Ride to Llangynidr

It has been worked out by people in white coats with a variety of pens in their top pocket, that the average man drinks 11,600 pints in his lifetime. Being a rugby fan living in the South Wales valleys I’m sure I’ve polished my allowance off, but as my partner doesn’t drink I’ve decided to have her share, after all, wouldn’t want the white coat man study to go to waste, they may have to get a real job.

I’ve also decided to combine my love of a good pub, my definition of a good pub is one with excellent beer and food with my love of motorcycling, the two don’t necessarily go hand in hand but I’ve made them work. I choose a ride and try and discover a new pub on the way. My first discovery is the Coach and Horses Llangynidr, the ride or drive there is fantastic, take the A470 from Cardiff to Merthyr then the A4060 to Dowlais top, take the A465 to Rassau, this is the boring leg of the journey, and turn onto the B4560, this is a bike riders dream long sweeping roads climbing to a point that makes you stop because your breath has been taken away. The views of the Beacons, Talybont res, Llangorse and Pen Y Fan are incredible, drop down the mountain turning left into Llangynidr, the Coach and Horses is on the left, park in the large car park opposite; you can sit directly outside or across the road in the large beer garden which has fantastic views of the Brecon and Monmouthshire canal when we were there we were treated to the site of a Red Kite hovering over the fields.

The pub has some nice real ale and favours the Rhymney and Wye valley brewery’s the Hobby Horse is excellent. It has nice stripped stone floors with a big log fire lovely for the winter. It also does a very nice line in food with all the usual favourites on the menu and with some nice touch’s such as roast peppered local venison haunch steak and local cured bacon steak on creamy champ potato. This is an excellent pub for day walkers, hikers or just someone nice to stop. It is also an excellent ride for bikers. The Coach and Horses has recently started letting rooms.