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Next Tuesday (23rd Oct) I am hoping to have a few hours spare to ride this area and have identified two options:
1. Take the cross bike and do a mostly tarmac loop between Elan and Pont-rhyd-y-groes taking in the gravel track on the northern shore of the Claerwen reservoir.
2. Take the fatbike and do a shorter more off-road loop including what is marked on the map as an 'ancient road' over the top of Clawdd Du Mawr and a few other tracks. On Google Earth that ancient road looks a bit indistinct so can anyone tell me whether it's currently rideable or suggest anything better?
Thanks in advance.
2. is the Monks Trod and after all that rain its going to be mostly utter shit.
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/monks-trod-near-rhayader/
1. The claerwen track is a bit dull but nice to be out there and go over the top to the Teifi pools. If you find the weather comes in, look out for the Claerddu bothy just the other side of the track from Lyn Teifi.
Nice pub in pontrhydfendigaid if its open https://www.blacklionhotel.co.uk/en-GB
Do NOT do the Monks Trod. It is horrible beyond belief.
The Tywi track, beside the river Tywi is a bit of a hoot though. From The Devil's Staircase to Strata Florida and back. Avoid in heavy rain. Seriously . Lots of river crossings, including a couple of potentially dangerous ones.
Hi Ambrose!
Its a long way back round to Elan from abergwesyn though to make a loop from SF via the devils staircase.
Monks Trod 😳😳😳😳😳
after this rain =Â avoid! avoid! avoid! avoid!
However if you want a nice route there are loads. For an easy one I'd suggest start at the visitor centre up the path, over Roman Camp, down Golf links and then back to the visitor centre for a nice quick loop. This could always be extended by going up past the kennels and down the chute.
Not my vid but Golf Links
Tywi track is a great there and back route as there are quite a few tracks/ trails that criss-cross it. Stoner is proper right- there is a long loop possible. I wrote it up years ago for a long-defunct site called offroad adventures online. I cant find a copy of it anywhere on my PC, sorry.
Monks Trod it was classified as a 'road' years ago, was one of the toughest trails you could do on a motorcycle.
There is very little trail on the ground, just tussock grass, reeds, moss and massive bogs.
You need a decent map & compass as the weather can change quickly up there.
It would sometimes take all afternoon to get across it, seen enduro bikes buried up to the fuel tank.
Would avoid it with anything less than 40bhp !!
Was part of the Welsh 2 day Enduro, I think the pros did it less than 15minutes...braaapp!
Thanks folks. From what you've all told me option 1, the big loop on the cross bike is looking most likely. I rode the tarmac from Devil's Bridge to the Claerwen dam on my motorbike in July and met a lad touring on a cross bike at the end of the gravel road so really want to do a route that takes in that gravel myself.
Was part of the Welsh 2 day Enduro, I think the pros did it less than 15minutes…
It was 10 minutes the last time it was in the Welsh.
Not that difficult to clean.😉
I've also done it on an MTB in winter. Took a lot longer and no where near as much fun.
Afon Arban, FTW
Don't be silly.
Afon Arban, FTW
If if you want to push, carry, throw your bike 4 miles up a river then this is the track to choose
One account of taking a bike up it
http://allthegear-noidea.blogspot.com/2012/01/of-mice-and-men-bit-of-tolkien-five.html