Where to go in South Wales

paulwood
paulwood Posts: 231
edited July 2017 in Sportives/audaxes/training rides
Might have chance to get away for a couple of days and was thinking of heading to South Wales.

I've not been there much apart from Pembroke and would appreciate suggestions where to aim for.

Quiet roads, 60-70 miles with 1500m ascent would be perfect for a day. Brecon Beacons somewhere?

Comments

  • trivial_poursuivant
    trivial_poursuivant Posts: 1,136
    Cardiff on a Saturday evening.

    From my experience the girls there are filthy :wink:
  • paulwood
    paulwood Posts: 231
    Didn't consider Cardiff.

    Sadly I am of an age where the cleanliness or otherwise of the girls is no longer a consideration :-(
  • craker
    craker Posts: 1,739
    Park in Usk (large car park by the museum is free), cycle over to Abergavenny, make your way up past Llanthony Priory and over Gospel Pass (540 m) to Hay.

    From Hay head towards Llangorse and Bwlch. Cross the river and you've got a choice of climbs - Llangatock ('Iron Mountain it was called on a sportive I did a while ago), tops out at 500m, or you could carry on to The Tumble, carry on over the top to Blaenavon and PontyPool and make your way back to Usk.

    Hills, lots of 'em. ;-)
  • paulwood
    paulwood Posts: 231
    Thanks for the suggestion, that looks a pretty good loop.

    And, as you say, hilly.
  • craker
    craker Posts: 1,739
    Yeah I misread your original post; Usk would be a decent centre for a couple of days cycling - head over the Wye valley towards the Forest of Dean, or north into the marches for a 2nd or 3rd days ride.

    Abergavenny tries to position itself as Wales' cycling capital.

    Head west if you want even longer climbs (Rhigos, Black Mountain etc, Crickhowell or Brecon would be better choices).
  • paulwood
    paulwood Posts: 231
    Thanks again to everyone for the advice. We stayed near Brecon in the end and rode either side of there for a couple of days.

    What a lovely place to ride, mainly quiet roads, lots of climbing, plenty of cafe stops. Certainly plan to go back.
  • stifflersmom
    stifflersmom Posts: 177
    paulwood wrote:
    Thanks again to everyone for the advice. We stayed near Brecon in the end and rode either side of there for a couple of days.

    What a lovely place to ride, mainly quiet roads, lots of climbing, plenty of cafe stops. Certainly plan to go back.
    I'm heading there in the summer - any chance of posting your routes?
  • paulwood
    paulwood Posts: 231
    A pleasure.

    https://www.strava.com/activities/1082517452

    https://www.strava.com/activities/1082517454

    Day 1 had a bit of dual carriageway and roadworks between the big climbs which you might like to avoid

    Day 2 had a track through a hospital, can be avoided but easily passable with a lift over one gate and 20 metres through unoccupied building site.

    Hope you enjoy your trip
  • stifflersmom
    stifflersmom Posts: 177
    paulwood wrote:
    A pleasure.

    https://www.strava.com/activities/1082517452

    https://www.strava.com/activities/1082517454

    Day 1 had a bit of dual carriageway and roadworks between the big climbs which you might like to avoid

    Day 2 had a track through a hospital, can be avoided but easily passable with a lift over one gate and 20 metres through unoccupied building site.

    Hope you enjoy your trip
    Thanks, appreciated.
  • apreading
    apreading Posts: 4,535
    The route down through the valley and then the A4075 on the second one has some epic views. If you carry on south just a little bit from the southernmost tip, you get to the Rhigos, which is an epic climb and takes you into the Rhondda with an epic descent and then a hard climb over the Bwlch if you are up for it.
  • paulwood
    paulwood Posts: 231
    We did look at extending the second day slightly but had to get back to the car and head home. Thanks for the idea though, next time.

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