valley, take great care at the bottom - it's a blind left then right hand bend in a narrow road. The climb back out gets a bit steep at the end but not for long, following which you arrive at a t-junction. Go right (signed Caerhayes). The road climbs to the village of Caerhayes before descending to the beach at Porthluney cove. Take great care on this descent, under the trees the road is slippery if damp and the bends are tight. Stay straight on this road, past the castle and gardens on your left before climbing up through the hamlet of Tregavarras. The road continues on past the campsite at Boswinger and eventually terminates at a T-junction shortly after the school in Gorran. Turn right and stay on this road all the way to Portmellon.

Take care on the descent of Bodrugan Hill to Portmellon, the surface can be slippery and the tight left-hander at the bottom is off camber. Follow the road past the top of the beach, past the pub and climb up to a T-junction approx. 800m later. Turn right and follow the road round before descending into Mevagissey with great views of the bay and harbour to your right.

Pasty and chips on the quay!