[Closed] 'The Gap' route, 'ridden' GPX wanted.

In terms of gnarlyness the gap route is pretty mellow. One loose rocky section at the start of the gap but that's short and not particularly technical. It's more of a nice ride out in the hills than a challenging ride. Be interested if anyone knows if there's any decent bits to add onto the loop to make it more interesting.

My tip is to start the loop at talybont, get most of climbing out of the way at the start and finish with a pint!

cheers creamy, we are starting in talybont as we're stopping there overnight. We're heading to bpw the following day so there will be plenty of tech so yes I have chosen this route for just a nice mellow scenic ride, but if we can get some tech in all the better. It does seem an easy extension of sorts is to ride or push up at the gap itself to either Fan y big (s****) or Pen y fan and then ride back down.

Not sure if I have a ridden GPX of the "official" Gap route as every time I ride it tends to be a bit of a variant.

Here's one I did a couple of weeks back for Wild Rides who sometimes posts here. A more interesting climb and descent than the normal route from Talybont. You'd probably not want to go all the way down into Ponsticill - that's where these clients were staying - but you could turn right after Dolygaer to head back up towards the Gap.

https://www.strava.com/activities/531904053

Edit to add - not sure you'd make any friends trying to ride up, or riding back down, from Pen y Fan or Fan y Big. Neither are bridleways, both busy with walkers most of the time, and there've been lots of problems with erosion all along the escarpment there (caused by walkers, obvs, not MTBers, but illicit riding is not likely to go down well and shouldn't be encouraged IMHO).

Its worth getting up onto Pen y Fan if you have good visibility. It IS a footpath though, so don't be a dick.

[img][url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7792/17908225656_5cfd103a68_o.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7792/17908225656_5cfd103a68_o.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/thukzj ]IMAG2459[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/martinddd/ ]martinddd[/url], on Flickr[/img]

How much distance are you prepared to add to the route (it is not actually that long as routes go, my dogs have run it along side me before now). I could suggest a couple of nice additions but it would add about 15 kms to your day

I'd be interested in that there route mr welshfarmer.

jekkyl - Member

Hello peeps. I'm after a gpx of the gap route out of talybont from a ride that's actually been ridden

YGM

My tip would be to take a rigid bike. I've done it on a full sus and my Swift and much preferred the latter.

Don't know about rigid when you come to the rocky bridleway descents. Unless you are pootling down them.

Belting down them at speed I was glad of the full sus. The rest I could have done on the hard tail, but the fast blast stuff was a right laugh. Reminded me of some of the stuff in the Lakes.

Route I did. Coming out of Brecon along the canal and turning up the climb from Talybont. Glad of the warm up along the canal rather than starting straight away on a long slog climb.

https://www.strava.com/activities/359921008

I found the main descent a bit dull on a full sus. Much more engaging on a rigid bike and it enouraged me to stop once or twice and look at the scenery. Which was nice. 🙂

nice one. cheers all.

I'd be interested in that there route mr welshfarmer

and me... 🙂

I have done gap, black mountains, sarn helen, on 100mm, 120mm full suss, 160mm full suss, hardtail and rigid as I've changed bikes over the years. Personally I reckon hardtail is most sensible for the Gap. 160 in the black mountains was pointless for 99% of the ride but super fun for 1% of it... but then I knew that before starting, I only wanted to try something different. Gap is less technical and hardtail makes it more interesting.

Stu pm sent.
Sideshow, I would need a pm contact to send you anything

I will have the gpx as well please welshfarming chap.
Looking at the map, this bridleway up from a waterfall and down to the top of the res looks tasty.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=307597&y=220246&z=120&sv=307597,220246&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=791&ax=307597&ay=220246&lm=0

Nah, that one is not so good. Boulder field at the top.

Personally I've never been a fan of the Gap route it's just a bit dull, go do the Black Mountains one instead would be my recommendation.

yup just in case you didn't read all the thread, dull and scenic is what I'm after as we're going to bpw the following day.

...Looking at the map, this bridleway up from a waterfall and down to the top of the res looks tasty....

That is not a bridleway.

If it isn't Ambrose, why not provide the info as to what you think it is and why, instead of waiting for someone to ask? ??

Cheers Mr farmer.

I have allways enjoyed the Gap ride, it's a nice ride , this route starts and finishes in Talybont

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2843922

I can email you the gpx file but you should be able to download it from the link