planning a wales end to end for a weeks adventure in September.
train to Cardiff and back from Llandudno.
looking for a nice route north out of Cardiff, or is the taff trail the way to head?
cheers
The taff trail will get you out of Cardiff to the north. It's in great surroundings but the trail does head through some rough areas. It will get you out to Brecon though if that's where you want to head.
It's a bit like the TPT around Wakey/Barnsley so you'll be used to the surroundings no doubt.
The wife did an ultra run last year from Brecon to (almost) Cardiff and I cycled from the finish to meet her somewhere around Talybont res.
Once you get top side of Merthyr it's getting out into the open country and it's great out there you just have to ride through some not so great areas to get there.
I'm sure there will be a few locals to give you better advice.
Depends what you want. If touring, then the Taff Trail is probably best.
If you want off-road then there are much better options going over the mountains to Merthyr. But it's hilly, steep and some singletrack is involved although there are some cracking scenic tracks on the tops.
But you could combine lanes and the tracks to get the best of both worlds - but again, it's steep 🙂 I have plenty of route options for you depending on where you want to end up, how quickly you want to end up there and how tired you want to be when you do.
40-50 mile per day would be good
lanes and offroad would suffice
hills are not a problem
full 7 days to get back from cardiff
Taff trail to Nantgarw
Up the mountain past the radio masts to the pub (Rose and Crown iirc) then over the track past Twyn Hywel then down the track/road into Nelson
Then you have a choice of heading East towards Penpedairheol and going on that road along the mountain all the way to Gelligair common/Pen y Bank, coming down through Nant-y-Ffin (not been that way but is mostly road); or you can go West to Trelewis and then up onto Cefn Merthyr and onto Merthyr common, which I really enjoy. Lovely views, even better if you look behind you.
In both cases you end up at a little roundabout on the dual carriageway, you'd have to go across that and through Merthyr. You can either go down to pick up the Taff Trail again or head straight through - a local will have to tell you if any of that is too rough to advise, although it's probably fine.
From there, head up to Pontsticill and when you get past the reservoir you have three choices - the Gap, the Taff trail or the Bryn Ore tramway. The Taff Trail is incredibly dull, I hate it - the tramway isn't a brilliant descent by any means but it's nicer (although less weatherproof, rougher and more or less big tyre only) and is just above the Taff Trail on the hillside. They both come out in Talybont where you'd take the canal to Brecon; the Gap requires some lanes to get to Brecon.
Some of those trails are quite rough so if you are laden touring-style you'll need big tyres and strong racks. If you aren't, then you'd probably be ok on chunky gravel tyres.
You're not planning on coming to Cardiff without inviting those of us who live and ride here to meet up and escort you for the first few miles, are you ton?
SaxonRider, I was gonna ask for a local escort out of Cardiff, but I thought everyone would think I was a big softy........ ;o)
always up to meet and ride with folk mate.
70km to Brecon if I follow your route molgrips.....a good first day.