Cardiff to Chester - route advice

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
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RickH
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Joined: 5 Mar 2012, 6:39pm
Location: Horwich, Lancs.

Cardiff to Chester - route advice

Post by RickH »

My tandem stoker wants a challenge to raise funds for Guide Dogs (she's waiting to get one). As she lives in Chester, I suggested Cardiff to Chester and have devised a route - approx 167 miles which we intend to do in 2 days in the Summer.

You should be able to see it on Cycle.Travel here.

We are familiar with the parts up near Chester and I've "pinched" part of the route from my LEJOG GPS track, that I did in 2009 with Bike Adventures (& thank you to the guys there who have kindly confirmed that they are still using the same route and made some suggestions for an overnight stop). I did suggest just keeping going but Clare thought that a challenge too far! :D

The exact start & finish locations within Cardiff and Chester aren't set in stone but I don't expect they will move too far.

The bit I don't know is the first 45 miles out of Cardiff as far as Skenfrith, NW of Monmouth where we join my LEJOG route, and would value any comments.

I've looked at as much of it as I can on Google StreetView and varied the suggested route where I thought an alternative might be better. We don't mind using cycle paths/ shared paths a bit if they have a reasonable surface and avoid busy stretches or reduce the hills (there's a stretch around mile 3 contra-flow on a shared path alongside the A4161, a stretch at St Mellons & a fair bit getting through Newport), we don't mind using somewhat busier stretches of road (the road between Caerleon & Usk looks quite busy on Streetview, even though it isn't a classified road, but it seems to be flatter &/or shorter than alternatives). I did consider going across the Transporter Bridge, partly just because it was there, & going up the other side of the River Usk to Usk mainly on the minor roads that do a dance with the A449.

As I say, any pearls of wisdom form those that know the roads, particularly in the first part, would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Rick.
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
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