# Lon Las Cymru



## WelshYiddo (30 Sep 2008)

Firstly hello.

I'm fairly new to cycling having got my bike out of the shed this summer after it had gathered dust for 5 years.
My grand plan is to cycle the Lon Las Cymru route (probably starting in Caernarfon rather than Holyhead) for charidee next Easter with my 16 yr old son. 
Now I was doing OKish on my training at the start of the summer - 25-30 miles on a saturday and 15 miles on a tuesday and thursday. Then I (quite embarrasingly) tripped on the framework for some decking I was doing and smashed my leg. Black from top of thigh to bottom of calf and no cycling until last week (also knackered my shoulder in the meantime - I really am a clumsy knob!). So I am now very gradually building things up, doing an hour at a time and really bloody feeling every turn of the wheel!

I'm determined to do the ride though for a number of reasons; spend a bit of quality never to be forgotten time with my boy, the chairty is Asthma UK which is very close to my heart and just cos I really want to while I still can.

I know its not an epic journey but for me and my crap legs/lungs it will be far enough.

So my questions are:
Any training tips?
Anyone else done it and want to share their wisdom/experience?
Is it advisable on my 6 yr old hardtail MTB? Would a hybrid be easier?
What were the names of the two old men in the balcony on The Muppet Show?
Should I give up and settle for a life of Sky Sports & Strongbow?

Sorry this is a bit longwinded for a first post but at least you know a bit about me now!

Ta.


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## Danny (30 Sep 2008)

Welcome. 

Don't know the Lon Las Cymru route, but my experience of cycling in Wales is that it is all hilly!

However you should have no problems if you can get back to cycling 30 miles each weekend. Just build it up slowly - you've got plenty of time before Easter.

I would definitely consider getting a hybrid or touring bike if you are mostly going to be going on roads you find it a lot easier on your legs and lungs. Alternatively you could fit road tyres to your MTB but it will still be heavier to ride than a bike designed for road riding.

When you are planning your ride I would suggest that you aim to cover 40-50 miles a day, particularly if you are carrying your own gear. You can cover that sort of distance at a pretty leisurely pace, and have plenty of stops for refreshments, etc.


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## Cathryn (1 Oct 2008)

Vernon's done it, I believe, and loved it. If you put lon las cymru in the search engine, you should find it!! It looked fab.


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## Kirstie (1 Oct 2008)

I've done the bottom half from Cardiff to Machynlleth in a couple of days. Mid wales is extremely hilly, the run in to cardiff is on canal tow path or converted railway and so the gradient is fine. We were doing around 50 miles a day. The way to work out what to do training wise is to think about the number of days you want to ride it in, and then the number of hours riding per day it would take to cover the distance required on a loaded bike (maybe 10mph for 5 hours or something like that?). In your training make sure that you can ride comfortably for that amount of time and feel no ill effects the next day, cos you'll have to get up and do it all over again! 

You could do it on an MTB with slicks
One of the muppet balcony guys was called Waldorf. 
And there's nothing wrong with Strongbow.


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## scook94 (1 Oct 2008)

WelshYiddo said:


> [snip]
> What were the names of the two old men in the balcony on The Muppet Show?
> [snip]



Assuming this isn't a rhetorical question, then the answer is Stadler and Waldorf.


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## sadjack (1 Oct 2008)

I did it in August camping along the way. Was my first experience and the hardest cycle ride I have ever done! But also the most rewarding, its a challenge, the hills in north and mid Wales are killers, but you'll get a huge sense of achievement when u get to Cardiff. 

I have since joined my local CTC (Cycle Touring Club) and ride with them. I would advise you to do the same. They will have great knowledge of your area and cycle touring all over the place, and the miles u put in with them will stand u in good stead for ur plan.


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## vernon (1 Oct 2008)

WelshYiddo said:


> I know its not an epic journey but for me and my crap legs/lungs it will be far enough.
> 
> So my questions are:
> Any training tips?
> ...



*Training Tips:*

Keep on getting the miles in. You'll be fit enough on the day with regular outings.

*Route:*

Decide if you want to camp or B&B then plan the stop over points.

You should do Anglesey too it's a very pleasant bit of the ride and not at all challenging.

Lon Las Cymru is probably the most challenging of the Sustrans mapped routes but is manageable by all of moderate fitness. There's no shame in resorting to 24" gearing (two feet) when a hill gets to be too much and only one climb, see below, beat me at 20+ stone plus camping gear.

I deviated from the route in places and visited the steam railways at Porthmadoc, Tallylln and near Brecon. The final stretch from Brecon is on the Taff Trail and is mostly on disused mineral railway track beds. 

*Bike:

*Should be fine if fitted with slicks. You'll need mountain bike gearing for the mountain road between Machynlleth and Llanidloes this is the most gruelling stretch on the route though the view from the summit is very nice from the Wynford Vaughn-Thomas monument. I ahd several lengthy pushing sessions on this stretch of road and a couple of roadies that passed me just as I left Machylleth warned me of the climbs ahead and confessed that they had never conquered the full stetch without stopping for a breather and pushing.

If you are happy with day rides on your current bike then there's no need to for another bike though I've always failed to convince myself with that argument and currently have a stable of four bikes with another in gestation 

*Strongbow:*
I had a can or two each evening after my meal at the camp sites.

You wiill enjoy the ride. It is a good one.


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## palinurus (1 Oct 2008)

I did it on the back of a 17 mile round trip commute, little in the way of longer rides (I ride a lot more now tho'). I have used an MTB (steel, rigid, slicks on it) for touring in some of the areas the route goes through and it was a fine touring machine (Lon Las Cymru proper was done on an Airnimal Joey).

It's a really nice ride.


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## WelshYiddo (2 Oct 2008)

Ta very much for your all your replies. What a nice site this is - full of lovely, helpful people 

Its nice to hear some positive comments although I keep coming across "hardest ride I've ever done" type stuff on the net which doesn't particulalry fill me or my unfit body with much confidence!

I'd still appreciate any other advice/info......keep it coming ladies and gentlemen.


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## sadjack (2 Oct 2008)

Dont let my "hardest ride I've ever done" comment put you off! 

I'm an unfit 49 year old getting back to cycling and only just starting off touring so to be honest not so long ago a trip down the off licence on the bike was the hardest.

I thoroughly enjoyed the ride and would recommend it to anyone.

I learnt a lot too.

1. Pack your bags well in advance. Then look again at what you've got. Do you really need all them clothes?

2. Look at all your kit. Where are you staying? Where will you eat? I camped and walked to the nearest pub at night for a meal and a pint. I carried cooking kit and food that only added to the weight and was hardly used. Think hard about what you need and bin the rest.

3. Have a good look at your route. If you follow the signs they take you on little used roads up steep mountains, especially around Harlech, Dolgellau and Mycynlleth. Some cant be avoided though. 

4. Ride as much as you can before you go and again I would look to join your local CTC. Since joining mine I have met cyclists with decades of experience of cycle touring all over the world and their advice and encouragement have really got me enthused.

5. Try and have a shorter "shake down" ride. I had planed to ride the Lon Cambria from Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury via the Elan Valley but cancelled because of a family funeral, I really feel that this would have saved some "pain" over the things I carried and the weight of the bike!

In all just go for it. You may suffer a bit on the steep *UP* bits, you'll grin like a kid on the steep *DOWN* bits and feel really self satisfied with yourself when you finish.

As the guidebook says "Challenge The Dragon" 

Have fun


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## Carwash (5 Oct 2008)

Is this helpful? http://www.ex-parrot.com/~pete/cycle/ridethedragon.html


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## ruthe (16 Oct 2008)

Did it in 07 after only about 6 months training a coupla times a week. Was amazing experience, some killer hills but well worth the views. I mainly stayed in youth hostels which were comfy and friendly (and sold local beers!).

Biggest mistake was packing too much into my panniers (us ladies never learn) and having to post some home after day 1! I'm planning Ireland next and going lightweight 

I used a hybrid for it, 700 wheels give more speed etc on the flatter long bits but some of those hills are mean and MTB gear ratio would have been nice! Go with what your comfy with but I would recommend an adjustable stem on the MTB so if the back gets tired you can adjust the arrangement. I did plenty of long distance rides on my 10 yr old giant ATB!


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## inaperfectworld (19 Oct 2008)

i did it with my then 16 year old son about 9 years ago, both of us beginners and pretty clueless on bikes. i had done little more than w/e riding about 20 miles, so not much training. we had mountain bikes with knobblies and did builth wells to holyhead. did about 20 miles a day the longest 30; basically managed most of the uphill in bottom gear, but when we couldn't we pushed. thoroughly enjoyed it set me off on touring. by the following year at 17 years my son was doing other things, but tells me now what a great time he had. only bit i didn't like was holyhead, which feels a rather run down port.


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## vernon (20 Oct 2008)

inaperfectworld said:


> only bit i didn't like was holyhead, which feels a rather run down port.



Be thankful then that you didn't go through Merthyr Tydfil. Holyhead is luxurious in comparison.


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## sadjack (20 Oct 2008)

Vernon, for someone who has his location as "Meanwood" thats some statement!!!


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## Plax (20 Oct 2008)

I'm very tempted to do this myself (I'm basically at the Northern start anyway!). However none of my friends would do it with me (most are married with kids, too lazy etc), and my boyfriend refuses to look at a bike let alone get on one. So has anyone done this on their own, particularly if they are a lady? I don't really have all that much or a problem doing it myself but know that my boyfriend would near enough refuse to let me out of the house and have the backing of my dad if I said I was going off galavanting on my own on a bike for several days. It's bad enough when I go out after dark on my own (I get the "I wish you wouldn't do that it's not safe etc etc spiel from the pair of them). So if I can have some evidence to suggest the probability of getting knocked over / kidnapped / murdered etc is extremely low I might get a bit less nagging.

Hard to believe sometimes that I'm a full grown adult with my own home .


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## Kirstie (20 Oct 2008)

Plax said:


> I'm very tempted to do this myself (I'm basically at the Northern start anyway!). However none of my friends would do it with me (most are married with kids, too lazy etc), and my boyfriend refuses to look at a bike let alone get on one. So has anyone done this on their own, particularly if they are a lady? I don't really have all that much or a problem doing it myself but know that my boyfriend would near enough refuse to let me out of the house and have the backing of my dad if I said I was going off galavanting on my own on a bike for several days. It's bad enough when I go out after dark on my own (I get the "I wish you wouldn't do that it's not safe etc etc spiel from the pair of them). So if I can have some evidence to suggest the probability of getting knocked over / kidnapped / murdered etc is extremely low I might get a bit less nagging.
> 
> Hard to believe sometimes that I'm a full grown adult with my own home .




I have toured on my own - did the C to C and it was fine when out on the road. B&B owners were very welcoming and caring - I told them when I booked that I would be arriving on my own and they generally looked out for me and helped me with things, and generally people treated me with respect. The scary parts were walking into pubs I'd never been in before on my own, but if I sat at the bar, I got chatting to the bar person and the people around me and it was OK. I surprised myself, actually. On one occassion I had to stand up for myself when some nutter threw my stash of painkillers onto the fire but i was polite and assertive and everything was OK. 

The worst part was in Whitehaven when a restaurant refused to serve me and threw me out. I walked in on my own and sat in the reception of a near-empty chinese restaurant for 20 minutes, with staff ignoring me. When I walked to the back of the restaurant, the waiter promptly asked me my name and handed me a takeaway menu. I asked for a table for one. The (chinese) manageress snapped at the waiter and told him the restaurant was fully booked - it was practically empty - and then wouldn't look me in the eye. I could scarcely believe it. I think it was because I was wearing 'outdoor' clothes and no make up. Perhaps she thought I was lowering the tone or something. In any case I was treated like a leper.


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## Angelfishsolo (20 Oct 2008)

LMAO. I cycle through Merthyr quite a bit on the NCN 8 trail. I know what you mean.



vernon said:


> Be thankful then that you didn't go through Merthyr Tydfil. Holyhead is luxurious in comparison.


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## WelshYiddo (28 Oct 2008)

vernon said:


> Be thankful then that you didn't go through Merthyr Tydfil. Holyhead is luxurious in comparison.


There's worse places in the world than Merthyr; Helmand Province, Darfur, Chechnya......

Thanks once again everyone for advice/tips/encouragement.

At the moment training is non-existent apart from going for a run with the dog, and when I say 'run' I suppose 'gentle jog for a mile and a half' would be more correct. Just can't find the time/motivation to get the bike out. Sad and slack I know!

Still want to do it though and if anyone else has any comments I'd love to hear them.


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## meic (8 Feb 2009)

I intend doing it, I prepared a route last year. I would like to do it this year but not sure if I should take another 6 days off leaving the wife to look after the baby on her own.


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## sadjack (8 Feb 2009)

hi meic

I am going to do it again this year. Last year was a very wet and grey few days and I promised myself to do it again to see all the sights I missed!

Been thinking of doing it to coincide with the CTC Welsh Festival of cycling so that I have a distraction half way at Rhayader.


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## Danny (8 Feb 2009)

meic said:


> I intend doing it, I prepared a route last year. I would like to do it this year but not sure if I should take another 6 days off leaving the wife to look after the baby on her own.


Going off on long cycle rides was one of the thing's I had to curtail when my son was little, but I always figured I would have plenty of time to make up for it later on. This was a good decision, as I would hate to have missed out on him growing up, and now he's bigger he comes cycling with me.

Personally I think that you should only go off cycle touring on your own for 6 days if you're prepared to let your wife have a holiday on her own at some point while you stay at home with the baby.


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## Cranky (8 Feb 2009)

I did this from Holyhead to Cardiff in 2007 in pouring rain. Like other previous posts I would say, without hesitation, that it was the hardest route I've done (including C2C) and probably would have been even without the atrocious weather. I'm fairly experienced with touring but even with mountain bike gearing and relatively light panniers I had to get off and push up some hills.

We stayed in guest houses which were, in general, hospitable. The final run into Cardiff was great (the only dry day we had), along the Taff Trail, and I can thoroughly recommend the Turkish restaurant on the marina.

If serious about doing this route I'd get some training in if I were you, it's not a beginner's ride and many stretches are very isolated.


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## vernon (8 Feb 2009)

Cranky said:


> I did this from Holyhead to Cardiff in 2007 in pouring rain. Like other previous posts I would say, without hesitation, that it was the hardest route I've done (including C2C) and probably would have been even without the atrocious weather. I'm fairly experienced with touring but even with mountain bike gearing and relatively light panniers I had to get off and push up some hills.



It's hilly there's no doubt about it as the route cuts through the Cambrian Hills, Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons. I only had to get off and push on the climb from Machynlleth to Llanlidoes - this was the toughest section of the entire ride. The compensations are the tremendous views and the subsequent descents.


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## meic (9 Feb 2009)

Dont worry Danny, I am a househusband. I am the one who gets to spend most of the time with the little one. Last month 2/3rds of my riding was with her in the trailer.
The wife has her little trips away too. 6 days is the most I could bear to be away from the little one.


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## Danny (9 Feb 2009)

Oops - sorry for my some crass assumptions 

Funnily enough I was wondering whether you could take the baby with you in a trailer, but I suspect doing the whole route that way would be a little arduous.

You could do three days this year and then three days next year - which is what I'm considering, though mostly because of shortage of holiday time.


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## meic (10 Feb 2009)

Only four days of the six would be doing the ride. The other two would be getting there and back.
I have already cycled a few bits of it on different occasions, I wanted to do it as a unit.
When I did the Taff Trail part of it (Brecon-Cardiff) I was quite annoyed at the various bike traps and gates on the route. With the trailer, I would have to unhitch, unload, carry trailer and contents seperatly over obstacles then reassemble. Unless any passers by fancied helping me.

I think attempting that ride with a toddler in a trailer would be a real test of my hill climbing ability, even with my 20" gears.


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## vernon (10 Feb 2009)

meic said:


> When I did the Taff Trail part of it (Brecon-Cardiff) I was quite annoyed at the various bike traps and gates on the route. With the trailer, I would have to unhitch, unload, carry trailer and contents seperatly over obstacles then reassemble. Unless any passers by fancied helping me.



The bike traps are still there and they spoil the Taff Trail. I think that all the traps were installed at the insistence of the local authorities as a condition of them supporting the trail.


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## JonWales (11 Nov 2009)

*Newport to Holyhead... lon las cymru!*

Hi me and my brother have began training for this route. We plan to do it over 3 days, though to be honest we havent got any experience of it. We're doing this ride for 2 very worthwhile charities, and have got to get to holyhead in 3 full days cycling from Newport. Is 3 days possible?? Any training advice also would help, we re leaving on the 25th!! 
Cheers guys.


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## Banjo (11 Nov 2009)

I am thinking of doing Lon Las Cymru North to south next year. I have done the Southern section a couple of times allready .

My question to those who have done it is is it better to stick to the route or just use iot as a guide and plan your own days? I klnow on the Southern bit there are some bits that you could avoid such as the diversion out into the woods by the Pontsticill Reservoir.

My plan is to do it in 5 or 6 days riding 40 0r 50 miles per day.I dont want it to turn into a long hard slog ,need a bit of time to enjoy the scenery ,have a beer etc.


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## sadjack (13 Nov 2009)

Banjo if you follow the route it will take you over some steep hills which are quite taxing. The worst for me were above Harlech and the road out of Machynlleth to Llanidloes as Vernon has said earlier.

I am sure you can avoid them but to be honest they are well worth the effort.

I did it in five stages, Holyhead to Llanystumdwy, Llanystumdwy to Machynlleth, Machynlleth to Rhayader, Rhayader to Brecon then Brecon into Cardiff. Good camp sites and good pubs  (Oh apart from arriving in Machynlleth and finding that the camp sites were under water and I had to find a B&B.....but it all adds to the adventure)

I did a bit of a report if you want to see it, http://docs.google.com/View?id=dfgbzgjn_1d7wt6fd6

One thing it taught me was to practice taking your tyres off in case of a puncture!! The tyres on my bike are sooooo tight they fight me every time 

At the end of the day just get out there and do it. You'll enjoy 

PS dont let my melodramatics in the report put you off, I am 16 stone and very unfit so it was a challenge !


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## shirokazan (13 Nov 2009)

vernon said:


> It's hilly there's no doubt about it ...I only had to get off and push on the climb from Machynlleth to Llanlidoes - this was the toughest section of the entire ride...



Vernon, how much luggage were you carrying? In other words, was it a B&B tour or a camping one?


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## Banjo (13 Nov 2009)

sadjack said:


> Banjo if you follow the route it will take you over some steep hills which are quite taxing. The worst for me were above Harlech and the road out of Machynlleth to Llanidloes as Vernon has said earlier.
> 
> I am sure you can avoid them but to be honest they are well worth the effort.
> 
> ...



Just had a read of your site, sounds like thje weather gods had it in for you.Dont short sell yourself ,you cant be that much of a couch potato to do 60 odd miles most days in bad weather.

I had a poke around Cardiff Bay looking for some sort of sign to mark the end of the route after cycling down the bottom bit from Brecon but ended going round the bay area in a complete circle still following the signs :-)

PS a headtorch is fair enough but I think I could manage without a table??


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## palinurus (13 Nov 2009)

sadjack said:


> The worst for me were above Harlech..



Eeesh.

I went the other way around (still hilly, but longer and less steep I reckon).

That hill near Harlech looked like a bastard. It was bad enough going down.

Better than following the flat bit along the coast at that point though.


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## ComedyPilot (13 Nov 2009)

Mmmmmmmm

[ponders it]

One for the list, I suppose.


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## vernon (15 Nov 2009)

shirokazan said:


> Vernon, how much luggage were you carrying? In other words, was it a B&B tour or a camping one?



It was a camping tour. Two panniers carried everything inc tent, sleeping bag and sleeping mat. Weighing in at 22 stones meant that I was not unduly concerned about the odd kg here or there in the panniers


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## vernon (15 Nov 2009)

ComedyPilot said:


> Mmmmmmmm
> 
> [ponders it]
> 
> One for the list, I suppose.



It is a nice ride and worth doing.


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