Hi all. Off to visit the outlaws next week. When we went back at Easter I took my MTB and did a couple of great rides including Afan. UNfortunately they don't have a garage and so my bike had to go indoors, and after a mud related event the MTB is now banned 🙁
So what's a good road ride to do. I can easily string together 30 miles around the gower I guess. Are there any classic loops into the black mountains? Is there a good route to Afan on a road bike so I can stop at the cafe (and at least look at some MTBs). I've been managed around 85 miles on road in the peaks every Sunday so similar length / challenge should be OK 🙂
Any help and gpx s most appreciated .
Col.
Route4 (the celtic trail) will take you into Port Talbot. Afan is not far then. Some may be a little rough for a road bike though
Google for some of the Dragon Ride routes - there will be GPX of them available - I did the 2011 one it went past Afan/Glyncorrwg.
Classic South Wales Road climbs are the Bwlch and the Rhigos (just by the top of the Skyline) - the top loop from the 2011 Dragon (route below) will take you over both.
http://www.sportivescene.co.uk/routes-archive-dragon-ride-2011-gran-fondo-route/
Getting out of swansea towards Neath strikes me as a awkward though - there's some sort of shit cyclepath alongside the Amazon warehouse (presumably Route 4 of the laughably titled National Cycle Network), but I don't know a good route - someone else may be able to help.
Gower roads have the potential to be shocking on a nice day in the school holidays
http://connect.garmin.com/course/852106 up the black mountain is one of my favourite rides around here
Ride through Felindre to the North, over to Garnswllt/Ammanford or through Clydach and over Betws Mountain.
Depending on distance, either back through Gower or if you want a longer ride, go over the Black Mountain.