Good riding roads in Wales

Originally Posted by K

To be honest though, depending on the time of year it can be wisest to ride well within the posted limits... (legal reasoning aside ) but with pony trekkers, hill walkers, caravans, farm vehicles and of course, sheep, round every other corner it can really put your forward observation skills through the wringer.

I sometimes think that all IAM groups should do a tour of either North Wales or Cornwall in tourist season - no better advanced training.

Amen!

Was only day before yesterday I came around a bend on my way to work, opened the throttle gently & whack! Back end out type action because of a cow pat. Luckily I wasn't in a rush, and I'd seen a long line of slight brown running down the middle of the road for about the last half mile.

Didn't see the cow pat until it was too late though. If I'd of been pushing the bike, I'd of probably been off.

Most of the local drivers are OK ish (as in they are predictable), but when you get tourists around this way, that really screws things up. There's nothing worse than someone looking more at a map than the road whilst towing a caravan!

To get you started with some roads, here's two of my loops. Personally, I start this one most of the time from near Caernarfon (or Llanberis):




As for this one, I can hop into the loop pretty much anywhere on the north side, depending on where I'm coming from. Sometimes I ride the above from Caernarfon - Bedgellert, then the below full circle, then back to Caernarfon the to complete a figure of 8:



Generally it all depends on my free time.

I'll dig out others when I get the chance.

Llanberis pass is very nice, going down it, look right up to your left and see the top of snowdon.. and duck while the RAF use your head as low level target practice...
Plenty of roads around there to get lost on... but they are all fun, just make sure you have fuel before you start!

As for South Wales.. Start off at Abergavenny, and you have a host of roads available to you... my usual route is the A40 from Abergavenny to Llandovery, then from Llandovery over to Brynaman as this takes you over the black mountains and some very good roads too! then cut back towards Senny Bridge via the other road over Black Mountains and past Dan Yr Ogof and back along the A40 to Abergavenny..

or you can go from Abergavenny and go through Tretower to Builth via Talgarth.. very twisty roads along there... go from Builth up to Rhayader.. and if you want to, go down the Ellan Valley for a look at the Resevoirs... and try not get lost on the roads around there... again, make sure you have fuel, as if you take a wrong turning you end up on the mountain road to Aberystwyth... and local shops for local people

There is 1000 sheep road, but I think its over rated.... maybe thats because Im bored of it and can do it at 90mph with my eyes closed now.... appart from when theres sheep on it... scares the crap out of me then, and I crawl along at a modest 60ish...

Just found another one on this machine too (must get these files sorted properly!).

If anyone fancies this, my house is on part of this run

Up around the Elan Valley is great, very pretty. Nice quick circcuit from Rhayader around the reservoirs and back to Rhayader. You could cut across to Chepstow, work your way up via Llandovery, Rhayader, Bala, then into the north easy in a weekend and head back Sun eve. The roads are quick as you like.

Maybe you can do the Ellan Valley as quick as you like on your bike.. but my suspension didnt like those roads at high speeds at all trying to follow you around! plus you buggered off half way up the mountain on a track at one point!

though the rest of the roads are good fast ones.. just watch out for plod hiding behind the bushes!

[Viney]

Black mountains

Them be in my back garden

[Luckypants]

N. Wales, pretty much any road.

Thanks again for all the ideas and the maps Baph