Loops near Cardiff

patchy

Hey all

I'm going to be in lovely Cardiff weekend of 24/25 October, and i wondered if anyone could recommend a decent 30-40ml loop that i could do one morning (or both - i need to keep my mileage in prep for Exmoor Beast the following weekend). I like the look of some of the rides on bikely, but also thought i'd check the local knowledge.

I'm only bringing my fixie, as i'm staying in a hostel on Riverside, so not looking for anything mahoosive, but some inclines would be fun. Caerphilly mountain might be a laugh on 42x16 too...

any ideas, oh forum friends?

cheers

K

oldwelshman

If your doing a sportive later I would have taken a road bike and done some hills, dozens within reach of cardiff.
Taking a fixie limits you to the flat;ands round cardiff/newport which can be hard if windy.
Would not venture north out of cardiff as you will struggle with hills.
Unle really fit would not go west either as it is rolling in that direction but would be hard on a fixed.

tomashford

Head west along Llantrisant Rd, turn right at lights, then left at roundabout onto A473. Stay on A473 until you get to Bridgend and turn left at the roundabout onto Crack Hill (A48). Continue on the A48 back to Cardiff.

It's a 35-40 mile ride depending on where you live in Cardiff. Not too hilly, but is quite rolling on the way back.

oldwelshman

tomashford wrote:

Head west along Llantrisant Rd, turn right at lights, then left at roundabout onto A473. Stay on A473 until you get to Bridgend and turn left at the roundabout onto Crack Hill (A48). Continue on the A48 back to Cardiff.

It's a 35-40 mile ride depending on where you live in Cardiff. Not too hilly, but is quite rolling on the way back.

Yuk, main roads and rolling hills on a fixed?
A48 is tooo busy.

Head to Pontypridd, then Porth, turn left over Trebanog, then Gilfach to Blackrock, Ogmore Vale, over the Bwlch, then Rhigos and descend back to Cradiff, great on a fixed

Tom are you lot out on sundays from Maindy 9:30? I am down doing track this week and next sat so may stay down and ride sundays

cjcp

Llantrisant Road up to and through Creigiau, down into Peterstone-super-Ely, along the A48 for a bit to Cowbridge, along to Llantwit Major, then the coast road to Rhoose, Barry, Penarth, up Lavernock Rd, down Penarth Road and back into town.

patchy

The reason i'm only bringing my fixie is that i'm in CF covering the SWN music festival, and staying in a hostel, hence am not sure of how secure the bike parking will be: plus, i'll be using the bike to spin between Canton, Central and Cardiff Bay (where the various venues are) and will be locking up in public. Don't really wanna risk losing the road bike to tea leaves!

all of those sound pretty good, i'll stick em into some route planners and sort some routes. Cheers all!

K

binlinus

You could try heading out into the Vale of Glamorgan onto quiet country lanes. Rolling terrain with a couple of short sharp descents and climbs which might mean you have to get off for a few metres. But mostly doable on fixed.

Head south out of Riverside down Clare Street/Road and then right along Penarth Road, then country lanes pretty much all the way between Penarth and Dinas Powys and then over Dinas Powis Common, St Andrews Major, Wenvoe, St Lythans, Past Duffryn then out to Wallerston. Out and back is about 44k and a lovely ride through the lanes.

Beyond Wallerston it is a very steep descent into the very pretty village of Llancarfan and a steep climb out the otherside. So I'd advise turning around just beyond Wallerston.

Route here http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Cardif-to-Vale-Of-Glamorgan

HTH

Bin