Author Topic: Welsh Coast-to-Coast (was "I may have some time on my hands...") (Read 22075 times)

Basil · « **Reply #100 on:** 07 August, 2013, 09:51:44 pm »

Six Ways is in Erdington.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #101 on:** 07 August, 2013, 09:57:47 pm »

Haseley Knob - a knob with nuts.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #102 on:** 07 August, 2013, 10:35:52 pm »

Here's a rural one with 5 A-roads, in deepest Brass Band country.

nikki · « **Reply #103 on:** 08 August, 2013, 07:47:14 am »

I'm now travelling back from Bangor on the Monday - no change at Crewe!

Wowbagger · « **Reply #104 on:** 08 August, 2013, 11:00:28 am »

I have just taken delivery of http://shop.sustrans.org.uk/products/5079-ln-las-cymru-pack, which could be useful. Damned expensive, those Sustrans maps, £6 or a little bit of paper.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #105 on:** 08 August, 2013, 11:22:44 am »

And as a result I have plotted the route from Chepstow to Llanthony again, using the "official" route, here:-

http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?lnk=http://peter.chesspod.com/routes/chepstow/llanthony2.gpx

which just happens to have something like 700' more climbing than my original proposal, as well as being 2 miles further!

Edit: not it doesn't. For some reason I started my original route somwhere in the middle of the racecourse rather than at the station, and that accounts for at least 250' of the difference.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #106 on:** 08 August, 2013, 12:37:28 pm »

I recall the racecourse being on top of a hill!

Wowbagger · « **Reply #107 on:** 08 August, 2013, 04:03:39 pm »

I seem to be in possession of all my bits of orange-bordered cardboard now. They add a not negligible amount to my total mass.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #108 on:** 08 August, 2013, 07:07:40 pm »

I recalled this afternoon that I had invested in a 42 tooth chain ring and a KMC Rohloff-specific chain (this may be SJS bullshit but the KMC box recommended it for hub gears. Why, I don't know. It still had enough spare links to be used with a derailleur). I fitted these and reversed the Rohloff sprocket, which had become quite badly worn in a fairly short time.

I recall the Noble Charlotte, on our tour three years ago, commenting on the size of my ring as we were mounting a monster somewhere near Tregaron. She opined that if I made my ring smaller we may have got up rather more quickly.

Kim · « **Reply #109 on:** 08 August, 2013, 07:11:18 pm »

Good advice, that.

(I'll be bringing a chainring described by the Noble Charlotte as "basically a 10p coin with some notches filed in it", for the same effect.)

Wowbagger · « **Reply #110 on:** 09 August, 2013, 12:07:30 am »

I have almost everything packed. This is incredible.

Things to look for:

camping knife
extra fleece

I probably won't be using the bike again until Monday as we are using the tandem on Saturday and, probably, Sunday.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #111 on:** 10 August, 2013, 09:31:36 pm »

I've been having a think about the route after Machynlleth. There are options.

1. The route I included in the post about all the routes.

2. A trip directly to the coast and following it.

http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?lnk=http://peter.chesspod.com/routes/chepstow/barmouth.gpx shows an option with COR. I don't know what the state of NCN 82 is where it leaves the road after.

3. Into Dolgellau and along the Mawddach estuary to Barmouth and the famous railway/footbridge, camping somewhere north of Barmouth. There are plenty of sites there, but Charlotte and I happened upon a rip-off merchant who wanted to charge us £17 each. We camped in the dunes, just outside the site's fence, and used their facilities anyway (there's a public footpath going through the site to the beach), so they got nothing. There are camp sites in the area that seem not to be rip-off merchants but, as ever, they don't have the greatest web presence.

nikki · « **Reply #112 on:** 10 August, 2013, 10:08:04 pm »

I've only driven through Barmouth a few times, but I do remember liking the look of that bridge!

My grandparents lived in Talsarnau, so the Harlech - Ynys - Talsarnau stretch would be a blast from the past. https://www.barcdy.co.uk/ being the campsite nearby whose sign I must have gone past approximately a bazillion times, and I think that would make it The Ship Aground for dinner and rehydration

So Barmouth - Barcdy gets my highly self-indulgent vote

Wowbagger · « **Reply #113 on:** 10 August, 2013, 10:53:04 pm »

I'm perfectly happy with that.

http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?lnk=http://peter.chesspod.com/routes/chepstow/talsarnau.gpx seems to be a more sensible route. The Mawddach estuary path, along the old railway, joins the wooden bridge from the south.

I have mapped along the main road after Barmouth, but it's worth nipping into Harlech by the B road and getting some supplies. We could even try out the alleged 40% hill by the castle! The NCN route 8 along that stretch, which actually misses Harlech, is riddled with chevrons.

As I say, there are oodles of camp sites along that stretch but I have ended the day ride at Ty-Gwyn, which sounds good and according to their website they charge £6 a night for a one-person tent.

http://ty-gwyn-camping.com/price-list.php refers. This would be instead of staying at Maentwrog.

Kim · « **Reply #114 on:** 10 August, 2013, 11:10:34 pm »

Harlech, that's the one with the hill, isn't it? Granny ring competition anyone?

ETA: crosspost with Wowbagger

I'm happy to go along with that plan, if only for the bridgepr0n...

Wowbagger · « **Reply #115 on:** 10 August, 2013, 11:13:28 pm »

Quote from: Kim on 10 August, 2013, 11:10:34 pm

Harlech, that's the one with the hill, isn't it? Granny ring competition anyone?

ETA: crosspost with Wowbagger

I'm happy to go along with that plan, if only for the bridgepr0n...

From memory, the hill is one-way downwards.

http://goo.gl/maps/mMFl3

Kim · « **Reply #116 on:** 10 August, 2013, 11:45:35 pm »

Well, I *do* have three brakes on my bike...

Wowbagger · « **Reply #117 on:** 10 August, 2013, 11:50:05 pm »

With the soles of your shoes that makes 5!

nikki · « **Reply #118 on:** 11 August, 2013, 12:01:10 am »

Quote from: Wowbagger on 10 August, 2013, 11:13:28 pm

http://goo.gl/maps/mMFl3

Hee! Chap behind the car letting his feelings about Google be known...

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #119 on:** 11 August, 2013, 08:23:12 pm »

Right, I'm still intending to meet you off the train in Chepstow at 13:50. But who will be there? I know Tewdric's got to be at work, Wow will be there - will Kim and Nikki or are they arriving at different points on different trains? And what is the first day's itinerary (I'm wondering if there will be a convenient tea/cake/etc stop to mark a turning-round point!)?

Kim · « **Reply #120 on:** 11 August, 2013, 08:30:59 pm »

I'm arriving at Machynlleth on Wednesday evening, with nikki joining us on Thursday morning, so I think it's just you and Wow.

Basil · « **Reply #121 on:** 11 August, 2013, 08:34:02 pm »

Not me I'm afraid.
I had planned to break my journey to B'ham at Chepstow, or even surprise Wow by taking the same train as him from Cardiff/Newport, but I now have an appointment in the early afternoon, so I'll have to get a much earlier train.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #122 on:** 11 August, 2013, 09:40:55 pm »

I know nothing at all of tea stops. There might be something in Usk.

Edit: there are two or three pubs in Shirenewton.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #123 on:** 11 August, 2013, 10:19:33 pm »

What time are you planning to get to Usk? Big tea cakes to be had in either the place with the red umbrellas or the one next to it with the horse sign - can't remember which. Usk

Wowbagger · « **Reply #124 on:** 11 August, 2013, 10:37:21 pm »

It's about 12 miles form Chepstow. It would be good to be there around 3.30.