Gower AONB: on a road bike (where to ride to)

[redefined_cycles]

Got myself some work booked down in Carmarthen Alhamdulillah (all praise God) so gonna bring my bike. Booked at the Premier East Llaneli (sorry, BAM knackered me) and hoping to head out with the trusty road bike to explore The Gower...

So far I have Ceffn Bryn and Rhossili Down. Hopefully won't be too hard to reach via quite lanes and non boggy trails. Is there anything that I need to really go and take a peek at. Bearing in mind my left knee is recovering from an overuse 240miler injury and this'll be my first ride back. I don't think I could live with myself if I went and didn't go up their steepest (road) climb. If if I had to walk...

Looking forward to thoughts and opinions. I think 30 miles should be fine as I'll be taking very easy

[Bearbonesnorm]

I like 3 cliffs bay and Worms Head if you haven't been before.

[redefined_cycles]

I like 3 cliffs bay and Worms Head if you haven't been before.

That'll be on my list then thanks Stu...

[psling]

If you're on your road bike I'd stick to tarmac / cycle paths this time of year Shaf.
From Llanelli you can follow NCR4 over the estuary to Gowerton then put together a loop of the Gower on roads and lanes. Llangenith and Rhossilli are at either end of the beautiful Rhossilli Bay and there are options to join the two either along the beach, along a track parallel to the beach or over / behind Rhossilli Down - none of these options are rideable on a road bike IMO. Rhossilli is worth taking a there-and-back from a loop to see Worm's Head but I wouldn't bother with Llangenith.
Going the other way, the ride from Llanelli to Carmarthen is beautiful and as far Kidwelly is pretty much level and off-road on good cycle paths mostly following the coast. I rode from Kidwelly to Lougher (Llanelli) today

[redefined_cycles]

If you're on your road bike I'd stick to tarmac / cycle paths this time of year Shaf.
From Llanelli you can follow NCR4 over the estuary to Gowerton then put together a loop of the Gower on roads and lanes. Llangenith and Rhossilli are at either end of the beautiful Rhossilli Bay and there are options to join the two either along the beach, along a track parallel to the beach or over / behind Rhossilli Down - none of these options are rideable on a road bike IMO. Rhossilli is worth taking a there-and-back from a loop to see Worm's Head but I wouldn't bother with Llangenith.
Going the other way, the ride from Llanelli to Carmarthen is beautiful and as far Kidwelly is pretty much level and off-road on good cycle paths mostly following the coast. I rode from Kidwelly to Lougher (Llanelli) today

Thanks Peter. All good info there and will bear that in mind (to stick to proper tarmac on the road bike). Yes, I'd considered the loop towards Carmarthen aswell so good you mentioned it...

[ledburner]

Beatiful part of our glorious nation. .My mum was evacuated there during the Blitz.
More practically rather than bike related when we were there a few years ago (2015). Phone signals were poor to 'a whats that? ' , finding cash points worse . So, we had to dig out a cheque book, (a what?, think Posh IOU), to pay for pub meal (and leave a child as the deposit, the big one who could wash-up, not really just tempting ).
I Hope some one can prove me wrong and say it has moved on from the still bin* 1990's ATM desert.

[Edit] * in the ...

[Verena]

If you're on your road bike I'd stick to tarmac / cycle paths this time of year Shaf.
From Llanelli you can follow NCR4 over the estuary to Gowerton then put together a loop of the Gower on roads and lanes. Llangenith and Rhossilli are at either end of the beautiful Rhossilli Bay and there are options to join the two either along the beach, along a track parallel to the beach or over / behind Rhossilli Down - none of these options are rideable on a road bike IMO. Rhossilli is worth taking a there-and-back from a loop to see Worm's Head but I wouldn't bother with Llangenith.
Going the other way, the ride from Llanelli to Carmarthen is beautiful and as far Kidwelly is pretty much level and off-road on good cycle paths mostly following the coast. I rode from Kidwelly to Lougher (Llanelli) today

That's exactly what I was going to say
That NCR4 between Kidwelly and Lougher is quite something, don't think I've ever ridden anywhere this flat in the UK!

Have fun Shaf, it's beautiful!

[redefined_cycles]

Thanks Verena... and everyone else. I decided to try and get over to one of the beaches (or near enough) on Gower (totally confused by The Gower and Gowerton and how it all blends together by being able to go back to the... anyway...

Main reason to choose Gower was to get to the OS maps vantage point and it felt a bit more of a challenge. It was, my knee is once again killing and the pain came at mile 12





When I saw these drawings outside the canteen at work, filled me with excitement that I wouldn't be back at work the next day (was a tough enough day... but nice!). My customer at work taught me how to pronounce Llaneli so today when I asked a random stranger as yo why it said Gower on the cycle path when I was following it to Llaneli. She looked confused and I modified the pronunciation and then merrily on my way... Just to confirm, when I see the Ll it's pronounced as 'khl'....


This was probably the first point at which the houses got a little 'coastal'ee. So I stopped to take a pic.


This was taken whilst crossing the river over Grough (or whatever it's called) onto the island (kindof).






Ain't it gorgeous... Bit cold though and I think I walked a little after this. Made the wrong call for socks and put the thinner ones on. Came back on the verge of frostbite but they're good now (toes, not the socks).


Broad Pool... must be interesting when it gets too wet crossing here.




Behind me was prettier but obscured by some muddy grass.




In the distance there's a gorgeous cliff edge. But camera probably hasn't picked it up.


Somewhere around here there was 3 birds of prey. Two fighting or messing with each other. Probably buzzards but by the time I'd got the camera out they went lower...


Learnt how the Wheelwrights would mount a tyre on a cartwheel.



And incedentally, by stepping back. I managed to get my best view of the whole trip.




This is how far I got and even though there were a few 'punishment passes' I do really think there's a hundred mile route to be had on that there little pretending island.

[psling]

Nice one Shaf

10th pic - there's a nice off-road track that follows the ridge you're crossing there which more or less splits the middle of the Gower east-west.
11th pic - Oxwich Bay I think. Can be ridden across with road access at one end and a bridleway up the sand dunes at the other (leading to the ridgeway mentioned above ^^).
13th pic - looking over Three Cliffs Bay, a stunning beach regularly listed in 'top 10 lists' of beaches in Britain.

[redefined_cycles]

Nice one Shaf

10th pic - there's a nice off-road track that follows the ridge you're crossing there which more or less splits the middle of the Gower east-west.
11th pic - Oxwich Bay I think. Can be ridden across with road access at one end and a bridleway up the sand dunes at the other (leading to the ridgeway mentioned above ^^).
13th pic - looking over Three Cliffs Bay, a stunning beach regularly listed in 'top 10 lists' of beaches in Britain.

Thanks Petr. I plan on going back when its warmer, gonna try and miss the faster roads as some drivers were a touch irritated (or just plain stupid at how close they passed) and try a nice little hundred miler on that there island(ish)