Wales. September. Tips

[middleagecyclist]

Got 8-10 days beginning of September. Getting the train to Cardiff or Swansea and will start heading north(ish). No set plans. Tips and ideas welcome. Thanks.

 

[subaqua]

decent breathable waterproofs (and if you find some let me know where you can get them )

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Tips? Don't.

If you must, do Gospel Pass.

 

[black'n'yellow]

Got 8-10 days beginning of September. Getting the train to Cardiff or Swansea and will start heading north(ish). No set plans. Tips and ideas welcome. Thanks.

heading north from Cardiff will give you a totally different set of options to heading north from Swansea - which is it to be..?

 

[middleagecyclist]

heading north from Cardiff will give you a totally different set of options to heading north from Swansea - which is it to be..?

I don't know. They are both on the south Wales coast and I can get to then by train. Which is the best option?

 

[black'n'yellow]

I would head for Swansea - then north over the black mountain to Llangadog, then up the Elan Valley towards Rhayader, maybe up to Machynlleth - depends if you're heading back to your start point, or not...

 

[middleagecyclist]

I would head for Swansea - then north over the black mountain to Llangadog, then up the Elan Valley towards Rhayader, maybe up to Machynlleth - depends if you're heading back to your start point, or not...

Just going to keep heading north (ish). Might cycle all the way back to Manchester if I have time.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I don't know. They are both on the south Wales coast and I can get to then by train. Which is the best option?

I'd go west. West is best. And it is further away. "Further away" is a big deal in my view. So for me it would be Swansea. North west of there is quickly more rural and quieter than the hinterland of Cardiff. Where north did you have in mind? The Gower is worth a day. Are you heading to Shrewsbury for a train home?

Cardiff - Merthyr - Brecon - Hay - Builth - Rhyader - Llanidloes is nice. All roads lead to Llanidloes btw.

Cardiff - Newport - Abergavenny - Hay - etc is good fun though you might start from Newport instead depending on rail route down.

Me, I'd do Swansea - Kidwelly - Carmarthen - and then follow the coast around pembrokeshire or head north to Cardigan and up the Teifi Valley, a side trip to Aberystwyth and then on to Llanidloes.

North of Llani? World is your oyster. Machynlleth is the cycling capital of Wales. Dolgellau and Snowdonia await you and then Ynys Mon and then.... who knows....

 

[Ticktockmy]

Start Swansea, then round Gower, then as Greg suggested follow the coast to Aberystwyth and Machynlleth, then head south to Llandloes, Rhayader, Builth Wells, Sennybridge, then back to Swansea. Lots of nice quite back roads, and a few off-road sections if you want to get lost into the wildness

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Start Swansea, then round Gower, then as Greg suggested follow the coast to Aberystwyth and Machynlleth, then head south to Llandloes, Rhayader, Builth Wells, Sennybridge, then back to Swansea. Lots of nice quite back roads, and a few off-road sections if you want to get lost into the wildness

Tweak the last bit and go over Gospel Pass.

 

[Crankarm]

Following Helen Lloyd's (of TakeOnAfrica fame) post in another thread, I am thinking of doing the Sarn Helen 270 miles of off road cycling some time this year. Conwy to Worms Head or vice versa. It looks fab.

http://www.mbruk.co.uk/mbruk_SarnHelenTrail_details.htm

 

[hoopdriver]

I did the Lôn Las Cymru in late September and rally enjoyed it - that's th Sustrans route from Chepstow to Holyhead. Gospel Pass is brillant, stunning. Th whole route was great. About 250 miles which I did in five leisurely days.

 

[middleagecyclist]

Thanks for all the tips. I'm going to start looking at the maps today and get an idea of some of the places I want to cycle and a rough route plan.

Keep the ideas coming!

 

[lejogger]

Last weekend my buddy and I did the opposite and cycled south from Wirral to Cardiff. We stayed on the A483 and A470 for the entire trip. My advice is do NOT do that! Especially the sections before Cardiff that cycling is prohibited on. We had a completely different goal to you though as it was all about getting there as fast as possible, not really 'touring'.
On a plus side the Brecon Beacons were spectacular although very destructive into a headwind.
Have you checked out the Taff Trail? It's a Sustrans route that goes from Cardiff Bay to Brecon and is mostly traffic free because it utilises canal towpaths, old railways etc
Google it... Might be a good start to your adventure if setting off from Cardiff.

 

[theclaud]

Give us a bit more to go on, MAC. On road? With lots of clobber? What kind of accommodation? Are hills and mountains a chore, or the whole point of it?