Author Topic: Cardiff to Holyhead: Route 8  (Read 2362 times)

Cardiff to Holyhead: Route 8
« on: 02 September, 2016, 10:24:59 am »
For my annual cycling flit, I thought I’d give Sustrans Route 8 a go.  It’s advertised as one of the toughest, so I chickened out of the wild camping and enjoyed the pleasures of a predictable water source and time saved in not having to look for a pitch.  I added a 50 mile flit around Anglesey onto the end to take the mileage up to 300 in total.

Here’s how I got on…

Friday

Up at 5.30 in the Premier Inn Cardiff.  Set off into soaking rain by 6am.  The forecast was for heavy, persistent rain for the whole morning, so not entirely unexpected.  Headed off alongside the Taff with very few inclines.  Dawn crept in slowly as I was joined by dog walkers, joggers and occasional commuter.

Hit my first mechanical at 8.00.  The rear tyre had been feeling softer and softer and by this time the rim was starting to roll around on the corners.  I’d put the majority of the weight in the rear panniers hoping to minimise the effects of the weight on the bike’s handling at the front, which gave the rear instability something of a here-we-go sensation.  Stopped under a bridge, de-luggaged the bike and set about looking for the hole in the tube.  Nothing.  No deflation, no jet of air.  So I popped another tube in, reassembled the jalopy and headed on somewhat disconcerted by not having been able to find the cause of my puncture.

Cue mechanical #2.  Lying the bike on its side allowed moisture seep down the rear of the GPS and into the port for the SD card.  The unit lost its Landranger maps, then lost the route.  Happily Route 8 is well signposted, so I could tick along without my gps monitoring anything other than speed and distance covered.  By the time I reached Merthyr Tydfil, I’d climbed 1,000 ft, covered 32 miles and worked out my average progress to be a little below 10mph.

Into the Brecon Beacons and up to the highest point of the day (1,430 ft) just past Torpantau Station.  The rain had eased to a light drizzle by this point and it was heartening to see a good 30-40 people alighting the train and setting off for a walk.  There followed a long, swooping drop along a wide track to the banks of the Talybont Resevoir.  Spectacular scenery and the best views of the day.  I left the park at Brecon and climbed up and down to Talgarth. 

From Talgarth the route follows road to the side of the A470, which can be a little frustrating after a long climb and descent, all overlooking a perfectly flat (and mostly empty) main road.  The route sticks to very quiet roads and some tracks with a mix of forest and some open views.  The rain eased in the early afternoon and gave up altogether by about 2pm.

I got a call from the campsite I’d booked for Saturday night.  A storm was forecast and due to their being right on the coast they wanted to know if I’d like to cancel.  There was a hint of well-you-have-been-warned about the conversation, but not having any alternative lined up, I told them I’d be along and see how the situation presented itself.

A repeat of the morning’s rear tyre woes stopped me to reinflate the tyre.  I figured that since it was going down so slowly, I could nurse it along for the afternoon and sort things out properly with a sink full of water at the campsite.  Cue mechanical #3.  In stopping for a second inflation, I noticed the material of my right rear pannier had separated from the backing at the front from top to bottom.  Fortunately I had my stuff in bags inside the pannier so I hadn’t left a trail of clothes and camping accessories.  I managed to bind the whole thing together using the pannier’s cords and some bungies and press on to Builth Wells to find a bike shop.  Located the only bike shop in town (hidden at the back of a yard off the one-way system) who sold everything except luggage.  On to the next bike shop at Rayder, which looked a bit tight for making it by closing time.  I spurned Route 8 for a straight run up the ‘old 470’, which was deserted, as advertised by the first bike shop.  Made it in time, bought the new panniers, transferred luggage, binned the old set and set off to the campsite a mile or two up the road and checked in around 5.30pm.

That evening I tracked down the hole in the inner tube, which was tiny and away from the section of the tyre that would have been in contact with the road.  I can only think that the extra weight caused a bit of shifting around of the tyre, which gave the tube the tiniest pinch.  I patched the tube, reinstalled it and committed to more even weight distribution between front and back.

Friday: 103 miles with 6,600 ft of climbing.

Re: Cardiff to Holyhead: Route 8
« Reply #1 on: 02 September, 2016, 10:25:23 am »
Saturday

The overnight rain eased towards morning so I was able to pack up a wet tent in the dry, which is better than packing up a wet tent in the wet.  The forecast for the day was pretty much light, persistent rain, however having heard the rain start earlier than forecast, I hoped it might end early too.  As planned, I moved some weight from the rear to the front panniers, and off I went.

The rain didn’t hold off for long, so I swished along quiet back roads without any evidence of another living soul around me.  I should have felt fantastic, but in honesty I was anxious.  Worried about the next campsite.  Worried about whether the new panniers would be strong enough and completely waterproof.  Worried about the storm that was forecast.  And a bit annoyed with myself for not having fixed both inner tubes the previous evening.  I was also on the lookout for somewhere to stop and fire up the stove so I could have a cup of tea and a bowl of porridge.  Then I felt my front tyre go a bit spongy.  Then spongier still.  So I stopped, looked for the hole in the tube, couldn’t find it, put a new tube in and continued feeling like an even bigger ass because I was now without a serviceable spare tube.  I was thinking about Googling a B&B for the night and wondering if I might have bitten off a bit more than I could chew.

And so I began my trip into the Cambrian Mountains.  They’re not particularly high, but they’re steep.  The redistribution of the weight to the front panniers had the unfortunate side effect of causing the bike to shimmy, quite violently at times, when the speed veered over 17mph.  Most of the descents would have normally been tackled at somewhere between 20-30mph, so having to keep the brakes firmly engaged to keep the bike stable was a considerable annoyance and did my average speed no good at all.

As the wind picked up and the rain started to break into violent squalls interspersed with light drizzle, the real climbing began.  I started my ascent to the highest point of the day (1,700 ft) a couple of miles on from Dylife and I’m afraid I had to get off and push.  The wind continued to drive from the West and as the sheep cowered in hollows I counted my steps, pausing to recover every 100 paces.  Some joyful graffiti penned on the gate at the top of the hill reminded me that this was supposed to be enjoyable.  I zipped up my jacket and allowed the descent to build my speed.  Cue copious shimmying and my brakes sunk deep into my discs.  I arrived in Machynllech soaked, windswept and exhausted.

I followed the route up into the foothills of Snowdonia, down to the Mawddach and along (into the steaming westerly) to Barmouth where the rain stopped and my sense of impending failure began to abate.  I managed to take out my camera for the first time that day and working out my average pace I set myself an arrival time of 6pm at the campsite which would give me enough time to head inland and wild camp if the campsite couldn’t offer a secure pitch.  I found a bike shop in one of the villages north of Barmouth and bought three new inner tubes.  For the sections north of Barmouth that headed away from the coast I was buoyed along by a tailwind.  In short, things seemed to have taken a turn.

After Porthmadog I left Route 8 and stuck with the A487.  Not a pleasant road to cycle on, but preferable at the time to the climb and descent offered by the minor roads.  After 15 miles of rumbling lorries, caravans and boy racers I finally turned onto the minor roads that led to the campsite on the coast just south of Clynnog Fawr.  With only a few miles to go I was passed by a small car with a bike in the boot.  Over the next hill and the friendliest man in Wales is out of his car and after a chat about what I’m up to.  After 15 minutes or so of friendly banter he let me on my way.  I was at the campsite at 6.  Their storm warning phone-around the previous day seemed to have had the desired effect and the place was pretty empty.  I got put in a sheltered pitch and by 7.30 I was showered and sitting next to my stove.  A burst of rain had me eating my pasta under a tree.  A telephone call with my family was a great lift and I made my bed and lay down feeling a bit more confident about completing the route.

Saturday: 99 miles with 7,180 ft of climbing

Re: Cardiff to Holyhead: Route 8
« Reply #2 on: 02 September, 2016, 10:25:43 am »
Sunday

I woke to a dry day with the wind still strong, but easing.  Packed up and on the road at 6.30, I headed over the modest hills back to Route 8.  My GPS chose that moment to have a complete meltdown and after switching off/switching on, resetting, etc., a complete factory reset brought it back to its senses.

The first 10 miles along Route 8 were a joy, following a repurposed railway line (flat, traffic free) up to Ceanarfon.  The route chops and changes between traffic-free/small roads from Ceanarfon to the Menai Bridge, but is mercifully flat and I largely benefitted from the westerly wind.  A cycle race around Anglesey had attracted some small gaggles of supporters armed with bells who burst into excited whooping and ringing as soon as my fully laden tourer hove into view at which I rediscovered my sense of humour.

The trip across Anglesey was long, wending and windy.  The clouds finally parted and with the knowledge that all I had to do that was fall through my cousin’s door in 9 hours’ time, a lot of my formative worries were dealt with.  The tyres seemed to be holding up and the GPS was behaving itself.  My route didn’t have much above 300ft, but Anglesey doesn’t have a 100 yards of horizontal tarmac to its name.  Up and down I went with views over the sea to Snowdonia (black clouds) and out across the Irish Sea.  I arrived in Holyhead around 12.30 intending to take a short break at the port.  The port is a bit more like Dover than I’d expected, so by the time I got as far as the train station and was feeling quite unwelcome on the roads, I really felt I’d done enough Holyhead and turned my wheel East for the 50 mile route around the West and North coasts of the island to arrive at my cousin’s house close to the easternmost point.

The weather held through most of the afternoon.  The wind shifted slowly from west to south.  The north of Anglesey is lovely: quiet, rural and lightly populated and I cruised up and down the hills, through the odd holiday town, past a power station and the dribs and drabs of the race that was still ongoing for the poor stragglers at the back.  Altogether this was probably the least troubled bit of my three days in Wales.

The rain returned at around 4, so the last couple of hours were spent slogging into wind and rain – I didn’t mind a bit.  Got to my cousin’s house at six and was heartily fed, watered and entertained by him and his family while the rain hammered on the windows

Sunday: 101 miles with 5,708 ft of climbing.

I took the train back to London on Monday lunchtime.  Euston felt positively Mediterranean.

And that was it.  Thrilled to have done it.  Fantastic memories and lots of lessons learned for next time.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Cardiff to Holyhead: Route 8
« Reply #3 on: 02 September, 2016, 11:12:11 am »
Blimey you are hard core! I did Chepstow to Bangor (well, Nikki and I did set foot onto Anglesey - can't forego a Waitrose, dontchaknow) and it took me about a week. It was pretty wet as well for a good deal of the time, although we did have a couple of nice days. That descent into Machynlleth is rather special, isn't it?
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Re: Cardiff to Holyhead: Route 8
« Reply #4 on: 16 September, 2016, 01:16:23 pm »
Bravo. Sounds like hard work. I imagine you would have problems selling that to the family.
Rust never sleeps