Cycling across Wales

nicnoc
nicnoc Posts: 2
edited July 2008 in Tour & expedition
Has anyone experience of either the Lon Las Cymru or Lôn Cambria Sustrans routes?
Is either suitable for a road bike or are there easy alternative on-road routes if required?
Any recommendations welcome...

Comments

  • rampax
    rampax Posts: 139
    Hi
    I did the Lon Las Cymru the other year, and we did it on light tourers, with no probs.
    There were a couple of short sections that were too rough to ride on, so we walked them.
    The A6 Hazel Grove - "Always the worst part of any ride".
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    Did the Lon Las Cymru, I think some might be tough on a standard narrow tyred road bike, tourer should be okay, I used an mtb with 1.5 Schwalbe Marathons. Did the Celtic Trail, less challenging, a road bike should be okay for this (except there is a sludgy (if wet) sandy section in which narrow tyres might struggle).
  • JoeLonghair
    JoeLonghair Posts: 99
    If you want a wicked variation of the route do the Elan valley, really isolated and very peacful,
    got pictures of it at
    http://picasaweb.google.com/cycletouringjoe
  • simon_e
    simon_e Posts: 1,707
    JoeLonghair wrote:
    If you want a wicked variation of the route do the Elan valley
    Current issue of C+ has a feature on part of the NCN 81 Lôn Cambria through Elan Valley. I'm hoping to take the family along there in the summer.

    Climbing Long Mountain E of Welshpool and the Llandinam hills W of Newtown will be a taxing, but rewarding.

    The Elan Valley stretch is a tarmac surface on the old railway trackbed, smooth as a baby's bum. The parallel road route is more varied but still quiet. I don't know the stretch beyond Cwmystwyth, if feeling fit I would be tempted to leave the NCN and go via Devil's Bridge and along the A4120 for terrific views, but it is somewhat up-and-down all the way. I'd also be inclined to ride from Newtown to Llanidloes via the B4568/4569 through Aberhafesp, Caersws and Trefeglwys, but that's just me.

    Llanidloes to Rhayader is mostly on narrow back roads. You may well come across an occasional farmer driving his Land Rover at a bit of a lick but it's a nice run. Another alt.route is the B4518 via Tylwch (pronounced tull-ook) and Pant-y-Dwr. Blimey, if you follow my suggestion you'll hardly see the NCN!

    Bike shops I know of: Brooks Cycles in Newtown and Welshpool, Clive Powell's in Rhayader and Summit Cycles in Aber.

    Food: Elan visitor centre is worth dropping in for a look round and a bite, providing it's open. Great Oak Café in Llanidloes has a relaxed vibe, lovely veggie nosh and good coffee. Another eaterie I can recommend is The Treehouse in Aberystwyth, though once by the sea the lure of a chip shop is hard to resist.

    Anyone interested in the stretch between Welshpool and Albrighton might like to look at the info on Shropshire CC's cycling pages. 3 downloadable PDF leaflets, available in PDF format, cover that part of the route.
    Aspire not to have more, but to be more.
  • JoeLonghair
    JoeLonghair Posts: 99
    Simon E, you sure know this part of the country very well, I lived all over Wales, in a caravan, my son was born there, in fact facing the Elan Valley, hence his second name. All the eatery you mention and places not forgetting the cycle shops, you sure you dont work for the Welsh tourist board :lol:

    It is a really beautiful ride, keep us posted on what route you intend to take as between Simon E and us lot I am sure we can tweak this to make it extra special, I know routes you would have to be a local to know it exist, I do Aberystwyth to London every Spring and Autumn, pic in the link in my earlier post.
  • simon_e
    simon_e Posts: 1,707
    Simon E, you sure know this part of the country very well
    Grew up in Llanidloes. Only moved over the border (reluctantly) a few years ago.

    Joe, Aber to London, surely the wrong direction? ;-)
    Aspire not to have more, but to be more.
  • JoeLonghair
    JoeLonghair Posts: 99
    Aber to Lon , agree with you should have been the other way around with a 1 way ticket.
    Did not realise you were local to the great oak cafe, were you at the Monmouth Country show,last week end, we did a chain saw carving event in the Wye Valley, another beautiful route to cycle through..
  • bprice
    bprice Posts: 61
    A group of us did the Lon Las Cymru for charity last year. Absolutely loved it!
    http://brian3458.fotopic.net/c1262922.html
  • heavymental
    heavymental Posts: 2,091
    Is it not a bit 'stoppy-starty' on the off road sections due to the little gates that you usually get on cycle routes? I was considering cycling from home in Pembrokeshire to my folks near Bath but didn't fancy it if I'd be constantly stopping or getting off to go through barriers.
  • Tim Farr
    Tim Farr Posts: 665
    I did Lon Las Cymru a couple of years ago. I was pretty faithful to one of the official routes - ending in Cardiff. Tarmacadam most of the way - I was on my MTB - but certainly possible on a 700c tourer. What is essential? A big cog on your block - tough hills.

    I didn't find a veggie cafe in Llanidloes but enjoyed a meal in a very neat chip shop.
    T Farr

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