Where would you go in Wales with a road bike for a week's training with a road bike? I'm thinking Snowdonia, but really fancy somewhere reasonably quiet.

We go to Talybont-On-Usk in the Brecon Beacons. Living on the south edge of the M25, it's only 2-3 hours in the car.
The riding around there is really good. We usually do a 50 mile ride on the Fri and Sat and then head home on Sunday morning .
Talybont itself is a quiet little village with a few good pubs and a campsite which is fairly reasonable. There's a cafe too but breakfast is cheaper in the pubs and of a similar quality.
If you're interested I can post some routes/pics.

No need to do a week, you can see the whole of Wales in a weekend on a road bike: http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/12-195/

The good thing about Welsh roads is the A roads aren't too busy to ride, unlike most of England.

Snodownia would be good. I have fond memories of descending Pen-y-pass twoards Llanberis at dusk, in driving rain, shivering so hard I had trouble holding the bike straight at ~35mph. :D

Dyffers wrote:No need to do a week, you can see the whole of Wales in a weekend on a road bike: http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/12-195/

:D

It'd make a good week long tour, not just a weekend ride.

Anywhere north of the Heads of the Valleys road and south of the A55 would do for a week. but I'm a fan of Mid Wales - stay in Builth/Rhayader/Llanidloes and you can ride to the Brecon Beacons, Black Mountains, the seaside or Snowdonia. Quiet roads and lovely scenery, plenty of hills to test you out

wow thats some ride.

you could do a C2C but that usually involves busy roads. here's one I did earlier 8-)
http://app.strava.com/activities/3195220

Here are two routes from Talybont:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/117186175

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/117186153

Here's the beauty of a descent from the top of the black mountain down to Hay-on-Wye:


Black Mountain by DKNWHY, on Flickr

Mid Wales down to the Beacons would give you a lot of options. Excellent routes around Rhayader, Cwmystwyth and so on. From Brecon, there's a good ride out to Llyn Brianne and Devil's Staircase over the Sennybridge Ranges - wonderfully remote and very little traffic. Other tough local routes include a climb over Gospel Pass (shown in Dan's pic), descent to Abergavenny and that up the Blorenge and back over Llangynidr mountain.

North Wales is OK, a little busier in my experience, but the scenery is more dramatic.

Thanks, Snowdonia is drawing me, Pen Y Pass and the road up to the PYG Hotel past Llyn Gwynant is a nice climb

But Brecon is most definently easier to get to for me. Right try and find the places mentioned on the OS maps now. :)

Aye, Gospel pass is a cracker ... either up or down (the up/down on the other side is very nice too). Add superb views and the icecream van at the top and what's not to like?

Cool, found this Gospel Pass and have figured out a route. Anything else I should head for in the Beacons?

Just north of the Beacons perhaps, how about a legendary climb called the Devil's staircase?

The route you're aiming for starts at Beulah, east of Builth Wells. Follow the mountain road over the Staircase then some other less legendary but equally stiff climbs to Tregaron. Come back on the reservoir road(s) through the Tywi Forest to Llandovery for extra bonus climbing points.

But Brecon is most definently easier to get to for me

If you do, you're welcome to pop in for a cup of tea

There's a really nice 80-miler I used to do from Brecon that went Brecon - Llandovery - Llangadog - Bryn Amman - Ystradgynlias - Glyn Neath - Rhigos - Penderyn - Storey Arms - Brecon.
Three sizeable climbs: The Black Mountain, The Rhigos and over Storey Arms.

Other good climbs in the area:
Ystradfellte to Sennybridge
Tirabad to Llwyel
Garth to Upper Chapel
Erwood to Painscastle (via Sunny Bank)

Dyffers wrote:Just north of the Beacons perhaps, how about a legendary climb called the Devil's staircase?

The route you're aiming for starts at Beulah, east of Builth Wells. Follow the mountain road over the Staircase then some other less legendary but equally stiff climbs to Tregaron. Come back on the reservoir road(s) through the Tywi Forest to Llandovery for extra bonus climbing points.

Right found that one, one reference I found "The steepest section just after the cattle grid goes straight up at something like 25% and then there are two hairpins at a more sensible 12%", bloody hell the new 21t cassette will be fun

Right found that one, one reference I found "The steepest section just after the cattle grid goes straight up at something like 25% and then there are two hairpins at a more sensible 12%", bloody hell the new 21t cassette will be fun

Oddly I find it's worse hitting it from the other direction, it's still 25% just longer

s8tannorm wrote: Oddly I find it's worse hitting it from the other direction, it's still 25% just longer

Thanks the route I put into Garmin Connect lets me ride it in both directions :?