By Jack Luke

Published: Saturday, 25 December 2021 at 12:00 am


With lockdown restrictions largely lifting in spring and an occasionally roasting hot summer here in the UK, the team made the most of their riding time 2021.

Now entombed in the gloomy depths of December, we’ve decided to end the year on a high note and look back at our best rides of the last 12 months. From epic gravel-flavoured adventures to fun homely loops, the team has packed in a tonne of truly memorable rides.

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Robyn Furtado – a Gower gravel adventure

"Gower
The loop has great views out over Carmarthen Bay.
Robyn Furtado / Immediate Media

Fresh out of last winter’s lockdown, the main thing I wanted to do in spring was go cycling in Wales.

The route I decided on was an off-road circuit of the Gower Peninsula. The Gower is well known for its gigantic, remote beaches, but I’d never seen anyone cycling there, so I was interested to approach it on two wheels.

I went with my partner, Sven, who hasn’t done much gravel cycling. I sold him this route as ‘the easiest gravel adventure in Wales’, so it had a lot to live up to.

We started in Swansea, and quickly climbed out of the city onto the moors. The first few miles were surprisingly squelchy and not completely straightforward, with more than a few bogs to wade through, not to mention several wrong turns and three fences to throw the bikes over. Things did improve, however, once we’d cleared the first five miles.

As we headed around the peninsula, the scenery got more wild and hilly, with quiet, lovely lanes and a well-located pub for a lunchtime nap.

"Gower
There are some big pushes on the ride.
Robyn Furtado / Immediate Media

We climbed up onto the moors at the southernmost point of the peninsula on a formidable double-track climb, which opened out to wide, beautiful vistas across Carmarthen Bay and beyond. We cruised along the top of the moor for a while, before plunging back to sea-level through flowering gorse bushes and the odd panicked sheep.

The route officially climbs up again, back over Rhossili Down, but as the path was closed that day, we took a bridleway along the edge of Rhossili beach instead. There was a ridiculously steep path back up from the beach to Rhossili village, which took a lot of pushing and panting to get up, but was worth it for the views back over the beach.

We camped at Oxwich, ending the day in very British fashion – by eating our body weight in chips, hiding from the hungry seagulls, and watching a rainy sunset.

The full loop is around 50 miles, with 3,500 feet of climbing and would make a good weekend bikepacking trip or a long day ride. The area is stunning, and always within reach of a pub or cafe.

I mentioned I was writing about the trip to Sven, and he said it was: “a great weekend” completely unprompted, so it must have lived up to the hype!

Jack Luke – the best day of my Welsh tour

"View
My four-day tour through Wales was my riding highlight of 2021.
Jack Luke / Immediate Media

My four-day tour from Newport to Bangor in August marked a high point in my riding last year.

There were no dull roads on this route but the penultimate day, which took me from Machynlleth to Llanllyfniwas, was the highlight of the trip.

The day kicked off with a long drag out of Machynlleth through a bosky valley towards Aberllefenni. I’d been on these exact same roads just weeks before at Grinduro and it was a real treat to revisit them.

From here, I turned northward up Cwm Hengae and over the stupendously steep pass at the head of the valley. I am not in the slightest bit ashamed to say I pushed my laden bike through some of this.

"Slate
Green stuff and slate mining waste – the two dominant textures in this part of Wales.
Jack Luke / Immediate Media

The vertiginous descent into Dolgellau was over in a flash, and this is where I joined NCN 8. From here, I enjoyed a lovely estuarine trundle on a disused railway path and over the rickety rail bridge to the charmingly naff Barmouth.

NCN 8 follows the route of the caravan-choked A496 for a few miles from here. The expanding views of the moody Snowdonia massif framed by white breakers in Tremadog Bay were a welcome distraction.

"Microwave
Why? I’ll never know.
Jack Luke / Immediate Media

From Llanfair, the route climbs high onto quiet roads on the slopes that run right down to the coast. The views from here are fantastic, but various questions about the microwave (or popty ping, if you prefer) that had been embedded into a drystone wall occupied my thoughts for at least the next 10 miles.

"Basecamp
This wee hostel comes highly recommended if you like old-school (and cheap) accommodation.
Jack Luke / Immediate Media

After crossing the causeway to Porthmadog, I rejoined quiet roads that skirt the southwestern edge of Snowdonia National Park before joining a traffic-free route near Pant Glâs. A gentle last lap took me to the delightfully old-school Basecamp Wales hostel.

The riding in this part of the world is exquisite and I really cannot wait to be back.