[Closed] Route help - Rhayader & Brecon Beacons/Black Mtns hybrid bikes

Really depends just how "off-road" you are happy to ride? I can sort you out routes easy enough but your idea of what is fun on a gravel bike may not match mine 🙂

How would you feel about tracks like these...

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@welshfarmer - thanks, the first photo looks fab !

Basically if the off-road is not horrendously steep, muddy/boggy or rocky we can do it, albeit slowly. It's a bit more enjoyable if you don't have to push the bike

We had a nice Easter weekend in Rhayader many years ago and enjoyed it on the HTs but I've forgotten the details of the routes we did.  We take the gravel/hybrids on the campervan nowadays as you can just ride from the campsite without thinking about where to park up etc.

just back from that area although in the end we didn't do much cycling 🤣 If you look on OpenCycleMap there's the Four Castles Cycle Route heading east from Abergavenny, look interesting but we didn't actually get around to doing it! All road though so shouldn't be taxing. There's loads of canal path cycling too, scenic and lots of cafes/pubs along the way but mostly dead flat & you can't go very fast as they're so busy!

We found the Dragon Inn in Crickhowell excellent for an evening meal (but you'll probably need to book)

The Hummingbird Cafe in Llanover was our best find, really lovely!

Post glitch bump

Any more suggestions?

Thanks

Try the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, it goes from Newport all the way to Brecon via Usk Valley, Abergavenny and Crickhowell, betweeen Black mountains and Brecon Beacons. I usually start at Llanover. Can be busy with walkers in places. You can detour up into the Beacons at Talybont on Usk following the Brinore tram road, or minor roads around Llangorse and Talgarth are great. Lots of gravel/quiet roads in the Elan Valley around Rhayader, google will show you plenty of routes

thanks

I did a nice ride round the Elan Valley reservoirs from Rhayader. Mostly road, some paved tracks, one path with slight jeopardy round a closed section of railway cutting - due to rockfall/ instability. Had to run the bikes across, come back, have wife walk with 3 y.o. while I one-wheeled the wagon with the 18 m.o. across a shifty scree slope. The climb out of Rhayader with 50 kgs of wagon and boys was a bit of slog, too.

Lovely ride, though. It's in the Lost Lanes - Wales book which is well worth having. Good swim spot at the river junction south of Rhayader, too.

https://lostlanes.co.uk/10gd/

That one.

Closure is where the route follows the eastern side of Penygarreg reservoir.

@nedrapier - thanks.

I think I did that loop the last time I was in Rhayader 15 yrs ago on a HT.

Thanks @nedrapier, I've ordered the book as there are lots of hopefully interesting rides in it

Grand! It's a lovely book. I've done a bunch of the original SE/London ones, and a handful if the Wales ones. I'll buy the Wales one again, as I left it with my BIL's family in Tywyn at the end of the last trip. I'll probably get the others too. Doing a ride or two from the books can be a nice focus to a week away.

Edit: LL Wales, North and West just boughtened!

@welshfarmer - what route is that that first photo on?

Thanks @nedrapier

It was lovely today on the Elan loop

If you go from Abergavenny up to Gospel Pass, can you get across the bridleway on a hybrid/gravel bike via Chwarel Du to Craswall?

I fancy doing the loop from Aber but not the descent to Hay and climb back up (I know it's lazy but it was 28C today and 26C tomorrow)

Anyone done that short cut before??

missed your update before. Glad you had a good ride!

The answer was yes it's mostly rideable. Waist deep bracken hiding the many paths, bridleways and sheep tracks are not helpful but 90% is rideable on 40mm tyres.

It was very hot today again. The coffee and cake at the priory was nice but the pint of Butty Bach at the Skirrid was lovely