tour reports » Wales - Steepest Road

Found another excuse to put up with the boredom of 90 miles of M4 from Reading to Wales. Some non-biking friends had been discussing the steepest tarmac road in the world. They’d seen news reports about it a few weeks back that now attributed it to a village in Wales. A tiny bit of googling and discovered it is up in the Snowdonia National Park, in a coastal village called Harlech. I’d ridden past Harlech when I did my Long and Short names trip a few months back, so knew I could access some other great ridding roads and scenic roads to get there and back and ride some of the roads I’d not yet covered. A route was planned.

I left home at 06:30 on Saturday morning in quite wet conditions, rain falling with large puddles all over the roads, this doesn’t bother me, I’ve bought new riding gear over the past 3 years purposefully to stay dry without having to wear an over suit. For this time of the morning the M4 was surprisingly busy which generated a fair amount of spray, but at the A34 junction (13) both reduced significantly, which made things more pleasant.

Soon the motorway matrix signs started to report that the M48 junctions 1 to 2 was closed – I knew I had to take the M48 but couldn’t remember which way the junctions sequence ran and if this would impact me. As I approached Bristol another Matrix sign was far more useful and gave me the info I needed, the (old) Severn crossing was closed. So I was going to have to use the newer bridge and add 14 miles to my journey, although I didn’t know how much further it was at the time, this will become more significant later on.

Once in Wales I wanted to ride the B4298 from Chepstow to Monmouth, as recommended by Wessie and, as is often the case, the recommendation is an excellent one. The rain had stopped somewhere back on the M4 but the roads here had signs it had been raining, but in the main were dry and the temperature was rising. So I gradually increased my pace on this great stretch of road getting into the rhythm of the twists and turns. And yes looking down into the valley towards Monmouth towards the end of that road is a good view.

I wanted to get onto the A44 west of Crossgrates which involved a bunch of A roads, B roads and unnamed ones; I have ridden this area enough to know that I can let the sat-nav decide which road to take and enjoy whatever it throws in front of me. Once on the A44 I started to figure the distance left to my planned fuel stop, against fuel range, it looked tight. I’d planned to stop in Newtown as it is close to 190 miles from my house and with the 90 mile motorway blast (at 80ish) I can get to Newtown on one tank, just, but how much had the M48 diversion added?

I was able to keep my pace high on the A44 due to lack of traffic, but typically I found a gaggle of 4 cars in the series of tight downhill bends a few mile east of Crossgates, I love these bends and considered turning around and doing them un-impeded, but that really would put me in fuel jeopardy. Besides I knew that the A483 from Crossgate to Newtown was up next, and that’s is one of my favourites.

It didn’t disappoint, I just love the feeling of getting the bike over on its side and feeling the tyres grip and push back as I sweep through those fast bends, joyous. I also know that road is about 20 miles long, the range was showing 19, I’d be fine, I’ve done 18 mile with range on zero before. What I had hadn’t taken into account was that cutting a swath through those long bends I like to open the throttle a lot, more so than when I did those cautious 18 miles. So it was with a few miles still left to ride that the range hit --, at which point my distance travelled was 200, I wasn’t far away and I’d got to the rear of another gaggle of cars, so rather than play leap frog, I stuck at the back and took it easy. The petrol station duly arrived 4 miles later.

I been riding for 3.5 hours, which gave me an average of 58mph, sorry I didn’t calculate the consumption, that way lays joyless riding. I filled that tank with unleaded, drank a half litre of water and ate a couple muesli bars.

Time for some roads I’d not ridden before. A489 westbound out of Newtown, which then cuts north-west and becomes the A470 at Clatter. I think I’m remember this right, but while sections of this stretch are a good ride, my rhythm kept getting broken by the constant slowing to 30mph for villages, just as you cleared a gaggle of cars, you had to slow for the next village. I’d ride it again, it’s a good road to get from A to B or in my case Newtown to Mallwyd, just wasn’t outstanding on this day.

Towards Mallwyd, the road is less important as you hit the peaks and valleys of the Snowdonia National Park. I leave the A470, for now, and head along the estuary to Barmouth, but not before I have to scold myself for forgetting to tell the sat-nav to not take toll roads, I’m heading up the wrong side of the estuary as the sat-nav wants me to use the privately owned Penmaenpool Bridge. Ah well I’ve some loose change in my pocket; then I see the queue, I can’t be waiting, I execute a U turn and head back to the A470 and take the north side of the estuary. This is a road I’ve found I personally need to decide between enjoying spirited riding (a humpy, lumpy twisty road) or look at the views of the river. The decision is half made for me due to the traffic and I think it this direction the view win out too, and I’ve not seen the river with the tide out as it was, look very pleasant in the sunshine.

Barmouth is hard going, snarled up with holiday fun makers, but then I’d rather they congregated here, leaving the beautify places empty. The A496 coast road is another utilitarian one, affording some views of sand, sea and distant misty peaks. Not long after I’m riding into Harlech and the main objective of today’s ride. I find a quiet spot on the side of the road, drink another half-litre of water, eat a pork-pie and attach my Go-Pro on a stick to the back of the bike.

I set the camera recording and ride down the steepest tarmac road in the world (reportedly), yes down, its one way. It’s narrow, twisting and at one section gets decidedly steep at which point it pulls a left hairpin, tricky, it’s too tight to use engine breaking, so its clutch disengaged and judicious use of front and rear brake to negotiate, and then its… over, see for yourself on YouTube . At least I can say I’ve ridden the steepest road, sounds impressive (but isn’t), hey ho, time to find a more joyous road.

Part two to follow

Part two

Leaving Harlech I take the A496 to Blaenau Ffestiniog and back onto a section of the A470 I’ve not ridden before, north bound, nice road, interesting sights. I didn’t want to use the A5 at all, too many bad experiences, so turned off A470 to the right just before the A5, onto and into the unknown, pass through Penmachno, (so now south bound), and on to a single track road that took me up on to some bleak looking moor land, reminded me a lot of sections of Scotland. Found a layby and pulled over for some food and water and a picture, it was warmer than it looks in the photo.

IMG_4819_resize.jpg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)

The single track road joins the B4407 south bound, and where that meets the B4391 I turn left and go around the Afon Tryweryn water. The road’s nice, there’s very little traffic and the views are pleasant. At Bala I take the A494 southward and my pace picks up again, wide fast road, not as exhilarating as some, but fun all the same, with nice scenery to boot.

Back at Dolgellau and I’m back on the ubiquitous A470 but only for a very short distance to Cross Foxes Inn, but that very short section is fast with a couple long sweeping bends. At Cross Foxes I hang a right onto the A487 and enjoy a brilliant road for the next 10 miles. The first part is spectacular, but can also be a really fast ride, I love it, in the rain or sun, with medium levels of traffic or empty, not yet ridden it with lots of traffic and only ever ridden it southbound.

Without warning I get snarled in Machynlleth, after 10 minutes of not moving at, I’m beginning to broil in the hot sunshine, I study the sat-nav in map mode and there really isn’t a way around this. I decide to ignore some of the road markings (there nothing coming the other way) and creep up the solid line of stationary cars, to a point where a day-glow vested person is holding the traffic at bay whilst events take place, I’m guessing their summer fete/carnival. Eventually we are released and I’m first in the queue following the decorated lorries and floats out of the town. I’m was a little frustrated by the long 15+ minutes of waiting, but now being at the head of the queue means once, the floats pull off and I clear the town there’s no traffic heading my way and I have an all but clear road on the A487 for another 15 odd miles and get my head down and progress with vigour and few interruptions as I head for Aberystwyth – near perfect.

Aberystwyth is another planned fuel stop, drink more water and eat another muesli bar. I’m riding the A44 east bound, last time it was a pearl of a road, and wanted to see if I was mistaken at how good I thought it was. No not mistaken, it is a lovely fast and open road, but to be brilliant I think you need luck with the traffic, I obviously was the first time, this time it’s harder work, but still good fun all the same.

When the A44 meets the (you guessed it) A470 I head south and keep on the A470 until the border with the Brecon Beacons, by now I’ve very little space in my memory banks and cannot remember anything outstanding, nor anything bad, so it must have been a good road to ride. Only referring back to a map do I see I cross the Brecons on the A479 and A40 to get to Abergavenny – this I do remember being a great section of the ride, would do this again.

I came this route so as I could ride the B4521 Abergavenny to St Owen’s Cross , once again, or what I’m now calling my mini-Ilse of Man TT track. Having discovered this road last year this is probably the fourth or fifth time I’ve ridden it. And it’s been brilliant every time. However this time I had company, I was followed on to it by a KTM rider, within two corners I knew he was quicker than I, so I let him pass. I won’t go into too much detail but I have never pushed the R1200RS as hard as I did for the next 15~20 minutes. Normally riding I change up gear at 4,500rpm and pull 6,000 occasionally, there no real need to rev it further. I didn’t let it drop below 4,500rpm for most of this road, changing up well north of 8,000, I let the quickshifter sort out the revs when I braked, usually very hard, the rear oscillating a little in protest, getting the power set as I lean it over, then quick shifting back up the gears whilst still leant over with the back tyre squirming under the glorious torque. By St Owen’s cross, my shoulders, chest, forearms and hands ached and I was sweating profusely and I had a grin wider than my rear tyre (which is looking decidedly ragged on the edges now). From what I could see of the KTM rider’s face through his helmet aperture he too had a huge sweaty grin. We gave each other a big thumbs up and went our separate ways.

I took a breather on the A4137, even opening zips and flaps and standing on the pegs to get some cool air flowing. At Monmouth I then turned up the wick again for the run over Wessie’s B4293 back to Chepstow. It is a great road, and I think more fun than the Tintern A466 route. Chepstow and time for more fuel, water and food. I headed towards the M48 fully expecting to have to be divert south to cross the newer bridge, but no the old Severn bridge was only closed westbound, bonus.

I didn’t want to ride the M4 home so had programed the satnav to leave the M4 at junction 19, next time I think I’ll use it until junction 18; the dual carriageways around the outskirts of Bristol are nearly as dull, and a lot slower than the M4. Eventually I’m on the A420, cross the A46 and Chippenham bound, where I pick up what is in essence the A4. Which allows rapid and significantly less boring progress to Newbury. I can now continue across country or drop back onto the M4. I take the latter, my lunacy on the B4521 has taken it out of me, I’m getting tired and want to be home, which I reach 13 hours after I left, having covered 596 miles including the steepest tarmac road in the world. Satnav says that I was riding for 11hr 55minutes at an average of 49mph, which adds up, allowing for the fuel, water and carnival stops.

Wales you have some epic roads and scenery, I will return.