Loop of Wales - route advice please

[mnichols]

Hi,

I am planning a credit card loop of Wales over the May Bank Holiday. Looking to do around 500 hundred miles over the 4 days starting and finishing in Bath and I am looking for some local knowledge to help with the bits of the route that I am not familar with (most of it). So, if you can help with any of the days please add a comment/suggestion

Day 1 Option 1: Bath to Llaneli:
I have looked at 2 options for Day 1, the first is:
Starting just south of Bath and going over the Severn Bridge - this bit is local to me so don't need any help with this part of the route.
Once over the bridge, pick up the A48 towards Celtic Manor
From here I need a good route towards Pontypridd/Tonypandy/Treorchy
After Tonypandi/Gelli I will then pick up an old Dragon Ride Route to Neath
From Neath I need a good route across to Llanelli - not sure whether to go via The Mumbles, but this would mean going through Swansea?

Day 1 Option 2: Bath to Carmarthen (over Brecon):
Usk, Abergavenny, Brecon, Llandovery, Carmarthen - my basic route just picks up, or runs parrallel with the A40 between Raglan and Abergavenny

Note: from here onwards I don't know the area at all

Day 2: Llaneli or Carmarathen to Ffestiniog
North on the a485 to Aberysywyth - is there a better route, should I pick up the coast earlier or stay inland?
From Abersywith A487 through Machynlleth, then A470 through Dolgellau to Ffestiniog

Day 3: Ffestiniog to Shrewsbury?
Too many options here - what should I see, what should I miss?
Would like to see some of Snowdonia. Should I see Porthmadog, Caernarfon, Bangor, Colwyn? Rhyl?
My plan was never to go all the way across, but rather cut back diagnolly through Wales to Shropshire
The evening stopping point will depend on how far we go around the coast, but would like to do around 120 - 130 miles and end up near Shrewsbury

Day 4: Shrewsbury to Bath
Need a good route from Shrewsbury to Hereford or Ross on Wye
then I have a few tried and tested routes home
Alternatively I may come over the Severn and back home across the Cotswolds

Any help with the route would be appreciated

Thanks

Martin

[meic]

Will you be navigating by GPS? Often my routes are so finicky that without a GPS they cost more time in map reading than they save.

Looking at your planned itinerary of 125 miles per day in Wales, I suspect that many of my routes would just take too long and that more use of main A roads will be needed than Iuse in my daytime (esp bank holiday) route planning.
It is worth looking at Cycletravel as it gives surprisingly good leads to develop from though it may need tuning for 125 miles a day by taking to the main roads for stretches it avoids.

http://cycle.travel/

Another idea (though some organisers see this as a form of intellectual property theft most I know are happy enough to share) is to take some GPS tracks from the Audax website for rides going through this area as they often share the best routes.
Normally it will be following the rivers. Usk, Wye, Towy, Teifi for a flatter life.

If you do take the A485 (which wouldnt be my choice) then PM me before you go and you can have a pit stop here, with refreshments, as I live on it about 8 miles North of Carmarthen just before (yet another) 100metre undulation.
I can also send you some .gpx files of my regular routes but they are a bit slow as I dont like to ride on narrow main roads for longer than necessary. Though not so slow that I couldnt use them in an Audax where you are completing 126 miles in thirteen hours including breaks.

[meic]

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=88739&hilit=carmarthen

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=67698&hilit=carmarthen

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=41466&hilit=carmarthen

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=23293&hilit=carmarthen

[mnichols]

Hi Meic

Yes I will be using a GPS and will plan and plot the route in advance and then download and follow. The provisional route is mapped on RidewithGPS.com at the moment

Thanks for the pit stop offer. If you wouldn't use the a485 which route would you take - I'm open to ideas

I'll look at the topics you posted now, so sorry if you have already answered the question above

I'm happy with hills - this is a training / kit test ride for a much longer and hillier / mountainous route, but we don't need to go out of our way to do them as we will be doing plenty of hill training anyway


Thanks

Martin

[mnichols]

Looking at the routes makes me think that I should:

Day 1 should be the 2nd option to Carmarthen (via Brecon)
Day 2 should go further around the coast to take in Saundersfoot, Tenby and St Davids then up the coast (ish) on the A487 through Cardigan and finishing the day at Aberearon
Day 3 up the A487 to Dolgallau, then A470 to Gelliydan, then b4410 across Snowdonia towards Llanfrothen, a4085, a498 to Beddgelert, a4085 to Caernarfon (cup of tea)
A4086 tthrough Llanberis, Capel Curig then A5 to Betws-y-Coed, then try and find somewhere to stay on the a5 near Corwen

Then I have 165 miles to go with only 1 day left so my options are:
1 long day of 165 miles
Make the first 3 days longer - more like 150 miles per day
Split the remaining distance into 2 - not preferred as I don't have the holiday left
Lose 50 miles somewhere along the previous 3 days - any ideas on this one?

[mnichols]

Is it worth goind all the way to Caernarfon and Colwyn Bay, or should I just loop around Snowdonia near Betsw-y-Coed?

[pwa]

I live in South Wales and would avoid the area south of the Brecon Beacons. It has some good bits, but you will find yourself on grotty bits for long periods.

Unless you fell relaxed with heavy traffic passing too close and too fast you should minimise time spent on the A40, the A48 and numerous other A roads.

Personally, I would want to include some spectacular highlights, such as the Gospel Pass. If you don't know, it is supposed to be the highest tarmac pass in Wales. I would perhaps cycle from Chepstow to Monmouth, then across country (Rockfield, Cross Ash, LLanvihangel, Llanthony) to Hay on Wye. It will be lumpy and slow going, but it will also be some of the best cycling in Wales.

From Hay you might follow the B4350 (not usually too busy to enjoy) to just before Boughrood, then pick up the minor road that runs north on the eastern bank of the River Wye towards Builth. This really quiet and mostly easy road runs parallel to the unpleasant A470.

It's not always easy or possible, but I would seek out quieter roads.

[mnichols]

Thanks meic and pwa

meic - I've mapped the route that you recommended on a previous post (Carmarthen, B4300, Bethlehem-Trecastle*, Brecon, B4558 Gilwern, Usk B4235 Chepstow) - although in reverse. Are you on ridewithgps.com? would you mind checking it for me?

PWA your route looks great - I've mapped it and saved it and will do it on the way back as my day 4 or 5

Total route is coming in at around 544 miles without the hotels added in which usually adds a bit

I've mapped two options at the moment: a 5 day route at around 110 miles per day, and a 4 day option at around 136 per day

Need to sleep on that, look at hotels and then twiddle the route a bit

Thanks both

Still open to hints and tips though

Regards

Martin

[stuartjackson99]

I wonder if I might but in and ask a supplementary question to the Wales experts.
I am planning a more sedate ride down Wales and would appreciate any comments on the route, in terms of traffic, which I want to avoid, and hills, which I know are inevitable but as I am going for pleasure not pain I want to minimise.
Looking at small scale maps and keeping to brown and yellow roads with a few exceptions I propose to pass through the following
Llandudno
Llanrwst
Y Bala
Minllyn
Llanbrynmar
Llanidloes
Rhayader
Builth Wells
Brecon
and on to the Severn Bridge.
Apologies for any spelling mistakes.
Looking at around 60 miles per day.
.

[davetb]

With those sort of distances I suspect that you will won't to stay on main roads; but from Machynlleth sustrans route 8 is tarmaced all the way to Dolgellau and is much more peaceful. Then the back road up towards Trawsfynydd is great and you can visit the forestry cycling centre with cafe (short bit of forest track) or take good back road loops and end up at Traws. I would take in Llanberis (Petes eats cafe) but not bother with the coast, you are never far from the noise of the A55, but Betws y Coed is ok (touristy) and the A5 out of Wales is ok, and you could divert to Bala and go over the Berwyns to Shrewsbury or Oswestry (which is nicer and nearer)
A lot of the main roads are the really the only route for heavy traffic and so get a lot of fast use, the side roads are much quieter
Have a great trip

[mnichols]

Thanks Dave. Valuable advice

[davetb]

Stuart. Take the west side of the Conwy from Conwy town to Llanrwst and on to Betws y Coed. To get to Bala I would suggest A5 and then the back road in from either Pentrefoelas B4407 through Ysbyty Ifan or B4501 from Carrigydrdion. If you take the first one there is a back road to the south of Llyn Celyn which is nice.
If you are happy to miss out or drop down to and then back up there is a good route above the Conwy from Colwyn Bay B5113 all the way to Pentrefoelas (nice cycle friendly cafe just over the road from the pub)
Hope thats of some use )