Into the valleys: an off-road cycle ride through south Wales

From Swansea to Abergavenny via the Brecon Beacons, this trip takes in forests, mountains and a former industrial heartland

After a winter lockdown riding the same old roads within a few miles of home, I am desperate to explore somewhere new and a little further afield. Going somewhere by train and riding home is a simple format for a bike tour, so I hop on a train from Abergavenny to Swansea, on the far side of the south Wales valleys, with no plan other than to spend a couple of days riding back.