📔 Editor's Letter - August 2022
Welcome!
Melanie and I finally stole away in June for a brief holiday following the "pandemic years" and naturally upon our return, we both came down with Covid 19. (The irony... urgh!) That knocked two solid weeks out of my schedule and pushed this issue a tad late.
With that being said, the theme of this issue is Routes to Ride. I created this area of my blog several years ago whilst volunteering for Sustrans and for 2022 I decided to re-build the section. I've started my ambitious project by adding several new routes I've created over the past few years, as well as updating some of the older routes with new photographs and commentary.
My cover story starts this issue with; Sugarloaf Classic [explore], a beautiful area surrounding Sugarloaf Mountain and a local favourite for walkers and hikers of all ages. For the past few years I've been exploring many of the wonderful lanes that weave around and behind this well-known mountain with the goal in mind of creating something interesting to cycle. You can now take a look at some of my recent discoveries as I continue plotting my favourite sections together for this ongoing project.
Continuing on the theme of designing cycle routes, my second feature is from the Rhondda Fach Valley; Maerdy & Aberdare [explore]. This adventure travels through an area rich in Industrial Age history. The towns of Tylerstown, Ferndale, and Maerdy, and the collieries which once stood along this now lush and verdant valley provide a fascinating area for cycling. I've outlined the trials and tribulations I encountered whilst exploring this fascinating valley as I attempt to piece together a cycling route.
My third feature is an update to a classic and one of my first designed routes going back to 2014; Cordell Country. The route is designed to highlight the valleys Alexander Cordell wrote of in his Welsh Classic; "Rape of the Fair Country". It's a wonderful novel which portrays not only the landscape, but the people who live in this lovely part of Wales. It's intriguing to ride through the valleys and recall the stories Cordell told and yet, through all the years, the feel of these valleys is unchanged.
It takes a surprising amount of time and effort to photograph, edit, and then write about Routes to Ride, (my latest installment contains no less than 179 photos!). But I admit that I do enjoy the process. Wales is a fascinating place to study and explore, especially by bicycle. I worked for nearly two years to complete my latest installment and the fourth new article for this issue; Blaenavon Ramble.
On a different note; last month I rode in a car for the first time in over two years (it was shocking and I got a little sick to my stomach...) We rode up over an area the locals call "cowboy country" and during the ride I was reminded of my belief that cycling is such a better way to see the world. So when I came home, I felt complelled to update a gallery of photos from when I cycled the exact same route nearly five years ago. Be sure to check out Llangynidr Commons II and tell me what you think.
As usual, I'm continuously surfing the Internet in search of interesting things other people are doing on their bicycles. I was thrilled to discover the YouTube video regarding The 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps and then the article on The Radavist website; "Dignity and Truth, Part 1" tied it all together brilliantly. I'm still in awe.
I hope you enjoy this year's fourth issue and continue visiting my little world of cycling in Wales. If you've any questions or issues you'd like to share, do not hesitate to contact me. I'd love to hear from ya!
Thanks again for all your support and encouragement. Your readership means everything. 🚲
cheers! - muse kidd
bikewales99@gmail.com
Quiet lanes winding behind Sugarloaf Mountain...
With that being said, the theme of this issue is Routes to Ride. I created this area of my blog several years ago whilst volunteering for Sustrans and for 2022 I decided to re-build the section. I've started my ambitious project by adding several new routes I've created over the past few years, as well as updating some of the older routes with new photographs and commentary.
My cover story starts this issue with; Sugarloaf Classic [explore], a beautiful area surrounding Sugarloaf Mountain and a local favourite for walkers and hikers of all ages. For the past few years I've been exploring many of the wonderful lanes that weave around and behind this well-known mountain with the goal in mind of creating something interesting to cycle. You can now take a look at some of my recent discoveries as I continue plotting my favourite sections together for this ongoing project.
Get yer gravel on in Maerdy...
My third feature is an update to a classic and one of my first designed routes going back to 2014; Cordell Country. The route is designed to highlight the valleys Alexander Cordell wrote of in his Welsh Classic; "Rape of the Fair Country". It's a wonderful novel which portrays not only the landscape, but the people who live in this lovely part of Wales. It's intriguing to ride through the valleys and recall the stories Cordell told and yet, through all the years, the feel of these valleys is unchanged.
The high valley above Blaenavon...
On a different note; last month I rode in a car for the first time in over two years (it was shocking and I got a little sick to my stomach...) We rode up over an area the locals call "cowboy country" and during the ride I was reminded of my belief that cycling is such a better way to see the world. So when I came home, I felt complelled to update a gallery of photos from when I cycled the exact same route nearly five years ago. Be sure to check out Llangynidr Commons II and tell me what you think.
As usual, I'm continuously surfing the Internet in search of interesting things other people are doing on their bicycles. I was thrilled to discover the YouTube video regarding The 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps and then the article on The Radavist website; "Dignity and Truth, Part 1" tied it all together brilliantly. I'm still in awe.
I hope you enjoy this year's fourth issue and continue visiting my little world of cycling in Wales. If you've any questions or issues you'd like to share, do not hesitate to contact me. I'd love to hear from ya!
Thanks again for all your support and encouragement. Your readership means everything. 🚲
cheers! - muse kidd
bikewales99@gmail.com
