Hi all,

Being Welsh I proudly promote my country to all of you adventurers who dont have too much spare time on your hands.

If you are looking for a weekend trip then look no further than mid and south Wales. The scenery is fantastic with everything from stunning coastline to beautiful mountains.

I have posted on here a few times and told of my plans to do some european touring next year, but in the meantime i get some great experience on ride outs from home. There are plenty of campsites and small hotels in Wales and some excellent 'A' roads and Wales is not too far away from most places.

I have tried to post photos on this thread but i cant do it.....help please

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'Never worry about things that YOU cant change'

Sorry can't help with the photo's but living in the middle of It I've got to agree.
Though I will add that although the A roads are great there are tonnes of fantastic Bs Cs and Unclassifieds not to mention the unsurfaced lanes but you 'll have to be quick with those before all the facists close them like the mid wales bike show the police cancelled 'cos we all go around bustin caps in each others ass.
Rant aside it's a great place for a shakedown trip on rough (rather than mud plugging) roads.
Cheers

Couldnt agree more, i am from Shrewbury and most weekends have a trip over the border, great roads and scenery!!!!

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Yip, just did a trip round ireland and the little bit of Wales from Shrewbury to hollyhead was fantastic! cant wait to do mid and south!
So whats your favorite route then?

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVkdWnRKs4k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSo4j...eature=channel

I love wales and spend most of my off roading time in wales... tho it can be wet!

I live near an A road which is only minutes from the mountains so I generally head toward Rhigos on the A4061 which takes me into the Rhondda Valley and over two wonderful mountain passes and then on to Brecon via Penderyn and the A470 for the last few miles into Brecon.

At Brecon I head towards Sennybridge and Llandovery on the A40 which is a really scenic road with great sweeping bends and little traffic. This route is through the heart of the Black Mountains. If you continue on the A40 it will take you all the way to Fishguard in the west but i generally change direction at carmarthen and head up the A48 and then a short stint on the M4 until Briton Ferry wher i pick up the B4286 and then the A4107 through the Afan Valley which takes me right back to the top of the nearest mountain to my home on the A4061.

This is a convenient route of about 4 hours with stops and is really enjoyable, of course being local i know many other 'roads' which only local knowledge will give you which can enhance this route.

From Brecon the whole of Wales is easily accessible but the above route is my personal fave when riding out from home.

Anybody else have any good routes?

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'Never worry about things that YOU cant change'

Great photo of the bike in the wet stuff... I like the headlight under the water.

Croeso i Cymru

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'Never worry about things that YOU cant change'

I've got loads of good routes, and they all involve avoiding merthyr like the plague :P



I particularly like crossing from one valley to the other over the hills, mainly without the use of 'proper' roads..



theres a place on my playground that sounds exactly like 'fecker' not far from pontypridd. Classic!

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Visit my space here
See my photos here

I've driven or riden most of the roads mentioned here: Great Driving Roads in Wales : POINTandSQUIRT

Tim

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"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

Must agree with Wales for a weekend, eiter on a shakedown or not it's nice.

1 draw back though - (sorry had to do it as no one else has just yet) sheep !

What is the next level of "wet"? I presume "Wales" Sorry, not serious... But last year I had intended to do a nice trip all over Wales after the HU meeting. Ripley had - in Wales I nearly drowned

To be fair: I fled back to the continent and got sopping wet there as well. But Wales is still on top of my list. How do you Welsh guys judge that link from Tim? Sounds quite interesting to me.

Hans

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Only when we pause to wonder
do we go beyond the limits of our little lives.
(Rod McKuen)

They're all worth a go, tho i wouldn't expect a lot of riding fun over Llanberis pass unless right outside tourist times, altough i did enjoy hassling someone in a ferrari who was scared of the stone walls.

Ok OK, i wondered when the sheep would get a mention.... dont disrespect the sheep...they dont answer back and never complain when you want to disappear for hours on end on your bike when you have not yet mowed the lawn. By the way the best excuse for not mowing the lawn is that its wet because it has just rained !!With regard to Tims' link, the first route over the A4069 Llangadog is a nice detour off the route that i mentioned in the first post on this thread, you can join the 4069 from Llandovery and follow it right through to its end and then join the A474 to Neath and you are back in civilisation and right on the M4. The viewing point from the top of the mountain pass on the A4069 has great panoramic views for miles around.I have some great photos taken at the view point on the top of the mountain on the 4069 but i cant find out how to post them on here.. I cant copy and paste and i dont seem to have a URL for my photos.. If anyone can help i will put the photos on for you all to appreciate the beauty of these routes.. The routes mentioned in South Wales are so accessible from the M4 that even a good day out can be had within a short time of the midlands or south west.Please advise on photo posting if you can...anyone !

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'Never worry about things that YOU cant change'

Whilst riding may 'favourite route' very early in the morning about three weeks back, I stopped in carmarthen after about 2hrs 15 minutes riding for a cup of coffee and to stretch my legs. I met a fellow biker who had ridden down from Cheshire the night before, camped in the Gower Peninsular (near Swansea) and was proceeding up the west coast of Wales and in to Bettws y Coed. He said he does it annually and then heads accross Snowdonia and eastwards across North Wales and back to cheshire and this takes him three days in total.I cant think of a more pleasant three days ridingI mentioned on here previously that i have been off a bike for 11 years and have only been back in the saddle since last November so i am enjoying exploring the routes close to home at the moment but the urge to venture further afield is getting stronger all of the time.

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'Never worry about things that YOU cant change'

On the Black Mountains in Wales









All taken on the viewpoint on the A4069 which is mentioned in one of the routes on Tims link earlier in this thread. These were taken earlier this month (June) so not really typical summer weather and not a sheep in sight.. BAAAAAAAHH

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'Never worry about things that YOU cant change'