Your bike in front of a col sign

[Aravis]

This one had to be staged. Years ago I would frequently pass the equivalent sign on a now obliterated section of road. Strangely I never thought to stop for a picture!

I think the old sign used to say something like Highest point on the Heads of the Valleys Road - and the altitude was a little higher - 1360 feet maybe.

The descent down the Clydach Gorge to Abergavenny was brilliant, and the climb up was good too. I remember that after the roundabout at the top of the gorge, where the HoV road turned sharply right there was still a mile of climbing to go.

All in the past now. Cycling is now apparently forbidden on the new roads. However, there's a layby and viewpoint just beyond where the red car is, and it's possible to walk back to the sign behind the crash barrier. And if you can do that you can walk there with a bike.

 

[Threevok]

This one had to be staged. Years ago I would frequently pass the equivalent sign on a now obliterated section of road. Strangely I never thought to stop for a picture!

View attachment 423513

I think the old sign used to say something like Highest point on the Heads of the Valleys Road - and the altitude was a little higher - 1360 feet maybe.

The descent down the Clydach Gorge to Abergavenny was brilliant, and the climb up was good too. I remember that after the roundabout at the top of the gorge, where the HoV road turned sharply right there was still a mile of climbing to go.

All in the past now. Cycling is now apparently forbidden on the new roads. However, there's a layby and viewpoint just beyond where the red car is, and it's possible to walk back to the sign behind the crash barrier. And if you can do that you can walk there with a bike.

I thought I regnogised that

 

[jowwy]

This one had to be staged. Years ago I would frequently pass the equivalent sign on a now obliterated section of road. Strangely I never thought to stop for a picture!

View attachment 423513

I think the old sign used to say something like Highest point on the Heads of the Valleys Road - and the altitude was a little higher - 1360 feet maybe.

The descent down the Clydach Gorge to Abergavenny was brilliant, and the climb up was good too. I remember that after the roundabout at the top of the gorge, where the HoV road turned sharply right there was still a mile of climbing to go.

All in the past now. Cycling is now apparently forbidden on the new roads. However, there's a layby and viewpoint just beyond where the red car is, and it's possible to walk back to the sign behind the crash barrier. And if you can do that you can walk there with a bike.

its only forbidden while the road works are being completed, as most of the stretch from abergavenny to brynmawr is single carriageway............i live not far from that stretch of road

 

[jowwy]

I remember when they were planning that new road, and the early days of construction, before my connections with the area ended.
So if you wanted to get from Gilwern to Brynmawr by bike these days you'd have to go up on the lumpy back roads via Maesgwartha and Blackrock?
And can you not ride the HotV from Gilwern to Abergavenny now? That used to be my commute nearly 40 years ago.

you will be able to ride it all again once the roadworks are finished - i lived in gilwern from 0-18yrs old and maesygwartha, blackrock used to be my ride route to brynmawr school if i took the bike

 

[Threevok]

its only forbidden while the road works are being completed, as most of the stretch from abergavenny to brynmawr is single carriageway............i live not far from that stretch of road

Not sure if you are aware, but plans have been approved to dual the stretch from Dolwlais to Brymawr and compulsory purchase of the land either side is already in progress


purchase

 

[jowwy]

Not sure if you are aware, but plans have been approved to dual the stretch from Dolwlais to Brymawr and compulsory purchase of the land either side is already in progress


purchase

they have already dualled brynmawr to dowlais.........thats the road in the picture........they now dualling bewteen gilwern and brynmawr, thats why the road is down to single carriageway and no cycling

 

[Threevok]

Sorry I meant Dowlais to Hirwaun

 

[jowwy]

Sorry I meant Dowlais to Hirwaun

yeh i was aware of that being the next stretch, just cheesed off that they didn't use some of the land either side of the carriageways for cycling infrastructure, but its typical of non forsight from the welsh governments transport strategy

 

[jowwy]

This one had to be staged. Years ago I would frequently pass the equivalent sign on a now obliterated section of road. Strangely I never thought to stop for a picture!

View attachment 423513

I think the old sign used to say something like Highest point on the Heads of the Valleys Road - and the altitude was a little higher - 1360 feet maybe.

The descent down the Clydach Gorge to Abergavenny was brilliant, and the climb up was good too. I remember that after the roundabout at the top of the gorge, where the HoV road turned sharply right there was still a mile of climbing to go.

All in the past now. Cycling is now apparently forbidden on the new roads. However, there's a layby and viewpoint just beyond where the red car is, and it's possible to walk back to the sign behind the crash barrier. And if you can do that you can walk there with a bike.

the bridge you can just about see in the distance, takes you up over llangynidr moores and drops you dont into llangynidr/llangattock

 

[Threevok]

yeh i was aware of that being the next stretch, just cheesed off that they didn't use some of the land either side of the carriageways for cycling infrastructure, but its typical of non forsight from the welsh governments transport strategy

I've used the 46 route from Rhymney, but that splits off at Dowlais - towards Pant and you have to do part of the Taff Trail before you can get back on to the 46.

Nice scenic route though

 

[jowwy]

I've used the 46 route from Rhymney, but that splits off at Dowlais - towards Pant and you have to do part of the Taff Trail before you can get back on to the 46.

Nice scenic route though

once you get to dowlais, you could go up past lidl and take the other 46 route all the way back to brynmawr..........

 

[Aravis]

I remember when they were planning that new road, and the early days of construction, before my connections with the area ended.
So if you wanted to get from Gilwern to Brynmawr by bike these days you'd have to go up on the lumpy back roads via Maesgwartha and Blackrock?
And can you not ride the HotV from Gilwern to Abergavenny now? That used to be my commute nearly 40 years ago.

I'm sorry, I've been trying to reply but I keep getting overtaken! Sounds a bit like most of my rides...

I don't know the ins and outs of the dualling project, and it's good to hear that cycling restrictions are set to be lifted one day. I can't help being a bit pessimistic though. The section between Gilwern and Llanfoist (your old commuting route) remains off-limits for no obvious reason.

In the Clydach Gorge, there is a cycle track on the trackbed of the old LNWR line, but I believe that's incomplete due to the non-cooperation of a landowner.

 

[jowwy]

I'm sorry, I've been trying to reply but I keep getting overtaken! Sounds a bit like most of my rides...

I don't know the ins and outs of the dualling project, and it's good to hear that cycling restrictions are set to be lifted one day. I can't help being a bit pessimistic though. The section between Gilwern and Llanfoist (your old commuting route) remains off-limits for no obvious reason.

In the Clydach Gorge, there is a cycle track on the trackbed of the old LNWR line, but I believe that's incomplete due to the non-cooperation of a landowner.

the gilwern to llanfoist rooute is only off limits until they remove the lane restriction on the slip road out of gilwern towards abergavenny, its due to the waterworks that have been taking place on the stretch of the road and bridge................

you are correct about the cycle track and the non-cooperation of the land stealer..........it was never his land, it was owned by the railway company, but after its demise as a raliway the land stealer, fenced it off and claimed it as his after the 12yr period of upkeep.........now he wont realease it, even though its full of trees, brambles and rock

 

[briantrumpet]

I'll be amazed if any other CCers have done this one.

 

[briantrumpet]

This was the other one from yesterday. My friend Jérôme likes hills, and this one included five, each one pretty directly after the other. The challenge was increased for me in that I'd not replaced the gear cable this year in my 105 shifter (the French bike has only done about 3000 miles over the twelve months, so I thought I might get away without the yearly replacement of the cable), and had just two gears (using the front chainrings) for the second half of the ride, and three of the cols. Oops. "Good training", as they say.