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I'm going on my holidays to Afan (or Coed Y Brenin but I'd rather go to Afan) and I'm trying to piece together a nice off road route. I'd really like to stay off A roads as much as possible. I'd be grateful for any recommendations of stretches I can link together.
I'm leaving on Sunday and I need to be back at work by 9:00am Thursday. I'll be getting the train back so I'll realistically have 4 days including some riding when I get there and I'll be camping so I don't need hotels etc. Pretty much self sufficient bar the odd petrol station or spar type place to stock up on Dairy Milk and water.
Thanks.
Nice distance. Using sustrans routes? I cycled from Stoke to Cardiff using ncns. Get down to Stafford then the old railway ncn route out to Newport, then Shrewsbury then you can pick up ncn 8 (lan los Cymru) at Welshpool and from there south.
I bet you could pick up the canal somewhere near Macclesfield and then follow that through Congo almost all the way down to Stafford.
Use Sarn Helen to do both Afan and CYB ... just a thought!
[oops - sorry, just re-read and see you only have 4 days - good luck, have fun]
I'd rather ride A roads than canal towpaths and I've done Sarn Helen a couple of times but thanks very much for the suggestions. The Sustrans suggestions might be a go'er. I'll have a look, thanks.
I was looking for something more direct through Derbyshire and into the Midlands - Hereford kind of direction, I think.
Middlewood way to Macc then A road to Congleton (alternative canal bank is hard going), Biddulph way gets you into Stoke, then Trent and Mersey canal is a good surface to Stone. Get on the lanes to Stafford and you can take that disused railway line that jekkyl mentions to Newport. Bit of road and you can then traverse Telford on the Silkin way, and that's as far as I've been - does that leave you pointing in the right direction? Quite a flat route that, no serious hills.
Very helpful Garry, cheers. I can see a route coming together.
If you can get down to Brecon then you can jump on the Taff Trail down toward Cardiff and then the high level NCR47 straight into Afan.