Un-official South Wales climb thread

SteveR_100Milers · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by jonathan15

I was racing in the etape. was a great race. Steve R - as you were marshalling you probs saw me off the front going over Gilfach 1st time and just getting caught as I went over the climb on the way back.
Good 2 days racing tho - 5th on 1st stage, 8th team in TT (which was hard!!! - St Marys hill), and 3rd on final stage. Only finished 11th overall - team for TT not strong enough but over the 2 days picked up œ65! Not bad!
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hey well done mate! You had a good lead into the RAB coming over from Blackmill, and there were some good riders in the field. Who won it overall? I had to leave pretty much straight after the finish.

Time! Time! It's always too long and there's never enough!

Unknown · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Jonathan, did you do the acme two up on Thursday? If you did I/we was/were your two minute man/men.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Yeah I did do it and I think you were off straight after us. We had a 22.44 and if my memory is correct you beat us by 30 or 40 seconds?! Well done!

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">hey well done mate! You had a good lead into the RAB coming over from Blackmill, and there were some good riders in the field. Who won it overall? I had to leave pretty much straight after the finish.
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thanks mate. Russ Bazley won the overall cos of a mega break on the first stage putting almost 2 mins into everyone! There were some good riders! The person who went with me over the Blackmill climb was racing in the Premier Calendar a couple of years ago with some good performances there! So overall the weekend was a success for me

chriswcp · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by jonathan15

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Jonathan, did you do the acme two up on Thursday? If you did I/we was/were your two minute man/men.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Yeah I did do it and I think you were off straight after us. We had a 22.44 and if my memory is correct you beat us by 30 or 40 seconds?! Well done!

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Which one were you? The big one or the small one?

Unknown · May 2007

"Which one were you? The big one or the small one?"

lol - I was the small one. Must say it was very nice to sit behind James (the big one) after doing a turn!!!

mozwyn69 · May 2007

Any of you guys fancy meeting up for a ride in June. Maybe a recce of the black mountain route? Maybe weekends 9/10th or 16/17th.

Sometimes you have to lose yourself
before you can find anything.

Mark Alexander · May 2007

sure the 9th only

pain is there to let you know you're still cycling

nolf · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Mark Alexander

I'd love to give it a shot, where exactly is it? I found the village on multimap but where's the climb, also, does anyone know a good 100 mile ride starting and finishing in Cardiff, I seem to find 80 but those last 20 are proving elusive[:(!] also, what's a respectable time foor a 1st 100?

pain is there to let you know you're still cycling
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Rides of 100 Miles starting and finishing in Cardiff... Hmm...

This should just about do it.

Cardiff- Tongwynlais- Pentyrch- Upper Church Village- Pontypridd- Cycle route 47 out of Pontypridd then take a left after about 8 miles at Llanwono- should end up at the A4233 after a couple of miles of descent- A4233 South- Turn Right onto the B4512- Turn left onto the A4058- Turn Left onto the A4061- up the Bwlch Y Clawdd- Head south on the A4061 (or the adjacent minor road)- Turn left onto the A4093- take a right up hill towards some wind turbines after about 4 miles- Follow the minor road into Pencoed- Head south through Pencoed and take minor roads south Until you hit the A48- Take the A48 West until you hit the B4524, join the B4524- Follow the B4524 all the way around the coast past Ogmore beach, and then up to St Brides Major- Follow B4265 to wick- then Llantwit Major- then ST. Athan- until the B4265 turns into the A4226 near Cardiff International area- Follow the A4226 past Barry and then head back into Cardiff.

That should be 100 milesish if you can understand my directions [:)]

Pride speaks, but Elephants listen...

nolf · May 2007

Oh watch out though that route is fairly hilly, with 2 big hills at least- the climb up to Pentyrch and the Bwlch Y CLawdd.

The coast road on the way back is really quite flat though so pray for a Westerly wind otherwise you will be going into a headwind on an open road for about 25 miles!

Pride speaks, but Elephants listen...

chriswcp · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by nolf

Oh watch out though that route is fairly hilly, with 2 big hills at least- the climb up to Pentyrch and the Bwlch Y CLawdd.

The coast road on the way back is really quite flat though so pray for a Westerly wind otherwise you will be going into a headwind on an open road for about 25 miles!

Pride speaks, but Elephants listen...
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I'd find something a little easier first![:I] The start is horendous. The climb up to Llanwono is very hard. To get to the Bwlch from the top you are going to have to either climb Penrhys or go around the valley. Penrhys is again very hard! Then you have the Bwlch and others you mention.

This post brings up once again the point that the Bwlch and Rhigos are the famous climbs but there are much, much harder climbs around the valleys that people haven't heared of. Just comming out of the Rhondda, we have Pehrhys, Trebanog, Llanwono, Maerdy-Aberdare and the one upto the Graig from Ponty. All harder than the big two.

Mark Alexander · May 2007

thanks nolf, I've just returned from 65 miles, started out Llandaff >Miskin > Cowbridge > llantwit > Monkash/coast road > eweny through b.end, Tondu, blackmill then the a4093 > a4119 to Llantrissant then back in via glyntaf > coryton.

unfortunately the wind was from the west and killed me on the coast road. If you want a horrible hill, through blackmill and take the a4093. I'm not sure if it was worse because I wasn't expecting it. They never look that bad on the maps!!

I agree with Chris, there are many little known hills in South Wales. I have a habit of finding them at just the wrong time.... and I love them all

pain is there to let you know you're still cycling

Lazarus · May 2007

Got to agree with Chris there are some serious climbs in Nolf's route.

Last year the club did a charity ride so I started from Ponty, then we headed up the valley to Treherbet over the Rhigos down the Neath Valley then onwards to Liberty Stadium,Swansea, then from there we headed to Ninian Park,Cardiff for another rendezvous with some footballer Then eventually back to Ponty, all told it was 95miles add a small 6mile loop to push it over the 100 and you will have a flatter hundred[:D]

Chris forgot the secret climb over the Graig that ends up in Tonyrefail which is another little tester for the knees[:)] and how he could forget the vicious little bugger that's just passed Pontypridd golf Club I don't know[;)]

"You can't get lucky all the time" 
"but you can be smart everyday"

nolf · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by chrisw

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by nolf

Oh watch out though that route is fairly hilly, with 2 big hills at least- the climb up to Pentyrch and the Bwlch Y CLawdd.

The coast road on the way back is really quite flat though so pray for a Westerly wind otherwise you will be going into a headwind on an open road for about 25 miles!

Pride speaks, but Elephants listen...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I'd find something a little easier first![:I] The start is horendous. The climb up to Llanwono is very hard. To get to the Bwlch from the top you are going to have to either climb Penrhys or go around the valley. Penrhys is again very hard! Then you have the Bwlch and others you mention.
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I've already ridden the first half of that route up until the Bwlch, and come to think of it the climb up to Llanwono was rather horrendous, especially the start out of Pontypridd- ridiculously steep and absolutely killer!

Also the climb over the hill heading South past the wind turbines is quite killer as well...

The good news is they are all at the start- so after about 50 miles thats pretty much it for climbs. [:)] Just headwinds you have to worry about then! [:D]

Pride speaks, but Elephants listen...

SteveR_100Milers · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by mozwyn69

Any of you guys fancy meeting up for a ride in June. Maybe a recce of the black mountain route? Maybe weekends 9/10th or 16/17th.

Sometimes you have to lose yourself
before you can find anything.
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17th PM is only chance for me sorry...

Time! Time! It's always too long and there's never enough!

SteveR_100Milers · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by chrisw

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by nolf

Oh watch out though that route is fairly hilly, with 2 big hills at least- the climb up to Pentyrch and the Bwlch Y CLawdd.

The coast road on the way back is really quite flat though so pray for a Westerly wind otherwise you will be going into a headwind on an open road for about 25 miles!

Pride speaks, but Elephants listen...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I'd find something a little easier first![:I] The start is horendous. The climb up to Llanwono is very hard. To get to the Bwlch from the top you are going to have to either climb Penrhys or go around the valley. Penrhys is again very hard! Then you have the Bwlch and others you mention.

This post brings up once again the point that the Bwlch and Rhigos are the famous climbs but there are much, much harder climbs around the valleys that people haven't heared of. Just comming out of the Rhondda, we have Pehrhys, Trebanog, Llanwono, Maerdy-Aberdare and the one upto the Graig from Ponty. All harder than the big two.
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That's a b****d alright. [:)] Is the graig the one that runs up past the cemetary towards senghenydd? (off the A4054 and straight up the mountain)

I still rate Llanelly hill as the most ridiculous climb I have ever tried and failed.

Time! Time! It's always too long and there's never enough!

chriswcp · May 2007

I didn't forget the Graig Laz. check my post.[;)]

For others info. the 'Graig hill' (has it a proper name?) is easy to find, go to Ponty train station and go under the railway bridge then go up and up.

Where is Llanley hill?

Is the Tumble, the hill used by the WCA for the Welsh champs timetrail h/c? Is this the one based in the Llangynidr region? Is there also a cycle shop (Nelson cycles) based in this area?

and I know they're all different but which is the hardest.

Steve I take it you are going for Llanley?

I'm going to go with Trebanog. A difficult descisions but it's the one I live nearest to but I always seem to avoid it and go around it even though this sometimes takes me miles out of my way. (It also has <s>bad</s> memories because I had to walk up it as a young lad to date my future wife. The hardship then should have taught me a lesson.[:)])

SteveR_100Milers · May 2007

Llanelly hill starts at the exit left at the bottom of black rock on the heads of the valley just as the main road ramps upwards towards brynmarw. Its signposted Llanelly hill, and it ends at a T junction midway between blaenavon and brynmarw. It's basically a more direct route up the blorenge than the Tumble is. Chris, I think the Tumble is the one that is used for the HC champs. Its also the standard cat 1 climb that the old Kellogs ToB and Milk Race used to go over in the good old days [:)]

Time! Time! It's always too long and there's never enough!

Lazarus · May 2007

Sorry Chris but I'm talking about the SECRET climb over the Graig, not the one where you go under the railway station (far to dangerous in my opinion), but if you head up passed Ponty rugby club then go behind The Marble Wharehouse ( used to be ponty builders ) there's a hill that will eventualy take you over the top and back down into Tonyrefail and passed the Red Cow pub, the road then leads to Capel Hill (another little tester)and back up over Trebanog.

Give it a go, it's well worth the effort because very few cars use it.

Just a small edit to add that Chris ia right, Trebanog from the porth side is the hardest because it gets steeper at the top[}:)] Though if you guys use the above hill i mentioned then you get to come down Trebanog hill towards Porth and you can recce the climb out before trying it.

oldwelshman · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by SteveR_100Milers

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by chrisw

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by nolf

Oh watch out though that route is fairly hilly, with 2 big hills at least- the climb up to Pentyrch and the Bwlch Y CLawdd.

The coast road on the way back is really quite flat though so pray for a Westerly wind otherwise you will be going into a headwind on an open road for about 25 miles!

Pride speaks, but Elephants listen...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I'd find something a little easier first![:I] The start is horendous. The climb up to Llanwono is very hard. To get to the Bwlch from the top you are going to have to either climb Penrhys or go around the valley. Penrhys is again very hard! Then you have the Bwlch and others you mention.

This post brings up once again the point that the Bwlch and Rhigos are the famous climbs but there are much, much harder climbs around the valleys that people haven't heared of. Just comming out of the Rhondda, we have Pehrhys, Trebanog, Llanwono, Maerdy-Aberdare and the one upto the Graig from Ponty. All harder than the big two.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

That's a b****d alright. [:)] Is the graig the one that runs up past the cemetary towards senghenydd? (off the A4054 and straight up the mountain)

I still rate Llanelly hill as the most ridiculous climb I have ever tried and failed.

Time! Time! It's always too long and there's never enough!
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The Graig is the one that goes past sardis road to Ton-y-refail? Used to do that sometimes and Trebanog did many times when working in Ton-y-Refail during miners strike when I was fiddling [8D]
I did Trebanog, Bwlch on weekend, and this week was working in Leeds so went into the Dales for nice ride with some good climbs, but i still have not found one harder than between Glyntaf and Abertridwr, maybe I will try Tumble and Lannelli hill with you Steve to compare :-)
I put pics of me on climb in link below but the pic is taken looking down so does not look as steep as it is. It is about 2 miles long, steep just off dual carriage way for about 300 yds, then steady for about a mile, then gets steeper from about 10%, then 15%, 20% and 25% over about 400 yards, then after almost dying at 3.5mph you have to try to accelerate not to fall in the cattle grid [8D]
We will give it a go next time I am down ? [8D]

Feel free to browse and donate:
http://www.justgiving.com/davidbethanmills
My winter and summer bike pics

http://oldwelshman.myphotoalbum.com

Lazarus · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by oldwelshman
The Graig is the one that goes past sardis road to Ton-y-refail? <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

The Graig hill the one that goes under the railway station and if you keep to the road it will eventually take you to Pencoedcae, Beddau and onward to Llantrisant. If you go past Past Ponty rugby club there is a hill that takes you roughly parallel to the graig hill but at the top you have to decided wether to turn left or right. Left will take you to the top of the Graig (pencoedcae) and you end up behind The Queens Head pub. Right and youu eventually end up in Tonyrefail and by a pub called the Red Cow, The road is not used much which is why i call it the secret way up the Graig[:D]

oldwelshman · May 2007

Ah I remember them both now [:D]
When I moved up here 9 years ago I went to an old quarry along the route to Llantrissant over Graig to get some nice stone for my garden so I have a piece of Wales in my English home [:D]
I havent been up it on a bile for over 20 years though, there are only so many climbs I can do on occasional visits back [:D]
I am doing the Gran fondo in snowdon on weekend, in the rain again by the look of it.
On my next visit back I think I might to Llanelli hill, tumble and Llangynider as I have not done those for over 20 years either and I remember those being very hard.
I am also doing the Super Dragon but I dont think the hills are as hard as many climbs down there just a good old steady slog [:D]

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Lazarus

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by oldwelshman
The Graig is the one that goes past sardis road to Ton-y-refail? <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

The Graig hill the one that goes under the railway station and if you keep to the road it will eventually take you to Pencoedcae, Beddau and onward to Llantrisant. If you go past Past Ponty rugby club there is a hill that takes you roughly parallel to the graig hill but at the top you have to decided wether to turn left or right. Left will take you to the top of the Graig (pencoedcae) and you end up behind The Queens Head pub. Right and youu eventually end up in Tonyrefail and by a pub called the Red Cow, The road is not used much which is why i call it the secret way up the Graig[:D]

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Feel free to browse and donate:
http://www.justgiving.com/davidbethanmills
My winter and summer bike pics

http://oldwelshman.myphotoalbum.com

nolf · June 2007

I finally bothered to go up a big climb!!

I did number 3- but I thought we were timing from the cattle grid so I started my timing there [:)].

From the cattle grid to the top of the Bwlch was about 2.3 milesish and I took 14 mins exactly.

Wasn't that bad actually- I still think the climb up to Llanwono is much much harder!

Pride speaks, but Elephants listen...

SteveR_100Milers · June 2007

Thats not bad. There is a fine line between being matey on a bike and suddenly wanting to inflict pain on them. See you on the Dragon then Nolfy boy [;)]

Time! Time! It's always too long and there's never enough!

nolf · June 2007

Can't - Middle of exams [:(]

But i think theres 1 or 2 sportives afterwards which I may turn up to...

Pride speaks, but Elephants listen...

chriswcp · June 2007

I'll say again fcuk the dragon, go and do the wwcl 100. Just did a 50 on the same course today, magic!

Mark Alexander · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by chrisw

I'll say again fcuk the dragon, go and do the wwcl 100. Just did a 50 on the same course today, magic!
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I was there too Chris, my 1st 50. 2h 29.43
Jon-paul and Mr Beech were saying that on the way home

my elephant has more memory than my PC

SteveR_100Milers · June 2007

Tempting I know but there's a lot to be said for riding in a bunch

Time! Time! It's always too long and there's never enough!

chriswcp · June 2007

Mark, was it you I was chatting to before the start, I had to have a late start?

(I was riding a planet-x)

Mark Alexander · June 2007

yes!!
I was the bike stand
how did your ride go?

my elephant has more memory than my PC

chriswcp · June 2007

Ride very good, I'll have the Oggie boys when we goto 100 in a few weeks.[;)]

Not to pleased about the late start, but at least nobody knows my real time.[:I]

Nice to meet you by the way. Sorry I couldn't have a chat at the time, but I was quite worked up.

Mark Alexander · June 2007

hav a chat nxt time, are you doing MD5?

I'm sure the boys can handle the challenge[:D]

my elephant has more memory than my PC

Un-official South Wales climb thread

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