Lon Las Cymru to Taunton
Lon Las Cymru to Taunton
At the start of planning a trip for next year, I'm hoping to do the Lon Las Cymru route through Chepstow and then on to home in Taunton. I have a few questions about route, but my first is - is Anglesey worth it? Or would I be better served by my time by hopping out the train early at Llanfairpwll railway station and save myself a bit of time/cycling distance?
Re: Lon Las Cymru to Taunton
If you skip Anglesey then you would not have ridden the Lon Las just a section of it.
You can skip Cardiff or Chepstow as there is a choice there.
Anglesey is the nice easy flat bit to warm up ready for the hills.
You can skip Cardiff or Chepstow as there is a choice there.
Anglesey is the nice easy flat bit to warm up ready for the hills.
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Richard Fairhurst
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Re: Lon Las Cymru to Taunton
Depends how completist you're feeling. Anglesey's much of a muchness IMO - meandering rural cycling not greatly distinct from anywhere else in Britain. Lon Las Cymru really gets going south of Porthmadog (though Caernarfon's nice, of course). I'm glad I ticked it off, but if I were doing the route for a second time I doubt I'd bother with Anglesey.
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Re: Lon Las Cymru to Taunton
I did it last week (see my recent post). Anglesey was a bit dull, not as flat as I thought, there might have been more interesting bits of it if you go off route 8, I just wanted to get on with it and get it out of the way.
I thought the Llyn peninsula was the most interesting bit of the whole trip, though it's off the route, and a day or two's diversion if you want to ride around the whole of it (which I recommend). It doesn't look like there are any official cycle routes leading into it and it's just the A499, in fact when you come off route 8 onto the A499 south of Llanwnda, there is a very nice cycle path on the pavement along the A-road, and you can follow that for a long way, until you turn off onto some B roads leading to Nefyn, from where you can pick up some really small roads marked as cycle routes 41/42/43. On the way back you can rejoin route 8 near Llanystumdwy.
I also thought it was a shame that route 8 skirts around most of the northern Snowdonia range, though some of it does later cross some of the southern range I skipped most of that by taking the coastal route. So I was glad that I did a diversion to see some of the northern range near Caernarfon, looping on the A-roads around Snowdon.. unfortunately that section does not seem to have many smaller roads, the A roads were mostly quiet though they can be quite narrow and hence not so safe.
I thought the Llyn peninsula was the most interesting bit of the whole trip, though it's off the route, and a day or two's diversion if you want to ride around the whole of it (which I recommend). It doesn't look like there are any official cycle routes leading into it and it's just the A499, in fact when you come off route 8 onto the A499 south of Llanwnda, there is a very nice cycle path on the pavement along the A-road, and you can follow that for a long way, until you turn off onto some B roads leading to Nefyn, from where you can pick up some really small roads marked as cycle routes 41/42/43. On the way back you can rejoin route 8 near Llanystumdwy.
I also thought it was a shame that route 8 skirts around most of the northern Snowdonia range, though some of it does later cross some of the southern range I skipped most of that by taking the coastal route. So I was glad that I did a diversion to see some of the northern range near Caernarfon, looping on the A-roads around Snowdon.. unfortunately that section does not seem to have many smaller roads, the A roads were mostly quiet though they can be quite narrow and hence not so safe.
Re: Lon Las Cymru to Taunton
Personally I would not miss out Ynys Mon (Anglesey) but you might want to make some diversions to the coast which is the best bit. There are little bits of cycle track all over N. Wales so they some times come up without knowing about them:o) e.g. Llanwnda to Trevor on the Llyn
There are so many variations as you go south, it depends on how careful you want to be to have done the route. I like following my nose! Some of the route e.g. from Porthmadog to Barmouth does seem to twist around a bit to keep off the main road, but it is well worth while following exactly as you get fantastic views (goes right passed my house as well
) ) It is all very hilly though! But luckily the Brewit bridge should be back in operation by next year, saving 9 miles.
Hope you enjoy it all its a great area.
There are so many variations as you go south, it depends on how careful you want to be to have done the route. I like following my nose! Some of the route e.g. from Porthmadog to Barmouth does seem to twist around a bit to keep off the main road, but it is well worth while following exactly as you get fantastic views (goes right passed my house as well
) ) It is all very hilly though! But luckily the Brewit bridge should be back in operation by next year, saving 9 miles.Hope you enjoy it all its a great area.