Lon Las Cymru

[DaveScouse]

Hi,

I'm planning to explore a good part of this route. I live in Worcester and am thinking of joining it at nearest point to here and heading north.

Anyone familiar with this route. Any tips (places to stay, eat, drink, visit or avoid).

Cheers.

 

[Gixxerman]

The Sustrans website has some details on it.

Here is a LINK to someone who did it.

It looks good. I might have a go at it myself. Looks like a Hybrid or MTB is required though.

 

[DaveScouse]

Thanks for this. I'm doing on it on an mtb.

I'm also going to film it too, partly for work cos I'm a web/multimedia designer and I'm going to map the route too on google maps.

I'm not trying to break any records. Priority is just to get to some amazing places.

Thanks again. I'll post links up here when I set out next month.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

The Sustrans website has some details on it.

Here is a LINK to someone who did it.

It looks good. I might have a go at it myself. Looks like a Hybrid or MTB is required though.

Drop bar touring bike trip for me, but I bypassed the comedy (muddy) coach 'road'

 

[palinurus]

Drop bar touring bike trip for me, but I bypassed the comedy (muddy) coach 'road'

I didn't.

It was comical. Like the worst kind of cyclocross course, but longer.

Back to the OP, most of the route is great- minor roads and good quality paths. There are a couple of sections on Sustrans maps which are labelled -may be rough or muddy when wet- these (relatively short) sections may be impassable on any kind of bike.

It's a really nice route as it goes, plenty variety.

 

[DaveScouse]

Where is this comedy road? Although I'll be on a mountain bike but carrying a fair bit of gear because I'm away for at least 8 days. So don't fancy carrying the bike at all!!

 

[palinurus]

The bit I'm thinking of is between Newbridge on Wye and Llanwrtwl. The A470 runs parallel.

Do you have a Sustrans map? I've got one (northern part- Builth Wells-Holyhead- only) you could borrow if you want, not that I'm going to use it again for a while.

 

[DaveScouse]

Nice of you to offer but I'm going to buy the full map cos I'll be doing different bits at various times.

Good ride though by the sound of it?

 

[palinurus]

I really liked it.

At least the bit I did: I haven't done the whole thing- Builth Wells- Holyhead over three and a bit days. Used an Airnimal folding bike and stayed at B&Bs.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I have done the whole route from Holyhead to Cardiff by MTB. There is one killer of a hill as you near Machynllath but the scenery more than makes up for the pain. Have fun.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I did in two stages, Llanidloes and south, and north wales to Llanidloes with months in between. Wales is lumpy, there is no getting away from it, but with a triple and mtb style gearing everything is do-able provided you don't take the kitchen sink.

 

[DaveScouse]

I am going to be loaded up a bit because I'm filming the ride so I'm carrying a fairly chunky video camera in my back pack. Helmet cam too!

But I'm not racing anyone.

Actually I'm doing a bit of an experiment with social media, google mapping and stuff - it's to do with my work (multimedia designer).

So it should be interesting and hope to generate a bit of a following on Facebook and Linkedin.

Oh, and on here.

Madcap plan or what!!

 

[pshore]

I cycle camped it last year Cardiff to Bangor over 5 days. We diverted from the route via Llanberis (anti clockwise around Snowdon).

Thoroughly enjoyed the whole route, although we did have sun except the approach to Snowdonia. The best bit for me was the hard ascent and the reward of the stunning descent into Machynlleth going northbound (on road). Southbound looked like a beast fully loaded (as angelfish admitted). I reached 70km/h fully loaded near Llanidloes earlier that day.

A low point was two of us falling off on slippery rails of the Ffestiniog railway diagonally crossing the road north of Porthmadog (on our divert off route 8). Resulted in a trashed wheel.

The offroad section was about an hour or two long if I remember. I love MTB'ing but not on a fully loaded Dawes Galaxy. It did avoid the busy main road however

If you have an MTB you'll be passing some trail centres won't you ? Llanidloes to Machynlleth can be done offroad if I recall correctly up to a trail centre. Or, you could probably find some other more remote off road sections as a divert. Perhaps if you are travelling light, the Gap Road in Brecon ? .... but that is very knarly on the descent.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

That is the one I mentioned earlier and yes it is

Southbound looked like a beast fully loaded.