raybo

In the second week of September, 2014, I rode across Wales, north to south on the Lon Las Cymru, a signed Sustrans Bicycle Route. The 9-day ride started in Holyhead, on the northern tip of Holy Island in northern Wales and ended in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England where an in-law lives. The ride from Holyhead to Chepstow in southern Wales, took 6 days.

As you'd expect, I saw lots of trees, pastureland, farm fields, rivers and sheep. I also did my share of short, steep climbs, making my way up a 25% grade at one point. While I occasionally had serious pain in the my thighs and deviated from the signed route to avoid the steepest climbs, I enjoyed the ride. Good weather helped, as did getting hosted for several night's stay.

I've written a detailed journal of the ride with dozens of photos for those interested.

nun

Wales is a wonderful and mystical country. It's easy to feel you are miles and centuries away form here and now. I've had great times in Aberystwyth and the Hay-on-Wye book festival.
If you want to tour in Europe, then Wales should be right up there.

vsopking

Hi raybo,

Nice journal you made. I enjoyed reading it and liked the photo's.
Last year I went to Ireland (by car) and it struck me how dangerous some roads looked for cyclists.
Off course coming from The Netherlands, this may be due to me not fully used to driving on "the wrong side of the road".
Anyway, the gorgeous landscape we crossed by car, looked tempting enough to cross by bike.
Thanks for your report.

raybo

I try to stick to the smallest lanes I can when riding in the UK. But, even those now have traffic as cars and trucks using GPSes are finding their way onto all kinds of roads. Also, in the 10 years I've been going to the UK annually (to visit family), it sure seems to me that more and more cars are on the roads. I see it as the UK becoming more like the US!

The Sustrans routes attempt to keep cyclists off roads as much as possible. This means taking riders on tiny roads that might go up and over a steep grade versus a more moderate route that might have some cars on it. That is a choice every rider has to make.

Many UK roads have a deadly combination of no shoulders and hedges along the sides which makes for scary riding. I always wear a mirror when I am riding and find it very useful in the UK. These days, I simply pull off the road if I see a truck or a long line of cars bearing down on me.

Riding on busy A roads in the UK is madness.

rumrunn6

nice job!

djb

Thanks ray for putting that all down.

rifraf

I'm hoping to get to the UK in the next two years.
I want to visit my Aunt in Cardiff
and hopefully spend some time cycling Cornwall and Devon.
I'm looking to ride from Heathrow and follow some canal paths but will go check out your site.
Thanks for sharing.
I lived in the village of Buckingham for a while and got to ride the local area.
I always feel a bit of nostalgia when seeing programs like Morse/Lewis showing off Oxford etc which fed me a staple of English countryside to ride and pubs to try and drink dry.
Its been a couple of decades now since I was last there.
Having also lived in Ireland, I share vsopking's view that the roads and driving are rubbish.

capejohn

It was fun you join you on your ride across Wales. Very groovy journal.