'The British' Permanent Ride
Start:- the Quality Friendly Hotel, Tongwynlais where you may use the toilets, leave luggage and order tea, coffee or breakfast from 7.00am. Arriving by car, at M4/A470 junction 32 take exit $ Tongwynlais, after 100m R into hotel. To book a room at the hotel, 'phone 029 20529988 (try asking for a special weekend rate); Cardiff Youth Hostel is 5km from the start; there are plenty of reasonable hotels on Cathedral Road (A4119 out of Cardiff centre) 6-7km away - list on request.
David Lewis, 12 Ethel Street, Canton, Cardiff, CF5 1EJ. Tel: 029 20384806.
(Down with) The British, Permanent Ride.
START: Quality Friendly Hotel, Tongwynlais, (OS Ref: ST 140 815).
KEY:- Go to/thro places in CAPITALS
L(eft), R(ight), SO = straight on,
@ = at, T = T-junction, TL = traffic lights,
X = crossroads, ex(it), rbt = roundabout,
Unc(lassified main road), $ = signpost,
imm(ediate), opp(osite), thro(ugh), cont(inue),
[alt #m] = height in metres above sea-level.
1: Tongwynlais - Llanfach (26km)
R A4054 from Hotel 0.0
R Unc $ "Castell Coch" 0.9
- cont on lanes climb thro woods 1.5
L@T (no $) cont to climb 3.2
R@T Unc (no $) 4.9
R@T A469 (no $) 5.4
["Caerphilly Mountain" - alt 250m]
1st L lanes (no $) 5.9
- pot holes, gravel, blind bends
R@T (no $) climb thro woods 8.2
SO(A468) urban (no $) 14.9
L past church (no $) climb lane 15.1
R @ top lanes $ Sirhowy Valley Walk 16.8
["Ochrwyth" - alt 200m]
- steep descent:- narrow, poorly surfaced
- keep R, R then sharp L to follow ‘main’ lane
2nd ex Rbt B4591 PONTYMISTER 18.6
1st ex Rbt RISCA 18.9
R@TL PONTYWAUN 22.4
R CWMCARN 23.7
R urban "Gwyddon Rd" 25.7
(by St Luke's Surgery) climb
keep L "Coed Moelfa Rd" 26.1
then R "Llanfach Road"
then L "Bryn Rd" 26.5
{CONTROL} on L, Llanfach Post Office
26.6
2: Llanfach - Talybont-on-Usk (49km)
L@T opp PO "Twyn Rd" cont climb
L $ ‘unsuitable for HGVs’ steep - poor surface
["Mynydd Maen Common" - alt 375m]
- over cattle grid, descend to grass triangle
R lane (no $) 31.9
SO (A472) urban "Herbert Terrace" 32.6
L "Pont Bren" 32.7
R lanes (no $) climb 32.8
sharp L (no $ - imm before
2nd cattle grid) 34.8
{INFO CONTROL- on R at old school
33.4
R @ cattle grid (no $) cont climb 38.3
["Mynydd Llanhilleth" - alt 470m]
- down "The British" (20% gradient)
L @ bottom (no $) 42.7
L@T B4246 (opp "Bel Air") 43.2
- cont to BLAENAVON; imm before Ironworks
L Unc $ "Industrial Estate" 49.0
L@T B4248 $ Brynmawr 49.7
- cont L on B4248 [alt 440m, OCD claim]
3rd ex Rbt BRYNMAWR 55.4
2nd ex Rbt $ Beaufort 55.7
L@T A4047 BEAUFORT 56.3
R B4560 LLANGYNIDR 58.2
[Cefn Onnau - "Llangynidr Mountain"
- alt 516m, OCD claim] - descend to
L@T B4558 TALYBONT-on-USK 68.2
{CONTROL} on R, Talybont Post Office
and Drawbridge Cafe 75.0
or on L, "Water Folk Canal Centre"
near Llanfrynach 80.0
(drinks, cakes and snacks for sale)
3: Talybont-on-Usk - Ystradfellte (36km)
- cont L on B4558
L lanes LANFRYNACH 80.5
L CANTREF 81.3
L $ Brecon 3¼ 83.7
R@T $ Brecon 2¼ 85.4
1st L (no $ - thro woods) 85.
(cross stream) L (no $) 87.3
imm R (no $) 87.4
L (opp "Penstar") 89.1
fork L past "Clwydwaunhir" 90.2
R@T A470 (no $) 93.2
imm L A4215 $ Defynnog 5 93.3
lanes $ Heol Senni 2 97.0
L on descent YSTRADFELLTE 99.4
["Devil's Elbow" - alt 448m, OCD claim]
- descend to {CONTROL} on R,
"New Inn", Ystradfellte; 111.2
on Sat/Sun bar snacks until 3pm
or Post Office on L
If neither open - no. of phone box on L?
4: Ystradfellte - Llangynwyd (51km)
- cont R lanes $ "Waterfalls"
R@T PENDERYN 113.1
1st R A4059 (no $) 115.2
1st R lane (before 30mph $) 116.7
fork R urban (climb to church) 116.8
cont SO lane $ Rhigos 2 117.2
R@T Unc (under flyover) 119.9
L@T $ Hirwaun 120.7
3rd ex rbt A4061 TREHERBERT 122.2
- climb past Tower Colliery (last deep mine in
Wales); pause to buy an ice-cream from R
"Mr Whip" in the lay-by on R: superb views
of Pen y Fan and the Brecon Beacons;
[Mynydd Beili-glas - "The Rhigos"R@T
- alt 482m, OCD claim]
- descend, cont thro Treherbert to TREORCI
R@TL A4061 $ Ogmore/Garw 137.5
L $ "all other traffic" 138.2
R $ Ogmore/Garw 138.4
- climb to "Mr Whipsy" lay-by on L
R A4107 $ Port Talbot 142.9
- cont over highest main road pass in Wales
[Bwlch y Clawdd - "The Bwlch"
- alt 530m, OCD claim]
- descend thro ABERGWYNFI to CYMER
sharp L A4063 MAESTEG 153.4
- climb past Croeserw [alt 300m, OCD claim]
- descend to Maesteg;
R@TL $ "Town Centre" 159.0
1st ex rbt urban (L by market) 159.1
L@T A4063 (to CWMFELIN) 159.3
R urban LLAN 161.1
- climb lane to Llangynwyd
R urban $ Bridgend 162.3
to {CONTROL} on R, "Corner House Inn",
Llangynwyd 162.4
5: Llangynwyd - Tongwynlais (39km)
- cont R urban
imm L@X $ (A4063) 162.5
R@T (no $) 162.6
- descend lane
SO(A4063) urban (no $) 163.7
- follow lane, keeping R @ pub & phone box
L lane (@ grass triangle) 165.9
- gravel on descent to
L@T Unc (opp Pumping Stn) 168.5
L@T A4064 $ Pontycymer 169.6
A4093 $ Ogmore Valley 169.7
- climb/descend, past "Llangeinor Arms" [alt 190m]
R Unc $ Bridgend (A4061) 172.4
A4061 $ Bridgend 172.6
1st L A4093 $ Tonyrefail 173.5
- climb to GLYNOGWR, [alt 194m] descend
- climb past Gilfach Goch [alt 206m] descend
1st ex Rbt B4278 $ Tonyrefail 180.4
R urban TONYREFAIL 181.8
SO@TL RHIWFELIN 182.0
R@T (no $ - cont, lane) 182.9
L@X Unc (Business Park) 187.7
R lane LLANTRISANT 187.9
{INFO CONTROL}
- on L imm before T 189.2
R@T B4595 (no $) 189.3
L@T Unc CROSS INN 189.7
1st ex Rbt $ Pontypridd 190.5
2nd ex Rbt lanes RHIWSAESON 190.6
R@T (no $) 192.2
1st L (no $) 192.4
L@T Unc (no $ - opp stile) 193.3
1st R lane (no $) 193.6
- final climb! (thro woods) [alt 180m]
R@T urban (no $) 196.1
L@T Unc $ Cardiff 196.5
imm L $ Gwaelod-y-garth 196.6
1st ex Rbt B4262 $ Merthyr 18 199.5
2nd ex Rbt A4054 $ Tongwynlais 199.8
keep R thro TONGWYNLAIS 200.0
to {FINISH CONTROL} 201.5
"Quality Friendly Hotel"
At the finish:-David Lewis, 12 Ethel Street, Canton, Cardiff, CF5 1EJ. Tel: 029 20384806.