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Lôn Las Cymru (South)

Llandough, Vale of Glamorgan, United KingdomRoad

Signed route The waymarked Lôn Las Cymru (South) (National Cycle Network 8), traced from OpenStreetMap and measured against the terrain model; no member has recorded it yet. Ridden it? Add your recording and photos.

112 km
Distance
874 m
Elevation gain
Hard
Difficulty
Paved
Surface
Download GPXMap
St John the Baptist Church, Cefn-coed-y-cymmer
Photo: John Lord · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Elevation profile

Total ascent
874 m
Distance
112 km
0100200300400500m0 km255075100112 km431 m · highest, at 65.1 kmStartFinish

Route overview

Suitable for riders prepared for a long 112 km distance with 874 m of climbing and mixed surfaces.

Ride Lôn Las Cymru (South) from Cardiff to Llandough in the Vale of Glamorgan covering 112 km with 874 m climbing.

The ride begins at Cardiff Bay and passes through a series of nearby places including Butetown, Grangetown, Cardiff City Centre, Canton, and Llandaff before reaching Coryton at 9.8 km. It continues north-west past Radyr and Tenby towards Merthyr Tydfil at around 44 km. The route includes multiple climbs, such as a 2.8 km climb starting around 13.7 km with an average gradient of 2.2%, and several other moderate climbs between 45 km and 93 km, the steepest being 8.5% maximum gradient over 2.4 km at 86 km. The highest point on route is at 435 m, reached at 62.2 km, and the lowest at 4 m early on at 0.5 km.

Highlights

  • Cardiff City Centre at 2.8 km
  • Merthyr Tydfil at 44.4 km
  • Steepest climb 8.5% max gradient at 86 km
  • Highest point 435 m at 62.2 km

Along the route

Measured from the recorded track and OpenStreetMap.

Places passed

  1. Grangetown 2.1 km
  2. Cardiff City Centre 2.8 km
  3. Riverside 3.1 km
  4. Cardiff 3.2 km
  5. Civic Centre 3.5 km
  6. Canton 3.6 km
  7. Pontcanna 4.4 km
  8. Maindy 5.1 km
  9. Mynachdy 5.6 km
  10. Gabalfa 6.6 km
  11. Llandaff 6.8 km
  12. Llandaff North 8.3 km
  13. Danescourt 8.3 km
  14. Coryton 9.8 km
  15. Radyr 10.5 km
  16. Morganstown 11.5 km
  17. Tongwynlais 12.5 km
  18. Gwaelod-y-garth 13.8 km
  19. Taffs Well 14 km
  20. Nantgarw 16.5 km
  21. Upper Boat 18.7 km
  22. Rhydyfelin 20.5 km
  23. Hawthorn 21.1 km
  24. Pontypridd 23.6 km
  25. Graigwen 24 km
  26. Cilfynydd 25.8 km
  27. Glyncoch 26.5 km
  28. Coed-y-cwm 26.7 km
  29. Abercynon 29 km
  30. Quakers Yard 31.4 km
  31. Treharris 31.7 km
  32. Edwardsville 32.4 km
  33. Merthyr Vale 36.7 km
  34. Aberfan 37 km
  35. Troed-y-rhiw 39.6 km
  36. Pentrebach 40.7 km
  37. Abercanaid 41.5 km
  38. Thomas Town 43.7 km
  39. Twynyrodyn 43.7 km
  40. Cae-draw 44 km
  41. Ynysfach 44.2 km
  42. Merthyr Tydfil 44.4 km
  43. Pontmorlais 44.9 km
  44. Morgantown 45 km
  45. Georgetown 45.1 km
  46. Gellideg 46.5 km
  47. Cefn-coed-y-cymmer 47.3 km
  48. Trefechan 48.4 km
  49. Pontsticill 53.9 km
  50. Aber 71.6 km
  51. Talybont-on-Usk 72.9 km
  52. Cross Oak 74.2 km
  53. Pencelli 76 km
  54. Llanfrynach 78.1 km
  55. Groesffordd 80.7 km
  56. Dorganloch 82 km
  57. Llanfaes 83.3 km
  58. Brecon 83.5 km
  59. Pendre 84 km
  60. Llanfilo 93.7 km
  61. Talgarth 97.8 km
  62. Felindre 102.2 km
  63. Ffordd-las 104.6 km
  64. Glasbury 107.6 km

Climbs

ClimbStarts atLengthGainAverageMaxTop
—13.7 km2.8 km62 m2.2 %4.1 %98 m
—45.4 km2.9 km69 m2.4 %3.8 %255 m
—48.7 km2.4 km53 m2.3 %2.8 %309 m
—52.5 km2.5 km82 m3.4 %5.4 %389 m
—60.5 km1.4 km53 m3.9 %6 %417 m
—86 km2.4 km93 m3.9 %8.5 %266 m
—89.8 km2.6 km61 m2.4 %9.2 %290 m

High point 435 m at 62.2 km; low point 4 m.

What this ride is like

Measured from OpenStreetMap along the track and the elevation profile.

Roads
34% minor road · 28% cycle path · 13% path · 7% track
Main roads
5.8 km on main roads without a cycle lane — likely busier
Fast roads
4.6 km on roads with a limit of 80 km/h or more
Cycle paths
34.5 km on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane
Main roads used
Taff Trail (5 km)
Surface
80% paved · 17% gravel or unpaved
Gradient
20% climbing · 19% descending · 61% flat
Steep sections
2 km over 5% · steepest 500 m averages 6.8% at 94.8 km
Longest descent
10.3 km from 65 km, dropping 281 m

Along the way

Within a few hundred metres of the track, from OpenStreetMap. Opening hours change — treat this as where to look, not a promise.

Longest stretch without a café, shop or water: 16 km, from 60 km to 76 km.

Food, water and shops

  1. 1.1 kmEsso · petrol station · 60 m off route
  2. 3.6 kmWater point · 90 m off route
  3. 3.9 kmHWB Bach Cafe · café · 90 m off route
  4. 12.5 kmFirst Light Coffee · café · on the route
  5. 19.2 kmThe Food Warehouse · supermarket · 90 m off route
  6. 23.8 kmPark View Cafe · café · 40 m off route
  7. 24.8 kmLondis · convenience store · on the route
  8. 29.4 kmTexaco · petrol station · 130 m off route
  9. 43.7 kmAldi · supermarket · 50 m off route
  10. 45.4 kmTasty Trotters · café · on the route
  11. 45.4 kmBoots · pharmacy · 120 m off route
  12. 75.5 kmDrinking water · 40 m off route
  13. 79.8 kmWater tap · 100 m off route
  14. 83 kmToilets · on the route
  15. 83.5 kmBiped Cycles · bike shop · 380 m off route
  16. 97.6 kmTalgarth Bakery · bakery · 190 m off route
  17. 97.9 kmTalgarth Medical Centre · clinic · 90 m off route
  18. 107 kmGulf · petrol station · 60 m off route

Need to bail out?

  • 2.5 km — Cardiff Central (station), 220 m off route
  • 13.8 km — Taffs Well (station), 50 m off route
  • 22 km — Treforest (station), 370 m off route
  • 32.6 km — Quakers Yard (station), 90 m off route
  • 44.4 km — Merthyr Tydfil (station), 300 m off route
  • 53.2 km — Pontsticill (station), 250 m off route
  • 61.6 km — Torpantau (station), 110 m off route

Whether bikes are carried depends on the service — check before relying on it.

Worth a stop

  • 3.5 km — Blackfriars Friary (archaeological site)
  • 12.8 km — Castell Coch (castle)
  • 49.6 km — Pontsarn Viaduct (viewpoint)

At the start

  • A&K General Store · convenience store · 510 m
  • Channel View Water Bus Stop · ferry · 460 m
  • Londis · convenience store · 660 m
  • Brod · café · 690 m
  • Cardiff Food Centre · supermarket · 790 m

At the finish

  • Foyles of Glasbury · restaurant · 110 m
  • The Paddlers Rest · café · 310 m
  • River Cafe · restaurant · 560 m
  • The Harp Inn · pub · 700 m
  • Harp Inn · pub · 690 m

Stay after this ride

  • Foyles of Glasbury · hotel · 90 m from the finish
  • Aberllynfi House B&B · guest house · 500 m from the finish
  • Millfield Caravan Park · campsite · 1.5 km from the finish

Practical information

Surface
Paved
Route shape
Point to point
Riding time
8 h 00 min
Best months
Jun to Sep — daily highs of 18–20 °C in those months

Know before you go

  • Longest stretch without café, shop or water: 15.7 km from 59.8 to 75.5 km
  • 5.8 km on main roads without cycle lane
  • 4.6 km on roads with speed limits 80 km/h or more
  • 17% gravel or unpaved surface

Routes are for inspiration. Roads, surfaces and conditions change — check locally and ride within your limits.

2 photographs from the road

Photo: John Lord · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo: David Purchase · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Michael Dibb · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons