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General Category => Club Runs => Topic started by: Andy H on March 30, 2014, 09:30:34 PM
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Anybody interested in an Easter epic, early start, Monday morning, weather permitting, 100+ miles. Day after Bynea 30 TT, so chance for a recovery ride! LOL ;D
Brackla, Neath, Pontardawe, Black Mountain, Llandovery, (lunch/coffee stop) Sennybridge, Devil's Elbow, Penderyn, Rhigos, Bwlch, Brackla
Thought it's about time we took in some of the excellent riding further afield!
This is probably a 6+ hour ride so would plan to be on the road 7/8 o'clock, I can navigate to Sennybridge but would be great if somebody came along that knew the Sennybridge - Devil's Elbow - Penderyn section.
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Nice idea. I chose the Hereford 25 over the Bynnea 30 however, the date for which clashes. Still might be tempted if its a warm and sunny day
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Fortumately I'm in Spain over Easter but from personal experience watch that junction with the A40 in the Bynea 30!!
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I was looking at The Devils Elbow Route last week and it looks like it would be a nice ride with good weather.
Unfortunately I wouldn't be able to make this one as I believe the 21st is Track Night at Newport.
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Definitely back in time for track night!
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I would make it back in time, maybe, but I don't think my legs would cope :o
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Working again always seems to be when there is one of these rides.
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Weather looking ok for Monday, ( bbc 'sunny intervals' ), planning this, if anybody wants a change to riding the Vale!
http://connect.garmin.com/course/6295061
Plenty of hills and excellent practice for upcoming sportives. Easy pace, just out to enjoy the riding. Coffee stop in Llandovery, fish 'n' chips in Treorchy!
8.00 am start
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Hi Andy. I am pondering against TT in Hereford.
What's your eta back in bridgend (excluding any fish and chips allowance in treorchy :D)?
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Guess it must be at least 6 hours riding, not planning on spending much time on coffee stops, so 2.30 - 3.00 back in Bridgend.
I'm happy to start earlier, also pondering a different route:- http://connect.garmin.com/course/6295146
Start and finish in Storey Arms, happy to pick you up, probably an hour or so quicker doing this route.
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or:- http://connect.garmin.com/course/6303948
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Preference for your option 1. However unless you are keen to get a 100 miler, suggest taking the scenic and shorter old Roman road from the bottom of black mountain to trecastle. There is a garage with a good cafe there for a coffee?
Are others interested BTW? If not I'll need to make up my mind what I'm doing sooner rather than later (which goes against my instincts). After a short spin on TT bike today I am definitely favouring an epic ride Monday at the moment. Got a big lunch planned Sunday to work off too!
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If it will be an easy pace then I would be up for one of the routes on Monday.
If no one will be joining us from west of Llanharan then I would favour the following route as it would be an early start;
http://connect.garmin.com/course/6303948
Which is the other route you mention Rob... scenic Roman Road?
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The original but cutting out langradog and llandovery by cutting across the top between the black mountain and trecastle.
The other 2 routes I am not fussed on because they traverse the south of the beacons/ heads of valleys on busy A roads ... Ystragwynlais, glynneath and all that.
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I'm in work. Can feel the envy welling up already.
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The garage/ cafe I mention is either in Trecastle or Sennybridge...can't remember (possibly the latter). However it makes no difference as we have to go through both if do the roman/ moorland section I was suggesting.
Looking again (its tricky on a phone) I think Andy intends to do the route anti-clockwise...so we'd be going up Black Mountain from the more dramatic side!
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Intention was to do route clockwise, going up the Black Mountain from Brynamman side. (Assumed we needed to go in this direction from Sennybridge for the climb up the Devil's elbow)
Happy to go over old Roman road, did look at it and think it cuts out 7 or 8 miles. Garage is in Sennybridge.
What time start?
Who else is up for it, this should be a great ride?!
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Just popped the man down on the map which goes from Pont-Ar-Llechau to Trecastle and it looks pretty good.
08:00 would be a good start time... especially if the start point is closer to Rob and myself ;D
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Lets do clockwise and enjoy the views on descent from black mountain. I've not been up from the south. Then we do devils elbow in the direction Andy wants to do it and we have the 2 most familiar lumps at the end of the ride...which can be missed if anyone keen to get back or tired (that might be me to get back in time to have an afternoon with my girls). 8am is good. Shall we start at Talbot Green McDonald's or wherever Andy wants to leave car? My street if easier? If others decide they want to ride and live bridgend way, we could pick em up on route.
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Sounds good to me if everyone else is happy with that... that allows me the option to peel off before or after Rhigos and I'm happy to make my own way back from this location if people would like to be back for a certain time.
If this is the case I would suggest Andy parks close to you Rob, I'm not sure if McDonalds have those timed parking cameras which send out automated fines (seem to recall something on watchdog).
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Sounds good to me, I'll come over to yours Rob, for 7.45.
See you Monday
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Should I meet you on the old main road just off the cross inn roundabout?
http://goo.gl/maps/8zbBf
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Yep, by the girl in pink!
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Hmmm, no other takers then?
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Just driven home from the TT in Llandovery, came via Sennybridge, Heol Seni, Ystradfellte great cycling territory!
Quite roads lots of climbing, surely there must be others in the club who fancy a change of scenery.
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Would have loved this but am up cycling in Builth wells with my other half, sorry!!
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Would have loved this but am up cycling in Builth wells with my other half, sorry!!
There's lovely...at least your CYCLING! Take her up lower and upper chapel etc, she'll love it ;)
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To be fair to her... There aren't many horrendous bergs in Wales (& Mallorca!!) I haven't dragged her up! She hasn't left me .... Yet!!! ;D
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Three set off early this morning, cold start but weather promising to warm up. Blasted out towards Neath, via Llanharan, Cefn Cribbwr, Port Talbot with a strong tail wind. Average speed still at 20mph+ by the time we reached Pontardawe. Took a wrong turn and added a few miles by going via Ystradgynlais. This also gave us a taste of the wind we would end up fighting most of the way home.
A short sharp climb at Cwnllynfell, showed up what the tailwind had been hiding, we were all on tired legs! No chance to ponder this too much as Upper Brynamman and the climb over the Black Mountain was soon upon us. For those who haven't been up it, it is rather like the Bwlch climb in gradient and length and equally exposed. Luckily today the wind was across and over the right shoulder, so not hindering too much. Fantastic decent toward Llangadog, we had decided to miss out the 'roman road' as it would be very exposed to the wind, so taking the long way around to Llangadog and Llandovery. Section from Llandovery to Sennybridge took its toll as it was a gradual climb and pretty much into headwind so a coffee and panini in the cafe at Sennybridge was most welcome.
Headed out for what was to be the last climbs of the day, Devil's Elbow and the climb out of Ystradfellte, both steep and by now absolute torture, although Rob seemed as comfortable as usual climbing (apparently it hurts just as much going steady, as pushing himself). Jason and I were in survival mode. :-[
Rhigos and Bwlch were no longer an option and we took the direct route home via Aberdare and the A4054 via Pontypridd.
Great ride, think 'epic' is fair description, weather held out and apart from main road from Llandovery, pretty good on the traffic front.
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Good write up Andy.
The climbs after the panini stop were certainly a struggle for me, but it was a good ride :)
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Devi's Elbow was tougher than I expected but the climb out of Ystradfellte (which was steeper acoording to Rob's Garmin, seemed to be easier!
One thing for sure they all took their toll and I'll sleep well tonight.
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Well done to Jason T - remember Andy and Rob J are Mallorca round the island veterans !
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Thank You Steven ~ New longest distance record on todays ride as well so it was a good day for me.
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Senni valley - wow what a place. Saved us today being surprisingly sheltered by hills to west and east (probably a killer with a northerly or southerly wind mind). Other than a tour of the black mountains sportive yonks ago I have completely overlooked this area until now. Dramatic climbs, long and safe descents and stunning scenery!
Suggestion for a future club run - up a4054 and a470 storey arms and down via defynog. Coffee at sennybridge cafe. Then head back through senni valley. Option to add rhigos and bwlch on return if feeling frisky. Can't be more than 80 miles so doable in a morning.
Great report Andy. Did I mention it was exactly 3 hours until we faced a headwind, It then took just 1 hour and 10 mins for said headwind to murder us all, between llangradog and sennybridge. We never had any more tail wind for the remainder of the ride but the wind was kinder to us than I feared it might be once we turned south.
Thanks both for enticing me from wasting my time driving to a TT I had entered in Herefordshire today... 3 hours in the car and an unsatisfactory couple of minutes over an hour of riding would have been the predictable outcome!
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Just over 80 miles, this route might need work as it goes DOWN Pencoedcae! Definitely something wrong there. ;D
http://connect.garmin.com/course/6335035
Will save for another day.