![Cycling Melin y Coed, Wales one-lane country road surrounded by green pastures; mountains in distance]()
Cycling Melin y Coed, Wales
Ride two miles gaining 1,055’ at 10.3% average grade.
This climb has one very steep segment near the beginning of the climb: a full half-mile at 16.5%. Simon Warren lists this as the third hardest climb in Wales, and sixth toughest in all the UK.
![Cycling Melin y Coed, Wales photo collage of PJAMM Cyclist riding along one-lane country roadway, pastureland, stone buildings]()
![Cycling Melin y Coed, Wales PJAMM Cyclist rides along roads lined with stone walls and ivy hedges]()
An old church across a stone bridge marks the start point of the climb up Melin y Coed. The road is narrow, as nearly all of the residential roads are in this corner of the world. Melin y Coed however, is narrow even by Welsh standards.
![Cycling Melin y Coed, Wales Tree tunnel near climb's start]()
Tree tunnel within the first 200 yards of start.
![Cycling Melin y Coed, Wales photo collage shows views along first half of climb, densely forested roadway, bike parked in front of old stone church]()
Scenes along the first half of the climb.
![Cycling Melin y Coed, Wales photo collage shows views along the climb route: pink foxgloves, green pastureland]()
You’ll pass a few homesteads en route to the top and it is clear that not much has changed out here for the last few hundred years.
![Cycling Melin y Coed, Wales old brick building with sign reading "No unauthorised access to buildings without permission"]()
Nine-tenths mile mark.
There is one livestock gate to contend with on your ride to the top, but it is easily opened and not a ‘Private Property’ gate - it’s only there to keep the livestock in. The summit is at a ‘T’ intersection with a main(ish) road.
![Cycling Melin y Coed, Wales PJAMM Cyclist closes livestock gate behind him]()
Gate at mile 1.3.
On a clear day, this is a spectacular view and certainly one worth doing. You can see the cows, sheep, and goats grazing. Overall this climb is tough at first but after the first mile, the road and gradient become easier, and it is well worth doing, especially if you include the ride through the town and bridge near the start.
![Cycling Melin y Coed, Wales PJAMM Cyclists stand with bikes at climb finish, aerial drone view]()
Climb’s finish.
![]()
That’s a wrap!