Stage 4 page test

We arrived in Glasgow on Saturday June 11^th, which gave us 3 days to recover from jet lag, have our bikes tuned up, and go for a local bike ride before driving south to the start of this year’s ride. We managed to do all that without having any stolen bikes or flat tires, so we were already off to a better start than last year. This year's ride would start in Aberystwyth on the west coast of Wales and head north to Conwy and Llandudno on the northern coast (see map).

A rough mapping of the route we followed from Aberystwyth north through
Snowdonia National Park.

Dave in full rain gear for the one-mile ride to our hotel

When we arrived in Aberystwyth it was raining heavily, unfortunately a preview of what was to come. Despite donning rain gear in the parking lot and having only about a mile to ride from the car rental office to our hotel, we were completely soaked when we arrived at the Gwesty Cymru Hotel, which was right on the beach promenade. 

We had hoped to take the Aberysthyth Cliff Railway to the top of Constitution Hill for a view of the town and surrounding mountains. Unfortunately the torrential rain and zero visibility squelched these plans. The rain did pause briefly for us to walk to dinner at a vegan restaurant (food choices continue to improve in the UK). 

The promenade in Aberystwyth as seen Wednesday morning. Constitution Hill rises in the background. It was barely visible through the rain the previous day. 

Bike Ride Day 1, Wednesday June 15th, Aberysthwyth to Llangurig (40 miles, 4270 ft of climbing)

Lori in the entrance to Aberystwyth
Castle

We began the day with a visit to Aberystwyth Castle, constructed between 1277 and 1289.  Its current state of ruin is due to it being blown up in 1649 and then having its stones used for the construction of other buildings. 

The stone circle on the castle grounds is modern, established in 1916 – one stone for each of the ancient counties of Wales.

The rain held off early in the day as Lori rode
along this old railway line.

The day’s route took us east following the River Ystwyth uphill toward its source in the Cambrian Mountains. The first 10 miles of the route followed an old railway line, climbing steadily at about 2-4%, but it felt much harder because of the soft, wet, unpaved surface. 

Lori having tea and waiting for the rain to ease up.

The road eventually improved, but then the rain began to come down in earnest. Not long after, we came to the old lead and zinc-mining town of Pontrhydygroes, which in English means “the bridge of the ford of the cross”. We had not expected to find any place for lunch and were overjoyed to see a small teashop. Not only did it have homemade hummus and pesto on the menu, but also stocked bike tubes, lube, and even a few pairs of bike shoes. We lingered over our tea until the rain seemed to let up a bit.

A huge waterwheel across from the tearoom

Soon after lunch the route turned off the paved road onto an overgrown rocky path. Lori had to stop and put on her leggings because stinging nettles and sticker bushes overhung the path. This section was mercifully short and we emerged onto a narrow beautifully paved road that carried us through a spectacular valley where swollen streams (thanks to the rain) cascaded down the emerald green slopes. Our spirits were high from the breathtaking scenery and the rain had slackened to a drizzle.

The rain swelled the river and the streams that fed it.

Then we turned from National Cycle Network (NCN) route # 81 to the NCN #818, which climbed out of the Ystwyth River Valley over a mountain pass before descending to the River Wye. The path consisted of a narrow strip of pavement with rocks and mud on both sides. It climbed steeply and the rain notched up in intensity. On a flat surface you might have been able to keep the bike in the paved middle of the track, but the steep climb made it impossible not to weave. It soon became apparent that we would be walking large sections so Lori changed into running shoes to make pushing the bike uphill a bit easier. Other than being passed by 8 people on horseback (who were faster than we could push the bikes) we saw no one. The path was closed to cars and even the sheep seemed to have abandoned this raw, beautiful, remote area. The day probably set a record for clothing changes between the rain starting and stopping and Lori changing shoes depending on whether it was possible to ride. We were exhausted when we got to the summit and the path finally leveled off enough to ride for a while along the crest. Then the road plunged down at a terrifying 20 to 25% grade to a bridge over the river below. On the facing slope we could see our future – a narrow road climbing steeply back up the next mountainside. The only good news was that the pavement improved.

A view of our route through a rain-spattered lens

As we tried to walk/ride up the steep slope after the bridge Dave saw an area that looked level and suggested that Lori walk the first section and then use this level stretch to remount the bike. Lori was able to ride the steeper section and while crossing the so-called “level” section noted on her Garmin that it was an 8% grade! It just looked level compared to the 15-25% grades on either side. The up side was that it was amazingly beautiful and the struggle of getting up the mountain made us forget about the rain! Finally the river of water flowing down the road around our feet as we walked up changed directions, flowing down the other way – we had reached the top!

The view of civilization as we descended the other side of the mountain

The descent was amazing, with a good road surface. After another 7 miles of up and down we reached the town of Llanidloes. The rain had stopped enough that we could pull out the paperwork for our B&B and that is when we realized that we had not mapped the ride to the B&B. This would not have been a problem if the B&B was actually in Llanidloes. Unfortunately it was in Llangurig (not sure how anyone could confuse these names!), which was 7 miles back! This is when Dave’s iPhone ran out of battery so we had no access to Google maps. We were rescued by a local cyclist. He was kind enough to call the B&B for us, tell them where we were, and then give us directions.

The route we had taken into Llanidloes was a cycle route that went up and down some very steep hills so our rescuer recommended taking the main road back. We were too exhausted to argue, and since we survived I am not sure if it was the right decision or not. It was 7 miles up hill. On the main road the grade was a steady 4-6% but had cars whizzing by at 60 mph and minimal shoulder— not our usual riding environment. Going the other route had climbs that would have been too steep to ride, but no traffic.

We finally arrived at the Plas Bwlch B&B.

The rain had finally stopped when we arrived

The room was tiny so it was difficult to
find places to hang all our wet clothes. To make it even more of a challenge, the ceilings were 6’2”. Dave can attest to this because he is 6’3”. The B&B was located about 2 miles from the small village of Llangurig. Before we left Connecticut we had emailed the proprietors about how we could get to town for dinner. They assured us that they would give us a ride. When we arrived we were told that their car was in the shop so no ride and no dinner, only a muffled comment that we might be able to get a cab. This was probably the only time in all our travels in the UK that we have run into an unhelpful B&B proprietor. It was after 7 PM already and we were too tired to move. Fortunately, since we knew we would be riding in remote areas we had bought sandwiches that morning before we left Aberystwyth and had not needed them for lunch. Not the meal we had hoped for but better than a dinner of digestive biscuits and oatcakes.

Bike Ride Day 2, Thursday June 16th, Llangurig to Machynlleth (29.5 miles, 2960 ft climbing)

In the morning we had breakfast with a crazy Irishman on a motorcycle trip before setting off on what was supposed to be our easy day, originally mapped as 23 miles. That mileage was, of course, based on riding from Llanidloes, but we were actually in Llangurig, adding 7 miles. The route took us north to the town of Machynlleth and the fringes of Snowdonia National Park, where much of our cycling route would be. The park is 823 sq. miles and unlike national parks on the US, it is made up of both public and private lands, so you can be riding through farms and towns and still be in the park.

The cows seemed to very interested in us

We left under threatening skies and it only took a few minutes for the rain to start. About 12 miles along the rain abated as we rode through the Coedwig Hafren Forest where the Severen River has its start and where we had some beautiful views of the Llyn Coedwedog Reservoir.

We took a break to eat a snack in the Coedwig Hafren Forest

A view of the Llyn Coedwedog Reservoir

Then the rain returned in bucketfuls. As we slogged through sheets of rain near the town of Dylife an Inn came into our rain spotted view – like a beacon in a storm, it was the perfect lunch spot and break from the torrents of rain. Unfortunately, it was closed. However, we arrived at the same time as the Royal Mail truck. He beeped his horn for the owner to come out and get the mail. She took pity on the two drenched cyclists on her doorstep and allowed us to come into the entryway of the closed Inn to eat some snacks. When the rain lightened a bit we headed up a 1.5-mile climb that started at 15% and eventually leveled off to 9%. We ended the day's ride with an 8-mile descent into Machynlleth where we found a café for lunch that served falafel!

Views of the stark landscape on our descent into Machynlleth

After lunch we located the Dyfi View B&B at the top of a hill overlooking the town. Our room was large and comfortable and had an amazing view over the river valley. Our B&B host, Mike McKever, was a musician and author who had written several travel books (very Bill Bryson like). After showering and hanging our clothes up to dry the rain stopped so we walked back into town and had dinner at a restaurant called The 21. We both had fish, which was very tasty but the portions were small, making dessert a necessity (such hardship).

The view from the window of our room at the Dyfi View B&B

Bike Ride Day 3, Friday June 17th, Machynlleth to Dolgellau (33 miles and 2100 ft climbing)

Even the fences are made of slate in this part of Wales.

Our original route was mapped as a 37-mile day with 3300 feet of climbing. It included sections the map labeled as “steep with rough surfaces” and “steep and muddy”. We were in Snowdonia so it was not possible to avoid all hills, but by taking a different route we could make the day shorter and avoid these difficult sections. So we changed the route to go directly north to Dolgellau on NCN route #8. There would still be one big climb near the end, but the route was only 14 miles! For once we started with no rain and the route was beautiful, taking us through an old slate mining area and the town of Aberllefenni.

As we started the big climb so did the rain. The road surface was good and Dave was able to ride up the steep grade, but Lori had to walk many sections of it. At the top, we had some amazing views, and could see rain coming down in several directions.  As we started to descend, the temperature dropped sharply and the rain started again, but this time it felt like sleet. There ended up being 1800 feet of climbing in 14 miles.

A view of the road down from the pass that would lead us to Dolgellau

The narrow streets of Dolgellau

Dolgellau was a wonderful ancient market town with narrow streets and stone buildings. The weather cleared and we had lunch at a sandwich/coffee shop called TH Roberts before checking into our B&B, which was a 250-year-old stone cottage named Aber Cottage.

TH Roberts is the funky coffee house where we had lunch.

Amber Cottage, with its low doorways and rolling floors, was our home for the night.

Since the ride was only 14 miles, and the sun finally made an appearance we decided to ride along the estuary of the River Mawddach to the town of Barmouth on Cardigan Bay. We left the panniers at the B&B and rode the flat 9 miles to Barmouth, a town we had visited with the kids almost 15 years ago when we lived in Birmingham. Along the ride, Dave stopped to photograph a picturesque stone estate along the shore. He commented that it reminded him of a place we had walked to from a B&B we stayed at on the drive home last year. It turned out that it actually was the same place and the B&B we had stayed at (The Slate Shed) was visible at the top of the hill.

We finally had sunshine so we stopped to 
remove our leggings.

To get to Barmouth we rode across the Barmouth viaduct, which is a mostly wooden railway viaduct that serves rail, foot, and cycle traffic. It is one of the longest timber viaducts still in use in Britian (764 yards – about 0.4 miles). When we crossed the bridge on bikes in 2001 we remember having to pay a small toll, but evidently they stopped collecting the toll in 2013. After an ice cream in Barmouth we rode back to Dolgellau for a shower and dinner.

A view down the estuary toward the Barmouth Viaduct

Lori heading into Barmouth across the Viaduct.

Bike Ride Day 4, Saturday June 18th, Dolgellau to Porthmadog (31 miles and 2440 ft of climbing)

This was supposed to be another hard day in a mountainous inland area so we again considered alternative routes. Actually, Lori did this a 2 AM when she woke up panicked about being stranded on a remote mountain. Rather than heading inland we opted to ride back to Barmouth and follow the coastal route. It would be the same distance as the original route, but would have less climbing.  There was one ridiculously steep short climb from the beach bike path up across the railroad tracks to the main road, but that was the only section we had to walk all day! And the sun was shinning! The views of the ocean, the stonewalls, and the green pastures were fabulous.

Sunny skies at last!

We stopped for tea in the village of Tal-y-bont. Soon after we came to the village of Llanbedr, where we bought sandwiches for lunch. We then began a 3-mile climb, much of it about a 13% grade. At the top we found a stone wall to sit on while we ate our sandwiches. During lunch we were serenaded by a flock of sheep who bleated continuously as they streamed single file over the hill into the pasture as if herded by an invisible sheep dog.

Spectacular stone walls

There were few options for lunch so we improvised.

The weather was threatening as we descended
into Porthmadog, but it stayed dry!

We arrived in Pothmadog at 2:30 PM, checked into the Yr Hen Fecws B&B, and then went for a walk over the ridge for a view of the bay and then into the neighboring village of Borth-y-Gest for tea. We walked back to Porthmadog along the harbor. We had dinner at a Thai restaurant that was located in the building that housed the Madog Yacht Club. This was the first day on our bikes that we did not get soaked!

Porthmadog harbor

Day 5, Sunday June 19th, Portmeirion and the train to Caernarfon (only 6 miles of riding)

Enroute to Portmeirion in the rain

In our efforts to spend more time sightseeing and make the trip less taxing we had a planned day off from riding. We woke, of course, to more rain, and Dave discovered that his front brake was not functioning. After breakfast we rode 3 miles into Portmeirion, a tourist village that was the brainchild of architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis.

View of Portmeirion

Portmeirion was built between 1925 and 1975 in the style of an Italian villa. It served as “The Village” in the 1960’s television cult classic “The Prisoner”. Its construction incorporated fragments of demolished buildings from all over the world, so a fireplace from an old estate might become an exterior archway. If it hadn’t been 58 degrees and raining you might have thought you were on the Mediterranean. After an introductory tour, a tram ride through the gardens, and a walk through the shops, we had lunch and then headed back to Porthmadog to catch the Welsh Highland Railway Steam Train to Caernarfon.

Dave in our Welsh Highland Railway train

The rain came down in torrents the entire ride so we were very happy to be watching it from the train. With the help of a Caernarfon local who was on the train we located the Victoria House B&B and then had a lovely Pub meal at the Black Boy Inn.

The weather remained cold, wet, and windy as we made our way to dinner in Caernarfon.

Ride Day 6, Monday June 20th, Caernarfon to Llandudno (36 miles, 2000 ft of climbing)

The small bike shop on the right by the white banner was 
in the shadow of Caernarfon Castle

Again we woke to rain. After a leisurely breakfast we headed to the bike shop to hopefully fix Dave’s brakes. Lori was missing her sunglasses and mirror so she headed back to the train station to see if anyone had turned them in. Lori’s mission was successful. The same train we had taken the day before was still in the station and the glasses were waiting for her. The brake repair was not as successful. The mechanic had never seen this type of brake – a part manual/part hydraulic disc brake. He was able to get them working but really had no idea what he was doing and that would lead to trouble down the road.

Off we went in light rain along a wonderful paved cycle path that took us to the coastal town of Bangor where we were amazed to encounter a huge pier extending 1500 feet into the Menai Straights, which separate the Isle of Anglesey from the mainland. The pier was first opened to the public in 1896. It has a wooden deck and a series of octagonal kiosks. At the end of the pier was a tearoom where we had lunch. From it we had a view of the Menai Suspension Bridge, which connects the mainland to the Isle of Anglesey. It was designed by Thomas Telford and completed in 1826 and is now a World Heritage Site.

A view of the Bangor Pier. We had lunch in the tearoom at the end of the pier.

After lunch the weather cleared and we continued on toward Conwy. The final approach was spectacular with bike paths constructed along and around the main road to take us next to a tunnel that the main road used and down a series of switchbacks to transfer bikes from the main road to the beach path. It was amazing to see such an expensive and challenging engineering project carried out for a route that is exclusively used by cyclists. We continually thank the gamblers of the UK for funding this incredible resource (the NCN is funded in large part by the National Lottery).

View of the coast on our route to Conwy.

The approach into Conwy

In Conwy we stopped to take photos of the castle and the smallest house in the UK. We also had a chat with another biking couple. They were travelling by bike for months and pulling a trailer so they could camp each night– No Thanks!!

Lori on the coast in Conwy with the castle in the background

The smallest house in the UK

We then rode to the town of Llandudno, which is the largest seaside resort town in Wales. It lies on a peninsula between the mainland and the Great Orme, a prominent limestone headland. The name for the Great Orme comes from an Old Norse word for sea serpent because it resembles the head of a sea serpent.

A view of the Great Orm

 After checking into the Cliffbury B&B we walked down to the promenade and out to the end of their pier, which is the longest pier in Wales (2295 feet). So, it was a two-pier day! We had a late dinner at The Albert while we watched the Euro 2016 football (soccer) matches.  We were in Wales, but the BBC was showing the England vs. Russia while Wales was playing Slovakia.  The local patrons were not happy to have to watch the game on their phones, but Wales won, so there was joy in the end.

The Llandudno promenade 

Llandudno Pier

Ride Day 7, Tuesday June 21st,  Conwy Loop (31 miles, 2600 ft climbing)

We planned an extra day in Llandudno to ride a scenic loop through the Conwy Valley. From our B&B we followed a sandy bike path along the coast around to the peninsula to the bridge into Conwy.

A view of Conwy Castle from the peninsula 

The first part of the ride took us down the west side of the valley. The highlight was “Surf Snowdonia”. This was a huge artificial lake with an enormous wave generator that allowed people to learn to surf!

Surf Snowdonia!

The southern most point of the ride was the picturesque market town of Llanrwst where we had lunch in Tu Hwnt I’r Bont situated on the west bank of the River Conwy beside one-lane, three-arch stone bridge. We did not realize it when we decided to stop there, but it was a award-winning tearoom

Three-arch bridge over the River Conwy

originally built in 1480 as a residence. One side of the building was completely covered with ivy and the interior had very low ceilings. Some of the tables were set up inside the huge old fireplaces. On the wall by our table was a thank you letter from the Prince of Wales who had met locals at the tearoom after a series of floods devastated the area. After lunch we crossed the bridge over the River Conwy to begin the ride up the east side of the valley.

The historic, ivy-covered Tu Hwnt I’r Bont tearoom

The ride back was much hillier, but also more scenic. Dave’s front brake had stopped functioning again so we took great care to control our speed on the descents. The end of our route was the Avis car rental office where we picked up our car for the drive back to Glasgow the next day. 

The scenic hills of the Conwy Valley

That evening we went into Conwy to circumnavigate the town on the ancient town walls and then had an excellent Italian meal.

Seagull roosting in the chimney pots

The city walls of Conwy

A view of Conwy Castle from the city walls

Wednesday June 22th to Sunday 26th

On Wednesday we drove back to Glasgow. On Thursday we took our bikes back to Billy Bisland’s Cycle shop to have Dave’s brakes fixed and Lori’s checked. Friday, with renewed confidence in our brakes we drove to the village of Drymen, which has views of Loch Lomond, and rode our bikes to the town of Aberfoyl for lunch. The 24 miles and 2400 feet of climbing seemed like nothing without panniers.

The following morning we picked Max up at the airport and drove to Dundee to pick up Rebecca and have dinner. That evening we stayed at a B&B in Broughty Ferry that coincidentally was next to a house that Rebecca’s parents own. On Sunday we drove south to the harbor in Anstruther where we met up with our friends Robert and Laura and their kids for a boat trip to the Isle of May, located in the Firth of Forth.

The harbor in Anstruther

Angry tern keeping us away from her nest.

The island is home to colonies of puffins, guillemots, razorbills, shags, cormorants, kittiwakes, and terns, as well as grey seals. It was breeding season for many of the birds so we saw many nests with eggs and chicks. The terns were not happy when the path led you too close. They hovered over your head squawking and then dove down and hit you on the head. At one point, Dave unknowingly got between a kittiwake gull and her chick and she flew up and deposited her displeasure on his jacket.

Puffins!

Baby seal resting along the shore

During the middle ages, the island was the site of St Adrian’s Priory and later the site of Scotland’s first permanently manned lighthouse, which had a coal-fired beacon established in 1635. A “modern” lighthouse was built in 1816 and is in operation today after being upgraded to a fully automatic lighthouse in 1989, shortly before the island’s ownership passed to the Nature Conservancy Council. We were able to climb to the top of the lighthouse for a view of the entire island. 

A view across the Isle of May to the lighthouse

Rebecca, Max, and Jessie on May

All in all, a wet but fun trip to the UK. Toward the end of the trip, the UK voted to leave the EU, making for many interesting discussions. We left with no obvious consequences of that decision other than the possibility that our trip might be less expensive when we return next year.