National Cycle Route 8: Taff Trail

The alternative route for Lôn Las Cymru follows the 55 miles of the Taff Trail from the centre of Cardiff to Brecon.

From here, it tracks east on quiet roads, passing through Talgarth, Felindre and finally Glasbury, where it joins with route 42 on the banks of the River Wye.

It has the advantage of being mainly off-road, following a disused railway line along the banks of the Taff River from the city centre to the outskirts of Merthyr Tydfil and then out onto open mountainside at Torpantau. Here, it climbs out of the Taff Valley and drops easily, on the old Merthyr-Brecon railway line, into the pretty vale of the Usk, close to the small village of Talybont-on-Usk. It picks up the Brecon and Monmouthshire Canal at Brynich Lock and then follows the old towpath easily into the centre of Brecon.

The surfaces are good throughout and there are plenty of places to stay along the way if you don't fancy doing the whole thing in one day. Using Beacons Bus you can catch the bus to Brecon with your bike following on the trailer and then cycle back to Cardiff.