Cycle Touring in Wales. Richard Barrett
coupons at a FastTicket machine at the station by keying in your FastTicket reference number and the number of the bank card you used to make the booking. Then give yourself a minimum of 10 minutes to contact a member of the Virgin platform staff, who will help you load your bicycle. Once aboard, inform the Train Manager that you are travelling with a bicycle, and he will help you disembark at your destination station. It sounds complicated, but it seems to work even though local staff may not be entirely familiar with the process. See www.virgintrains.co.uk for details.
Wrexham General Station is on the Shrewsbury to Chester line, with connections to most other parts of the UK; visit tfwrail.wales for further details.
Abergavenny Station is on the Newport to Hereford line.
Chepstow Station is on the Newport to Birmingham line, with connections to most other parts of the UK; visit tfwrail.wales for further details.
By bus
National Express, Britain’s only scheduled coach network, says it will carry dismantled and folding bicycles if space is available, provided the bikes are suitably packed. However, the coach company also states that carrying a bike on a service does not guarantee that it will carry it on any subsequent service. As this provides cyclists with no reassurance that their bike will be carried, let alone any advice on what to do with the transit box when they start cycling, the company may as well say no.
The same goes for the TrawsCambria service between South and North Wales, which involves a number of stages each operated by a different bus company. Not all of the companies carry bikes, and you are advised to contact each operator individually. A further deterrent is that the journey takes 11 hours. For more information visit www.trawscymru.info.
By air
Cardiff airport, near the southern end of the route, provides international and domestic services. Anglesey airport, near the northern end of the route, only provides a twice daily service to and from Cardiff. Alternative airports include Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol, although arriving at any one of these airports still leaves you a journey of 100 miles or more, necessitating using public transport or hiring a car.
If you are planning to fly with your bike, you should contact your airline and make a reservation when you book your seat. The airline will charge you for carrying your bike and will ask that you follow their packing instructions; these typically include turning and locking the handlebars parallel with the frame, removing the pedals and front wheel and attaching them to the frame and deflating the tyres before placing the bike in a carrying bag or transit box.
By ferry
Stena Line operates between Dublin or Dun Laoghaire and Holyhead; visit www.stenaline.co.uk for details.
Irish Ferries Line operates between Dublin and Holyhead. Visit www.irishferries.co.uk for details.
First and last nights in Cardiff
Cardiff is easily accessible by rail and there is even an extension of NCN 8, which runs for 2 miles from the main station to the start of the route in Cardiff Bay. There is also a huge choice of accommodation, from five-star hotels to ultra-modern hostels with private rooms and internal bike storage. As Wales’s capital city, Cardiff is home to the National Museum, which houses the national art, natural history and geology collections, as well as temporary exhibitions. But there are plenty of other attractions, such as Cardiff Castle and Cardiff Bay, world-famous sporting venues, top-class entertainment and quality shopping – making it great place to spend an extra night.
Built in 1897 as the headquarters for the Bute Dock Company, the Pierhead Building in Cardiff Bay is now used by the National Assembly for Wales
When to ride
The best time to go is between April and October when the days are longer and the weather is at its best. But even then you may experience inclement days so always check the weather forecast before you set out, so you will know whether to keep your waterproof at the top of your pack and wear your overshoes from the start. But if you are struggling, and the weather forecast is atrocious, consider taking the train or see whether a local taxi service can move you and your bike along the route. You can always come back and ride the section you missed another time.
Heading west towards St Donat’s on a perfectly sunny day (Stage 1)
Accommodation
While some cycle tourists prefer to camp, days of repeatedly ascending 1000m or more are unlikely to be pleasurable with heavy luggage. This guide makes maximum use of hostels and bunkhouses along or near the route (though also lists a selection of cycle-friendly hotels and B&Bs – see Appendix B), but if you prefer additional comforts you will find information on a variety of accommodation to suit most pockets at the Welsh Tourist Board, www.visitwales.com. You may not be able to get exactly what you want at the start or finish of each of stage, so you may have to curtail your day before the end of a stage, ride further into the next stage or temporarily leave the route.
Hostels are always busy during the summer months, and those in the more popular locations can be full at weekends and sometimes even in the depths of winter, so it pays to book early. The Youth Hostel Association, www.yha.org.uk, has a number of hostels in Wales, and there is an increasing number of independent hostels – see www.independenthostelguide.co.uk for details.
It is worth seeking out Visit Wales’s star-graded B&Bs, guest houses and hotels enrolled in their Cyclists Welcome scheme, which provides drying facilities, bike storage and other services. Whatever you choose, if you want to arrive early to drop off your bike and go sightseeing, or anticipate arriving late due to an unforeseen delay, it is only courteous to ring ahead and let them know.
Waiting to check in to a wonderfully situated hostel at St David’s (Stage 3)
What to take
The plethora of accommodation and the high number of cycle shops along the route mean you can keep the bike as light as possible. Here are my tips to lighten your load:
Think layers and add-ons rather than alternatives.
Use drying facilities to rinse through cycling gear and other clothing every evening.
Choose leisurewear, such as long-sleeved T-shirts, that can also be an extra layer for chilly days.
Share tools and accessories.
Buy travel-sized toiletries and give shaving a miss for the week.
Make do with a smartphone and leave all other electronics at home.
Only carry one feed-bottle – it’ll be plenty.
Use accommodation with secure storage and leave the heavy bike lock at home.
But always wear a helmet as riding without one is irresponsible.
Adopting such guidelines produces the kit list shown in Appendix D, which totals 5–7kg for summer tours and 7–9kg during winter. Having reduced your kit as much as possible, you should be able to fit it easily into a pair of panniers or a