Hi all,

I am living in Cardiff and looking to get riding again. I have recently had knee problems/ surgery so can only manage just over an hour, maybe an hour and a half at a push.

So where is good to ride around Cardiff?

At uni in Cardiff a few years ago I used to ride along the Taff Trail to Garth mountain, Caerphilly mountain, Castle Coch and the woods surrounding these areas. Now I am getting the train to Taffs Well (no point riding wasting time on the Taff Trail if I only have an hour and a half in my legs) and doing rides around the Castle Coch area. This has been fun for a few months (am reasonable comfortable on both the ascents and descents there) but now I’m looking to explore a bit more. I can’t for the life of me even remember the old routes I used to ride beyond Castle Coch though!

I am not the technical of riders and like to keep my wheels on the ground so it needn’t be trails that require a spare set of underwear- but interesting ride suggestions would be very much appreciated. I don’t drive but don’t mind getting the train for a good ride. I imagine there should be lots of good rides starting from Taffs Well/ Caerphilly/ etc…

So can anyone please point me in the right direction for an interesting (but not necessarily extreme descents) 1.5 hour ride around Cardiff?

Train to Caerfilthy and hitch up with the Castle bikes lot riding the local trails there.

http://www.castlebikes.co.uk/new-forum/view-topiclist/forum-3-mtb-rides

mun

Recommended group to ride with then geaelod? I seem to remember a thread with satisfied STW riders meeting up with the bike shop ride but couldn’t find it quickly. I think I’ll have to give it a go, thanks

If you catch the train up to Pontypool I can take you round my little run, about 8 miles all in with about 2 miles of road in there. Some of it fun, some of it really fun, some of it not.

There’s an incredible network of trails around Castle Coch, Taff’s Well, Garth, Caerphily, and what we used to call “The Whips” HERE and “The Wenault” HERE

It’s really difficult describing it all though and there’s any number of options for linking it all up. Don’t discount the Taff Trail either, it’s a good linking route for a lot of it.

This quarry has some nice trails too, maybe not all legal but in spite of what it says on the map, there are BW’s in there.

There are a quite a few people riding in the Aberdare area. Swansea Valley too. Are you on Facebook?

Another vote for the woods around Castle Coch – you can ride along the Taff Trail to the castle. From memory a good place to start is from a v steep path from the right of the carpark. Hard to get lost up there tho to be honest, just have an explore.

+1 to castle bikes, and also +1 to the Swansea Valley club that Ambrose is talking about. I think I’ve seen some threads on here with a Cardiff club that meets at Tongwynlais that also might be worth checking out.

Thanks for the links crazy-legs. These are all places I once knew well but now I wouldn’t have a clue. There are certainly some nice bits around but as you say are impossible to describe… I think going on a group ride is my best bet.

Ambrose: I’m not on Facebook although would love to explore a new area if there is a group/ club ride in the areas you mention

Thanks again!

there is a quiet a few of us from blackwood which go out every week. ride mostly machen wyllie and cwmcarn with the odd trip else where.

cyclopedia on crwys road have a v active associated club (JIF) loads of mtbers and regular rides. the local riding is so good last time we went home (ie to cardiff) for a long weekend we didnt go anywhere near afan or cwmcarn.

http://www.fatspanneruk.com/resellers_dealer.aspx?Dealer=Cyclopedia

The mountain goats are based in Nelson and ride all over the valleys. Usually longer than a few hours but it’s all really chilled out with plenty of stops. They do short rides over to cwmcarn/pontypool/llanbradach/sirhowy quite often too:
http://www.mountaingoats.nildram.co.uk/

DanW

Live in Cardiff also same problem – don’t know the routes be happy to meet up for rides and exploring if you are interested?
E-mail my address if you like in profile!
+1 for Cyclopedia – just signed up to JIF and going for a few rides with them soon!

Matt

Trail Guides tab up the top…
http://www.singletrackworld.com/trailguide/uk/wales/between-trail-centres-south-wales/

Pics/writing by me. 🙂

Follow the Rhymney Ridgeway around to the east of the city. from there you can cut up to Sirhowy Valley and then over to Cwmcarn and beyond if it takes your fancy.

Get a map out, head for the big green bits and when there, explore 🙂 Link up the green bits with the green dashed lines.

EDIT Crazylegs, I see you omit the cheeky trail on Craig yr Allt 🙂

EDIT Crazylegs, I see you omit the cheeky trail on Craig yr Allt 🙂

I omitted it from the route description… That route was published in the mag, it kind of helps if it’s 100% legal! 😉

The quarry that I linked to in one of my posts earlier is full of FPs and unmarked tracks but no-one ever cared about us riding them. Our one rule was that we stayed off Caerphily Common, that is strictly no bikes and we always adhered to that. The only problems we ever had riding round Cardiff was the local hunt. It would be difficult to find a more obnoxious, unpleasant bunch of stuck-up self righteous arseholes than that lot.

There’s some great routes, you can MTB TO both Cwmcarn and Afan from Cardiff. I have previously MTB’d to Cwmcarn and done a lap (not got as far as riding home yet though!).
Matt23 … I’m a JIF member (although I don’t live in Cardiff anymore, one of the starters from many moons back). Enjoy plus remember Geraint Thomas as a Jiffie prior to bigger and better things.

Anyway back to riding there is lots of stuff, Whips (as mentioned) Rhdry, the Quarry and Machen Woods discovered some awesome stuff in there the other weekend. But like anything it’s really hard to describe these routes to people. I would head down to Cyclopaedia and get out on one of their rides or others on here. There is bucket lots.

years ago you could go over Nant Garw (although you would get chased by famer with his gun!) up through Castell Coch to The black Cock pub then left down the road then left up the super steep road bit and off over the mountain. Not been up Garth in years either. Mainly as Crazy Legs says really.

As mentioned Try is at Castle Bikes.

We run three rides a week, Monday 6.00pm at the shop is our intermediate ride, Thursday 7.00pm at the shop is the advanced and Saturday at 11.00pm is our beginners.

Sounds like you easily capable of any of our rides, each night we aim to mix it up with local riding over various locations, a post ride pint is optional but most tend to stop for one.

Great people and great riding, tonight we finish at a local pub where we’ll be getting some grub for £3.00.

And were above Caerphilly Train station which has regular running trains to and from Cardiff. I’m not out tonight, but out Saturday as the beginners ride is always a good laugh.

Hope that Helps.

James
Castle Bikes.

Thanks again to all the suggestions.

I think I have ridden most of the trails you mention Crazy-legs but I think I need a bit of help remembering where to go especially if things have got overgrown or changed at all…

I really like the idea of the Castle Bikes rides, I think that is just right for my comfort level. James, is there a beginner ride this Saturday- I couldn’t see anything up on the forum

Thanks again to everyone for their help, DanW

cant believe i missed this thread!

Ive just started coming back to mtb and same as the op, want to start exploring. I live in Taffs Well however so am a 5 minute stint to castell coch woods…..and am an avid fan of craig yr allt ;-). been wanting to hit up the garth and even get over to llantrisant too.