F- West of Pontypridd

F1- Hafod Lane, flat top tip, llanwonno

Grade- Moderate- a couple of short hard climbs up to the forest, then almost endless forest roads to explore.

Distance- 36.8KM

Highlights- the views in all directions from the flat top tip. Maze of trails in Llanwonno.

Starting point. Pantygraigwen road, just off Graigwen Hill, Pontypridd.

Route- follow Pantygraigwen Road to where it drops down towards the bridge under the railway. On the Right just before the bridge find Hafod lane, heading in the direction of Porth. There are several short sharp climbs on tarmac on this road, until it turns into a gravel track, with another steep hill climb up to the top of the hill. Take the track Right and enter the forestry. From here take a Left turn and follow the forestry roads until you come back out onto open hillside with the unmistakable flat top tip ahead of you. It is possible to get to the top of this from the track up on the far side. It is a bit of a slog pushing the bikes up, but well worth it for the amazing views in all directions. This is one of the highest points in the South Wales valleys, and can be seen from alomost every other hilltop in the region (which means of course you can see almost every other hilltop from here).

heading down the tip is hairy, but fun!. We then make our way back to the mountain road and turn Right over the cattle grid. After just a few yards, there is a forest road on the Left, leading into the heart of the forest. From here you can wander and get lost to your heart's desire! We have plotted an easy circuit which turns right down the long hill, then comes to a lovely single track which crosses a stream, then rejoins one of the main tracks leading past the reservoir and the waterfall , onto another delightful stretch of single track which follows the Clydach brook all the way back into Ynysybwl. If you take the road by the side of the Taff Vale Surgery up the hill for 20 yards, then turn Right, you will come to the Clydach family bike trail which you can follow to Cilfynydd rugby pitch where you pick up the Taff Trail back into Pontypridd.

F2-llanwonno forest- off the beaten track

Grade- Severe-3200 ft of climbing and some steep rocky descents. NOT for the novice!

Distance- 33kms

Highlights- If you enjoy hard climbs and even harder steep descents, then this is the ride for you.

Start point- Hopkinstown Pontypridd- at entrance of Ty Gwynno Nursing Home.

Route- Go straight past the entrance to the Nursing Home along Hafod lane, which climbs up the hill overlooking Porth. Keep winding upwards until you come to a steep stony track leading up to a gate. Go through, turn Right and keep going upwards until you enter the forestry. Follow forest roads to the main mountain road and turn Left towards the Brynffynon pub. Turn Right down the short hill and follow the road in the direction of Ynysybwl. There are several entry points off this into the forestry.

For this ride, we have selected a variety of single tracks through the trees and some very steep stony descents into Cwmaman, along with a very steep stony and muddy climb back out of Cwnaman. It would be impossible to describe how to find these tracks, so the best thing would be to follow this route on Strava. Otherwise getting lost in the forestry and exploring new trails is part of the fun of forest biking.

In the wet this part is muddy and we had to walk some parts.

There are lots of enjoyable tracks.

Stream bed giving access to a great final descent into Hopkinstown.

f3-Pontypridd, Blaenllechau, llanwonno, perthcelyn

Grade- Moderate- one long steady climb, then undulating forest roads.

Distance- 43.9KM

Highlights- Lovely family bike trail up the Rhondda Fach. Some of the biggest puddles you could ever wish for in Llanwonno woods.

start point- Pontypridd Rugby club car park.

Route-take the path up the hill into Maesycoed, then the road down into Pwllgwaun. Find the bike trail to Barry Sidings park, and follow this straight ahead into Trehafod then through the streets of Porth until it joins the Rhondda Fach cycle trail. Continue on this until you get to Ferndale, then take the road uphill to Blaenllechau . Keep climbing straight ahead, until you get to the top street. This leads into a forest road, which leads over the top of the hill. Come to a junction and find a small path leading straight ahead down hill. At the next junction turn right. This follows a path through some of the deepest puddles you could ever wish for.

Rebuilding the river side paths after the coal slip near Tylorstown.

Beautiful forested glades. In December after a lot of rain this was muddy.

Some cycling was through deep long flooded paths. This was great fun but feet get wet.

When the path rejoins a main Forest road, turn Left, then after 200 yards take a stony path downhill in the direction of Cwmamman, Follow this straight ahead and it loops around the mountain above Mountain Ash and joins the road leading up to Perthcelyn. Follow the mountain road back to Ynysybwl, then the Clydach valley trail back to Cilfynydd where you meet the Taff trail back to Pontypridd.

Some narrow paths through bracken. great views over Abercynon.

f4-llanwonno, green mile, cwmaman, ynysybwl

Grade- hard. Two long climbs and lots of muddy forest roads. Say something interesting about your business here.

Distance- 44.7KM

Highlights- a wonderful bit of single track and the "hidden gem" of the green mile dropping down into Cwmaman.

Start point- Graigwen hill, Pontypridd.

Route-You can either go straight up Graigwen Hill on the road, or there is a very challenging track going steeply uphill from opposit Ty Gwynno Nursing Home in Hopkinstown. Either way, continue on to the Brynffynon pub. Turn Left up the hill then take the second forest road on the Right. This takes you to the long hill in the forestry. At the top of this go straight ahead until you get to the road between Maerdy and Aberdare. Turn Right on this for a mile As you come to a final stretch of forestry, there is a gate on the Right which takes you down to a bike gate, and the most wonderful green archway formed by the trees, leading downhill for a mile

At the bottom of this magical track cross a ford over the brook and drop down into Cwmamman. From here there are a myriad of trails leading back into the forestry. We chose a track leading up past the church, then following the Right side of the valley back down to Aberdare. From here there are several routes climbing back up the mountain into Llanwonno. We have selected a route which takes you down another delightful stretch of muddy single track, which then heads back down the Clydach valley into Ynysyybwl. Part of the fun of this forest is finding new trails each time you go out.

We know it as the green mile.. fast gentle down hill. so picturesque.

Just remember to duck. This is an unspoilt wild trail

Bit of fun through the ford at the bottom.

f5- llanwonno, maerdy reservoir, penrhys

Grade- hard- a couple of long climbs with lots of undulating forest roads in between.

Distance- 51.8 KM

Highlights- a lovely reservoir surrounded by windmills, followed by some of the best views in the Rhondda valleys.

Start point- Graigwen hill, Pontypridd. .

Route- either follow the road up Graigwen hill, or follow out route up through the woods. Either way end up at the Brynffynon pub, Go straight ahead up the hill in the direction of Blaenllechau, then just before the cattle grid at the top of the climb turn Right into the Forestry and keep going straight for a couple of miles until you come to the road between Maerdy and Aberdare. There is a cycle path on the right, which crosses the road, and leads into a forest track with then drops down into the valley where it meets a minor road leading to Maerdy reservoir.

From here take the short hill climb on the Right up to the Wind turbines, then follow the gravel roads around the resevoir to come back looking over the resevoir on the Left side. Follow this road over the the top of the hill and find a track doubling back to the left, which goes through a gate, over a cattle grid, onto the open mountain. Follow this to the last windmill, where there is a footpath leading through some muddy patches up to a gate which opens onto the maerdy tip. From here there are the most spectacular views over both Rhondda Fawr and Rhondda Fach valleys. Towards the end of the tip, the dirt tracks go Left down a short incline, then take the first forest track on the right. Stay on this for the next few miles until you come to the next set of windmills. Here you find a track on the right which crosses a gate, then leads along the ridge and drops down into Penrhys. From here take the road down the hill to the roundabout where you can pick up the Rhondda Fach bike trail and head back to Ponty.

Stunning views throughout the ride.

The local population are friendly enough and add to the memorable ride.

f6- Llantrisant Bike Trail, Tonyrefail

Grade- Easy- follows family bike trails and quiet lanes for the most part

Distance- 35kms

Highlights-Some lovely family bike trails.

Start point- Sardis Road car park, Pontypridd. .

Route-From the car park take the footpath to Dewi Sant Hospital, then go down the Graig Hill and turn Right onto Wood Road. Follow the back streets to the University of Glamorgan. Just past the roundabout into the University car park there is a bike trail on the Left heading towards Tonteg. In Tonteg, go across the the Traffic lights on the hill, and take the lane on the Left which leads into the Llantrisant cylce path.

Follow this all the way to Llantrisant. At Cross Hands, take the road straight ahead through the housing estate until you see a footpath on the Left going under the main road. On the Right there is a footpath alongside a small river which takes you all the way to Pontyclun.

Here, cross the road then pick up another bike trail on the Right which takes you all the way to Tonyrefail. Just before you enter Thomastown there is a lane on the Right heading up a steep hill, which comes to a T junction. Turn Left for a few hundred yards to Ty Yr Heol, then turn Right down another minor lane, which shortly climbs a hill to Waun Castellau. Turn Left then after 100 yards take another Left turn down into a tiny dingle, then up a steep hill to Gelliwion road, which takes you down into Maesycoed and back to the strart point.

Extended route- The above route can be extended into a longer, harder ride by including the climb over Maesycoed mountain. In which case it is better to do the ride in reverse. Start point- Barry Sidings park in Trehafod. Just opposite the cafe is a trail heading up into the forestry. Wind your way up to the very top of the hill where there is a circuit. At the far end of this circuit is a track leading onto the old tip above Trehafod.

Follow this to the triangulation point at the very top for some superb views. Then follow the track below this to the Left, at the junction turn Right through 2 gates, then zig zag down through farm fields to the lanes between Pontypridd and Tonyrefail and follow the above route in reverse.

f7- PORTH, PENRHYS GOLF Course.

Grade-Moderate- a couple of steep hill climbs, some tricky mountain paths.

Distance-

Highlights-tricky mountain paths (if you enjoy that sort of thing!) Great views over both Rhondda Fach and Rhondda Fawr.

Start point- Ty Gwynno nursing home, Hafod Lane, Hopkinstown. .

Route-From the Nursing Home go straight along the lane for 2 miles (with several hill climbs) until you find a road on the Left leading down into Llwyncelyn. Work your way along the side streets to the far end of Birchgrove. Here you find a steep gravel path descending to the Rhondda Fach Bike trail. Turn Right onto the road, and opposite you will find the bike/ footbridge crossing over the valley into Ynyshir.

Turn right, then take the fist Left, and continue to zig zag upwards to the top street, from which there is a steep road going up to the top of the hill. Go through a gate into a yard, then take the next gate straight ahead of you along a track with great views. Head left up to another gate, then follow the old tip road to the very top of Mynydd Troed Yr Rhiw.

-From here there are stunning views up and down the Rhondda valleys. Head for a TV mast on your right,. Adjacent to this is a gate which leads onto the Golf Course. On your left is a small rain shelter. At the side of this is a single track path which leads down through the woods, and out onto the open mountain. As soon as you leave the woods, take the track on the right heading uphill onto the old coal tips.

Here there is a wonderful maze of tracks to explore, and great views up and down the Rhondda Fawr. Wind your way off the coal tips and find a track heading Up the valley but staying on the top of the ridge. This becomes tricky in places, but runs along the West side of the golf course until you get to the road into the Golf club

There is an optional circuit along the right of way on the road through the middle of the golf course. Near the end of this, just before the gate you first entered the golf course (by the rain shelter), there is a turn Left, which ends at a Tee. At the far side of this Tee is a tiny footpath which leads over a stile, back onto the open mountain. Here there are gravel roads back to the Golf Clubhouse.

Just past the Club house is a large house surrounded by a long wall. By the side of this is a great downhill track which leads down to the playing fields and play ground at Pontygwaith. Head up the valley a short way, to the roundabout at Stanley town, and from here you can follow the Rhondda Fach cycle trail all the way back to Pontypridd. -