Bristol to Cardiff

mikeyj28

Hi all

I'm planning to ride from Bath to Cardiff. I know the roads around Bristol and Cardiff very well, but want to know whether it's fairly safe riding from Chepstow (off the old bridge) , through to Cardiff? Or is it busy roads with cars going at silly speeds/liable to knock me off? Anyone ridden it and if so any advice/route would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

redvee

I've ridden both ways, from Cardiff to Bristol and Bath to Cardiff. The Bath to Cardiff was with Ian Walker who has just won the North Cape 4000 race.
Both times I rode NCN4 and apart from a rough stony section just after Magor Toll Booths the surface wasn't that bad. It's a nice flat route with a big downhill just outside of Chepstow down to the golf course.

whoof

I've ridden this a few times. If you put Bath and Cardiff into the site below it gives a pretty good route. Mostly NCN but personally I miss out the offroad sections (shown in green) such as between Rogiet to Undy.

As well as a map it will give turn by turn instructions and profile. If you log in it will produce a PDF and gpx file.


https://www.decathlon.co.uk/camp-stove- ... 58095.html

kingstongraham

Yeah, maybe not that site? I'd advise avoiding the Strade Bianche stone section near Magor as well. I didn't enjoy that at all.

I didn't find either out or back too bad on this ride - depends whether you want a hill or not: https://www.strava.com/activities/76740784

Obviously the A48 is busier for a few km, but I don't remember it being a problem. There's probably quieter roads for most of that bit.

This is Newport to Cardiff avoiding the worst: https://www.strava.com/activities/130306436

whoof

It was cycle.travel.com
Probably advised someone wanting to cook up some paste on how to get to Cardiff.

mikeyj28

Thanks guys for the response and for the Strava links too.

Are the roads from Chepstow to the outskirts of Cardiff really busy or pretty quiet and good for riding?
I'll be doing the ride on my own and am not fancying riding on a single lane carriageway where the cars are driving like idiots.
Been a bit freaked out since I saw a mate hit from behind by an idiot driving last year. Thankfully he is ok but it was a huge wake up call.

redvee

Two ways of crossing the river in Newport, one is to use the road bridge and the other is too use the Transporter Bridge, think someone has a Strava segment on the Transporter Bridge crossing :shock:

craker

redvee wrote:

Two ways of crossing the river in Newport, one is to use the road bridge and the other is too use the Transporter Bridge, think someone has a Strava segment on the Transporter Bridge crossing :shock:

Or just stay on the A48 and go through the centre of town, probably easiest if you've followed the A48 from Chepstow.

It's nice and flat following the Levels either side of Newport, some good up and down options if you fancy more of a challenge (Wentwood, Usk, Cwmbran etc). Depends whereabouts in Cardiff you're headed.

mikeyj28

craker wrote:

redvee wrote:

Two ways of crossing the river in Newport, one is to use the road bridge and the other is too use the Transporter Bridge, think someone has a Strava segment on the Transporter Bridge crossing :shock:

Or just stay on the A48 and go through the centre of town, probably easiest if you've followed the A48 from Chepstow.

It's nice and flat following the Levels either side of Newport, some good up and down options if you fancy more of a challenge (Wentwood, Usk, Cwmbran etc). Depends whereabouts in Cardiff you're headed.

Would you then suggest going through wentloog and down the docks area towards Cardiff? The A48 ok from Chepstow to Newport or is it a bit of a take your life in your hands with crazy traffic? Debating A48 or going via the old Llanwern steelworks and Magor (along the long straight road).

redvee

mikeyj28 wrote:

Would you then suggest going through wentloog and down the docks area towards Cardiff? .

Yes, Mendalgieth Rd, onto Docks Way past Lidl and onto the path by Screwfix, under the A48 over Ebbw River and out onto Lighthouse Road/Wentloog Avenue through St Brides.

mikeyj28

redvee wrote:

mikeyj28 wrote:

Would you then suggest going through wentloog and down the docks area towards Cardiff? .

Yes, Mendalgieth Rd, onto Docks Way past Lidl and onto the path by Screwfix, under the A48 over Ebbw River and out onto Lighthouse Road/Wentloog Avenue through St Brides.

Great thanks.

Thanks to all for the input. Now just need to recover from illness then I'll be good to go.

craker

mikeyj28 wrote:

Would you then suggest going through wentloog and down the docks area towards Cardiff? The A48 ok from Chepstow to Newport or is it a bit of a take your life in your hands with crazy traffic? Debating A48 or going via the old Llanwern steelworks and Magor (along the long straight road).

I'm not keen on the A48, it's wide and fast. It's not that it feels unsafe, just unpleasant. If you can find your way to Magor and the levels / Llanwern I'd do that, or even better Chepstow->Shirenewton->Usk->Llandegfedd->Cwmbran, but after that I'm lost, and you're crossing the Valleys (or heading South to Newport). Longer, bumpier but lovely cycling.

SarahS

mikeyj28 wrote:

redvee wrote:

mikeyj28 wrote:

Would you then suggest going through wentloog and down the docks area towards Cardiff? .

Yes, Mendalgieth Rd, onto Docks Way past Lidl and onto the path by Screwfix, under the A48 over Ebbw River and out onto Lighthouse Road/Wentloog Avenue through St Brides.

Great thanks.

Thanks to all for the input. Now just need to recover from illness then I'll be good to go.

i rode from newport to cardiff this summer via the marsh and the docks. It was getting a little dark and I didnt feel entirely safe. On the other hand the main road is very very busy.

mikeyj28

SarahS wrote:

mikeyj28 wrote:

redvee wrote:

mikeyj28 wrote:

Would you then suggest going through wentloog and down the docks area towards Cardiff? .

Yes, Mendalgieth Rd, onto Docks Way past Lidl and onto the path by Screwfix, under the A48 over Ebbw River and out onto Lighthouse Road/Wentloog Avenue through St Brides.

Great thanks.

Thanks to all for the input. Now just need to recover from illness then I'll be good to go.

i rode from newport to cardiff this summer via the marsh and the docks. It was getting a little dark and I didnt feel entirely safe. On the other hand the main road is very very busy.

What main road do you mean?

apreading

Rode this route a couple of years back: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/13814231?beta=false

It was great apart from the really poor gravelly bit near Magor (I was OK on my 28mm tyres but my son on his 23mm really struggled, had 2 punctures, hit a huge pothole which required backtracking to a bike shop we luckily noticed half a mile before to get his wheel trued) I would definately avoid that. The transporter bridge in Newport only runs some of the time but its worth having a look at even if its not running. After Newport take the quiet lanes just in from the coast all the way to the docks area in Cardiff and come out in Cardiff Bay which is a great place to finish.

It was great to cycle along the Avon gorge under the Clifton suspension bridge, even if things are a bit busy there, and after a short stretch skirting through the docks, from Severn Beach to the old bridge is great. Some really good bits around Chepstow until you get to the Gravel at Magor.

Obviously ignore the part of this route west of Cardiff.

redvee

I've done both ways seperated by a year or more and used the Transporter Bridge on the way back from Cardiff, on the way to Cardiff it wasn't open as we were there around 6am having ridden overnight from Bath.