Brecon Beacons

Steve GT

I am visiting my parents in Wales this weekend who live in Cwmbran. I have a lovely loop from Cwmbran that takes me to Tintern and back that I have done before and I will do that again on Sunday, but I am looking to do a 40 or 50 mile ride on saturday morning.
I have heard of people cycling up the 'Brecon Beacons' and wondered do they mean using the A470 from Brecon to Merthyr Tydfil or using smaller lanes?
If anyone has any suggestions on routes in the area it would be appreciated.

CheapSkate

The A470 isn't always a lot of fun, especially if there's weather or if it's busy, but the A4059 between it and Hirwaun, the A4067 and the north-south road between Heol Senni and Ystradfellte are all pretty rideable (though very hilly in places). How to work any of that into a loop for you mostly depends what you'd do to get close to there in the first place though.

hobbescp

not sure if you're planning to ride up or drive up (so I'm not sure what would be a good starting point for you) but the following is a good loop with some very tough climbs:

Talyont-on-Usk head past Talybont reservoir and head for Merthyr. Stay on the road until you get to the heads of the valleys road around Cefn Coed and take a right and join on to the A470 heading to brecon. Take a left at the first reservoir "Llwn-on" and head for Penderyn then on to Ystradfelte and on to Heol Senni. From Penderyn onwards this is a long climb - very scenic but I did it on Easter w/e in snow and gale force northerly!

Finally aim for either Sennybridge or Libanus and then on to Brecon (on A470). Take the bypass and then the backroad back to Talybont.

I logged it as 79kms and I was goosed. Lots of climbing, great training.

Have fun

robbarker

What is your Cwmbran / Tintern loop?

Rob (in Tintern)