Winter warmer: Blackpill to Pontardulais and return

This is a nice route to ease us back into cycling following the Christmas lul, gentle gradients without too many hills!
We start in Blackpill, from where follow the cycle track through the wooded Clyne Valley to Gowerton. At Gowerton we pick up the new cycle track that takes us through the estuarine habitat of the river Llan to Gorseinon and continue through to Grovesend. We then join the road and cycle via Pontlliw to Pontardulais where we encounter the only proper hill of the route. From Pontardulais we follow the B4296 to Grovesend, where we rejoin the cycle track to retrace our route back to Gowerton and Blackpill.

A nice steady paced route, with much of the route on gently graded cycle paths to ease you back into the New Year.

Approximately 70% of the route is along traffic free cycle paths, with a small percentage on unclassified roads and the A48 and B4296.

We will stop for coffee at either Pontardulais or Gowerton, so please bring money for any refreshments you require. We will also stop for breathers as necessary along the route.

Please wear helmets, have weather appropriate clothing and ensure that your bike is in good working order. It is always handy to carry a pump and spare inner tube/puncture repair kit. Please bring any refreshments you might need on route and money for refreshments when we stop. Additionally because of Covid and to ensure that our rides are as safe as possible please note the following and take action where appropriate. (1) When booking your place on the ride, please ensure that you have completed all the contact details. We will need these should anyone who is on the ride subsequently become aware of Covid symptoms so that we can follow the guidelines in the ‘Trace, Test and Protect’ program. (2) Should you, or anyone in your household, become aware of Covid symptoms after booking, please cancel your place on the ride. Also, please do not book a place on the ride should you, or anyone in your household, be suffering from any of the symptoms listed on the NHS website and symptoms for Omicron. (3) Please take a lateral flow test and ensure that it is negative before you join the ride. (4) You will need to be self-sufficient on the ride i.e. please bring your own tubes, pump, tools, food and drink etc. as sharing raises the risk of spreading Covid19 (5) Please bring hand sanitiser and gloves. (6) We will where possible keep socially distanced on the ride, so please adhere to this. (7) If you experience symptoms after the ride, please undertake a lateral flow test (LFT), and if necessary get a Polymerase Chain Reaction test (PCR). If this is positive, you need to contact the ride leader as quickly as possible to enable the Track, Trace and Protect procedure.

We are a friendly group and particularly welcome newcomers.