Got a week in a cottage near Penrice Castle, starting Friday. I’ll probably only get a family pass for one full day of riding, so I want to make the most of it. I like climbs, singletrack, good views – but no mental jumps or downhilling, as I’m on a cheap hardtail. A decent pub lunch in the middle wouldn’t hurt either.

What would you good people recommend? 😉

Thanks

See that button up there ^ the one that says “Trail Guide”.

Click that, Click South Wales, Click the blob on the Gower and choose the route that suits you best.

Some brilliant riding there but sadly I’ve always been with a mate who’s a local and couldn’t recreate the route – certainly I remember riding along the ridge along the middle of the peninsula with the big grassy, steep DH down to the Rhosilli campsite.

I reckon the 4 hour route comes within a mile of your cottage, and will get you to the seaside for lunch.

Cheers Big John – should have looked a bit harder 🙁

Anyone who wants to guide a trio of friendly weekenders (even if we are f88cking blow-ins) would be more than welcome – free lunch, free beers.

I live locally so know most of the trails pretty well. The routes on the trail guide page above contain most of the best riding but miss the stuff further east. I think the best long day out is to start at the east end of Cefn Bryn, and do something like this.
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2875756

Do it in the direction so you descend Llanmadoc hill on the SW. The descent I use off Rhossili down is a bit more mellow than just riding off the end, depends what you fancy.

There’s also a good descent from Penmaen to Parkmill, so you can start there and start off through the woods to the north. If you want extend it further you can include the bridleways further east towards Bishopston.

Lunch in the pub in Llangenith, forget its name but it’s pretty good for food.

PS, that route map’s very rough!

Thanks Brakeswithface – that your Native American name? Great link, I’ll give it a go.

ta

Do it in the direction so you descend Llanmadoc hill on the SW. The descent I use off Rhossili down is a bit more mellow than just riding off the end, depends what you fancy.

I prefer to use the bridleway around the front of Rhossili Down – the climb up is mainly a carry for 500ft vertical, and the DH never really seems worth it.

Lunch in the pub in Llangenith, forget its name but it’s pretty good for food.

The Kings Head, I think. Be careful, it has a reputation for stuff being stolen from the car park, so don’t leave your bikes unattended. Plenty of other good pubs around Gower though.

I agree with most of what Brakeswithface says, but after Rhossili I would tend to ride from Middleton through bridleways over to Burry Green and then back up onto Cefn Bryn, avoiding the south Gower roads as much as possible. (I was down there today, in the car, and all the mental drivers come out when its sunny.)

Using brakeswith..’s starting point, if you go east from Penmaen, drop down the green lane which parallels the south Gower road down to Parkmill, cut up onto the golf course and follow the road around to Pwll Du. Nice technical rocky drop down the bay, rocky climb up the other side. You’ll be following a beautiful cliffy coastline. Then a cheeky footpath down into Brandy Cove – very steep, grassy, straight down into bay. Follow paths out, drop down road to Caswell Bay and up the valley into Bishop’s Wood. Turn left to head back into Gower, right for the fleshpots of Mumbles in a few miles.

If you seriously want a guide, I might be able to get a pass on the saturday morning. Let me know. Always happy to show off my local riding.

I was down that way at Easter and had a grand day out doing the Gower Way (well the bit that’s on the Gower anyway). We were staying in Mumbles, so we took the car up to Rhosilli and I left it with mrs midlife and the crashes who were off to explore Worms Head. Starting from the Worms Head lookout, the ride is up across the side of Rhosilli Down, then all the way across the central ridge of the Gower. Then it heads north and east to finish(or I did) at Gowerton. from there I headed down the Sustrans path and the seafront Sustrans path back to Mumbles. You could easily then do some bay hopping to get back to Penrice. It’s more than two thirds bridleway to a less than a third footpath, so I just walked the shorter footpath stretches and worked around using the OS map for the longer footpaths where it would be a drag. Some cracking riding along there too. Some trail pixies have been busy Clyne woods too, some nice berms and rooty runs. Good food to be had at the beach cafe at Langland, and a top cafe too at Southgate near the car park.

IdleJon – I use the bridleways back from Middleton to, my map is just a bit rough to give a vague idea of what I was talking about, I’ve got a memory map overlay I could email if that’s useful. I don’t think the ascent onto Rhossili Down is too bad if you take the NE route rather than the more popular NW one but the bridleway along the beach is pretty nice too.

The cake at Southgate cafe is legendary.

Oh, and if it rains stay clear of the eastern gower bridleways e.g. bishopston valley, the horses chop it to bits.

If the weather we’ve been having continues I’d keep off the cheeky trails, it’s been absolutely heaving the last few days!

brakes…

lol about the cheeky trails. I’ve always riden them, always will, but tend to avoid Gower when the weather is like this, purely because I find people in the oddest places. Since I’ve been riding MTBs loads of holiday cottages in Gower have been refurbished and I’m always amazed at the attitudes of non-locals who try telling me that I shouldn’t be riding on a particular trail – especially when it’s a bridleway. I always feel a surfers ‘Locals Only’ moment coming on.

Thanks both Brakeswith..and Idle Jon. Might not get a pass of my own until next week – we’re arriving Friday and meeting mates with kids, so Saturday and Sunday will be pubs, beach, food shopping, all that settling in stuff. Plus I’m waiting for my brother to show up from Neath before doing the all-dayer. If you’re really idle and free in the week, a guide would be great.

But the riding sounds great either way – thanks for the help. Is there anywhere near for bike supplies?

I rate Schmoos in Swansea city centre as the best LBS (certainly for service anyhow, not sure about stock), there’s also Wheelies in Uplands in Swansea and Tredz in Llansamlet which might be easier to get to in the car. I usually ring Schmoos and Wheelies if I need something to see who has what, and go to Skyline cycles at Glyncorrwyg for anything else. I’m fairly sure there’ll be nowhere nearer than in Swansea shop wise.

timnwild – tuesday and wednesday are always free for me – I start work at 5pm on those days, if you want a ride…

Hello mate – want to let me know your contact details? my email’s on the profile, or do tim.wildATrazorfish.com

With the weather looking like it is, my pals might be a bit less keen, so some guidance would be even more appreciated.

Thanks