Swansea & Gower Cycling Festival 2024
Following the success of last year’s event, CTC Swansea will stage their second festival of cycling over five days, from Wednesday 29th May to Sunday 2nd June.
As with last summer’s festival, the programme will consist of three rides each day, with routes ranging from shorter, flat rides all or mostly on cycle paths suitable for those who have recently taken up—or returned to—cycling, and families with young children, to moderate rides over longer, hillier routes aimed at more experienced cyclists, to tougher rides with plenty of climbing intended for riders looking for more of a challenge.
Some of the rides will take in the wonderful scenery of the Gower Peninsula—UK’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty—but this year the festival programme will see some rides venture further afield to take in some of the stunning coastline and hills of Carmarthenshire, Neath/Port Talbot, Powys and the Vale of Glamorgan.
Our rides are not sportives or races, with the emphasis being on the social side of cycling, with most rides being ridden at a relaxed pace, giving people time to take in the beauty of the countryside, and to chat and make new friends along the way. All rides will feature regular stops to regroup at junctions and the top of climbs, breaks for coffee, and, for longer rides, a lunch stop. Each ride will have a specified ride leader, a back marker and one other support rider. As with our regular club rides, we adopt a ‘no drop’ policy, meaning no rider gets left behind.
Cycling is recognised as benefiting not only our physical health, but also our mental health. Being on a bike gives you time to think, enjoy nature, and the spectacular views. We have an enthusiastic and dedicated team of volunteer ride leaders ready to welcome you to Swansea and Gower, and share with you their knowledge and experience of our wonderful cycling routes.
Camping reservations are provided at Dunvant Rugby Club. £15 per night or £20 per night with electric hook-up. To make a reservation for tents or campervans/caravans, please contact Mike O'Driscoll directly via revenant@gmx.co.uk or tel 07878 994708.
The festival is sponsored by The Railway Inn, Upper Killay, Swansea, and by The Pilot Inn, Mumbles.
Before booking, please read the How to Book Page, which includes our important T&Cs.
Festival Rides Programme:
This year, we are running fifteen rides over the five days of the festival. As with last year's programme, there will be a range of rides catering for cyclists of varying abilities, from those who prefer shorter, mainly flat rides, to longer routes with some good climbs, to more challenging and hilly rides of up to 60+ miles.
To book a multi-ride 'Festival Pass' for £10.00, click here. The pass allows the holder to join any of the rides featured in the programme.
Wednesday 29 May 2024
Ride 1: Gateway Resort - A Leisure Ride, suitable for families with children, and those new to cycling.
Start: Dunvant RFC, 10.00. Distance: 13 miles, mostly flat on cycle path with one short section of road. To Book a place on this ride, click here.
Ride 2: Southgate & Three Cliffs - a Moderate ride, suitable for more experienced cyclists.
Start: Dunvant RFC, 10.00. Distance 34 miles, with 2257 feet of ascent. A lovely ride out through mid-Gower over Cefn Bryn with some fantastic views, then back along south Gower to Southgate for lunch, and a short ride across the grassy cliff tops for the views over Three Cliffs and Oxwich Bay. To Book a place on this ride, click here.
Ride 3: Carreg Cennen Castle - A Challenging ride, suited for experienced cyclists who enjoy longer distance a more climbing.
Start: Dunvant RFC, 10.00. Distance 46. miles, with 3618 feet of ascent. A beautiful ride heading north from Swansea into Carmarthenshire, up and down hills to the historic castle of Carreg Cennen for lunch. Returning via Ammanford. To Book a place on this ride, click here.
Thursday 30 May 2024
Ride 4: Up the river to Clydach - A Leisure Ride.
Start: Sainsbury's, Swansea Marina, 10.00. Distance 14 miles, mostly flat, following NCR 43 along the river to Clydach for lunch. To Book a place on this ride, click here.
Ride 5: Along Rivers and Canals to Ystradgynlais - A Moderate Ride
Start: Sainsbury's, Swansea Marina, 10.00. Distance, 36 miles with 1404 feet of ascent. A very pretty route following NCR 43 along the Tawe river, and later between the river and a canal, through the villages of Clydach and Pontardawe to Ystradgynlais for lunch, returning with a good climb to the village of Crynant before descending to the Neath Valley for the ride home. To Book a place on this ride, click here.
Ride 6: Kidwelly - A Moderate ride
Start: Dunvant RFC, 10.00. Distance 42.5 miles with 1608 feet of ascent. Cycle path to Llanelli then up NCR 47--the Swiss Valley Cycle path--to Horeb, then on quiet country lanes, with one short steep climb for great view from Mynydd Pembrey, before descending through Trimsaran to Kidwelly for lunch. Return via Pembrey and the Millenniukm Coast path. To Book a place on this ride, click here.
Friday 31 May 2024
Ride 7: Pavilion Cafe - Leisure Ride
Start: Loughor Boat Club, 10.00. Distance, 17.5 miles, mostly flat cycling. Join NCR 4 cycle route heading west to join the Millennium coast path, and follow this through the Wetland Centre, with view across the estuary to the Gower Penisula. Skirting the edge of Machynys Golf Club, keep on the cycle path through North Dock to the Pavilion Cafe and playground at Pwll for coffee and ice cream. Return the same route. To book a place on this ride, click here.
Ride 8: Rhossili - Moderate
Start: Dunvant RFC, 10.00. Distance: 36 miles, 2193 feet of ascent. A beautiful north Gower circuit, heading north and west from Dunvant, out over the heights of Welshmoor to Llanrhidian, on through Burry and Scurlage to Gower's most westerly village of Rhossili. Return via Burry, Reynoldston, up over Cefn Bryn, through Llanrhidian and down on to the Marsh Road, for the return. To book a place on this ride, click here
Ride 9: Llandeilo - Challenging Ride
Start: Dunvant RFC, 10.00. Distance 50 miles, with 2905 feet of climbing. A tough but fantastic ride west and north to join the SWiss Valley path at Felinfoel, following this all the way to Cross Hands; up through Penhriwgoch, and east through Fairfach before reachcing the pretty town of Llandeilo. Return via Derwydd, Llandybie, Saron, Capel Hendre, Llanedi and Pontardulais. To book a place on this ride, click here.
Saturday 1 June 2024
Ride 10: 'Sails & Rails' - Around the bay to Swansea Marina & Mumbles - Leisure Ride
Start: Dunvant RFC, 10.00. Distance 17.5 miles, 246 feet ascent. Follow the cycle path down to the seafront, then flat ride on the promenade to the marina to hear about Swansea's maritime history, then back around the bay to Mumbles for Ice Cream and perhaps a spin on the Big Wheel. To book a place on this ride, click here.
Ride 11: Upper Lliw Reservoir - Moderate Ride
Start: Dunvant RFC, 10.00. Distance 34 miles with 1856 feet of ascent. North along the cycle path (NCR 4) to Gowerton, on through Gorseinon, before swinging east and climbing up above Felindre. Drop down into the village before climbing up to the reservoirs. Return via undulating route to Craig Cefn Parc, dropping down onto new cycle path, on through Clydach Park, before joining NCR 43 and following the River Tawe back to Swansea, then around the bay to the Clyne Valley cycle path back to start. To book a place on this ride, click here.
Ride 12: Brynaman & Amman River Cycle Path - Moderate Ride
Start: Dunvant RFC, 10.00. Distance 50 miles, 1800 feet of ascent. An anticlockwise Loop south to the seafront, then following cycle path to the Marina, up the Tawe River path to Ystalyfera, then northwest to Brynaman to pick up the beautiful Amman River Cycle Path heading west to Ammanford, before turning south with a climb up to Garnswllt, descending into Pontardulais and back to start. To book a place on this ride, click here.
Sunday 2 June 2024
Ride 13: Pontardulais - Leisure Ride
Start: Dunvant RFC, 10.00. Distance 14.5 miles with 402 feet of ascent. A pleasant, mostly flat ride suitable for newer rides and families with kids, along cycle path to Gowerton to pick up another cycle path to Pontardulais for coffee and a sandwich , before returning by the same route. To book a place on this ride, click here.
Ride 14: Llanmadoc - Moderate Ride
Start: Dunvant RFC, 10.00. Distance 31 miles, with 2044 feet of climbing. An anticlockwise North Gower loop that shows off the beauty of the penisula, with fantastic views to the north and south from the Cefn Bryn Ridge. A couple of decent climbs, but well worth the effort and rewarded by lunch at the fabulous Cwn Ivy Cafe. To book a place on this ride, click here.
Ride 15: The Bwlch, via Ogmore Vale - Challenging Ride
Start: Sainsbury's, Swansea Marina, 10.00. Distance 55 miles, with nearly 3000 feet of ascent. One of our signature rides, tackling one of the top 100 climbs in the UK. Heading east from Swansea, to Pyle, then to Blackmill to start the climb up through Ogmore Vale and on up to the top of the Bwlch for amazing views down into Treorchy. Return via Cymmer and the Afan Valley, following the river down through Pontrhydyfen and Port Talbot before heading back to Swansea. To book a place on this ride, click here.
