[url=https://flic.kr/p/YkcpVs]Trans-Cambrian Day 2[/url] by Alex Leigh, on Flickr

… and I’ll do a proper write up when I’ve processed all the pictures. It was fab tho even with the somewhat challenging weather. Guided by the lovely people at http://www.mtb.wales

It’s been a while since I’ve ridden three wet days in a row. After 100s and 100s of hub deep and deeper puddles, muddy ruts and some proper all day Welsh rain, I made a list of kit that works brilliantly in these kind of conditions:

– Altura Attack Jacket. Three years old. Never been proofed. Not boil-in-the-bag hot, waterproof, dries quickly, didn’t cost much.

– Osprey Escape 25L pack. Even fully packed comfortable for all day wearing, easy access, brilliant rain cover (and I fell in a river to properly test it) and a great pocket to chuck all your wet stuff in

– Aldi dry bag. Saved my phone and my sandwiches. Also housed spare socks, top and gloves. Which were worth about a million quid. Each 🙂

– Endura MT500 shorts. Did a fab job keeping me sort of dry back there.

– Shimano transmission and brakes. Faultless all weekend (well I had to bend the mech back but that was my fault)

– Squirt chain lube. Needed reapplying a few times but disproved the myth it’s not an all year lube.

The Mojo3 survived although it’s in the shed looking very sorry for itself like it’s been abandoned under an incontinent sheep. Didn’t miss a beat over the three days. Sprayed it randomly with GT85 and hosed it off. Chubby tyres no problem at all.

SealSkinz were okay. Better than normal socks but nothing was going to keep your feet dry when the water was above your knees. Spare pairs of sealskinz half way through the day however were fantastic.

It may sound a bit grim – and was in places – but what an adventure. More on that when I have the photos.

The point is it shows how good modern kit is, and that you don’t need to pay for the most expensive stuff. So what else shall I add to my ‘enter the grim’ collection that fits this category?

That shot looks like you are about to get to the track leading to Claerwen Dam. I can’t imagine how deep the puddles on it are if it’s been raining.

What to add to your collection? A rear mudguard!

Edit: I did the Trans-Cambrian in March (I had to use the remainder of my annual leave up before the end of the month), it were a bit damp then as well!

Yeah that’s where we were. Those puddles were deep and went on for a bit. At one point I was pretty sure I was riding in the river. Apparently it’s lovely in the dry 😉 We did get cheered on by the walkers tho!

The only problem with the Mojo is there is very little clearance with the chubbies esp the seat stays. So it tends to ‘burp’ mud over the top of them. Which would be on the inside of my chosen Mudhugger rear guard and that wouldn’t end well.

I’m trying to fashion one to hang onto the upright DW link if only to protect the bearings and dropper than are right in line of the rear wheel.

It did look ace Alex!
Wet, but ace..

I left Rhaeadr just as the light was fading so got that bit in the dark. A pity as that bit of moorland just before there would have been ace in daylight.

Have some good pics of that I’ll post up on another thread when I’ve been through 150 or so. The last 50 appear to just be close up pictures of rain on the lens!

I really wouldn’t fancy riding any of that section in twilight…

Nice work 🙂

All I can suggest for really wet crappy riding is that full waterproof leg cover is really nice in those conditions. I personally don’t like cold wet spray on my lower legs all the time.

Full length decent riding trousers are somewhat hard to come by but if you can find some they are good.

That’s the start of the sunken road which is exactly how it sounds! I’ve ridden it in August and had water above the hubs and also ridden it in November and had water to the headset!

IMHO it’s one of the best sections of (non-downhill) trail in the Elan valley. Always entertaining especially the river crossing just as you get to the Claerwen Dam.

I think full length ‘troons would have been too warm. The water wasn’t cold. Only really felt cold on the last day but even then not sure I’d want to pedal in anything but shorts. Although if that’d meant dry feet, maybe..

I made a bold effort at that river crossing. Which ended up with me beign nearly swept downstream 😉

That is the downside, and yes a good point – it’s still not actually cold yet.

Did this in October two years ago in brilliant sunshine! Sorry!! It was a brilliant ride and will do it again next year. Even though we had good weather there were plenty of puddles and mud to be negotiated. I am happy to do interesting miles like these, everything doesn’t have to be a wall to wall tech fest.

Twilight? It were dark! I got to Elan Village just as it went properly dark which was just as well as my rear light had died about halfway along the road from Rhaeadr.

I’d done the sunken road in daylight some years ago so knew what was coming. Being on my own and with it being about 10pm I walked round the deeper puddles/floods.

Oh it was still a great ride. Felt like a proper test. I would like to do it in the dry (or at least drier tho). Anyway saving those thoughts for the photo thread.

@whitestone – good call. Decent chance of drowning otherwise!

I did it on March 3rd and it was biblical – most of the grassy climbs before Rhayader were unrideable and it pissed it down all day pretty much. That bit below the dam was 3ft deep for about 200 yds.

https://www.strava.com/activities/887451804

Would like to go back and do it on a dry day and without bivi gear!

Me too Ian – I had to push some sections on the flat! Got a bit fed up with the winding in and out of the valleys at the end.

IN A DAY?
/doffs cap 🙂

IN A DAY?

Well, sort of a day. It was definitely night when I started and finished 😆

It was HT550 training!

I did it in a day too. Took me 15 hours. Due to wearing the wrong shorts I couldn’t sit down the last three hours.

I did it with a mate who had done it there and back in a day. 22 hours.

15hrs moving time for me but I’d a bivy as well so overall time was 25hrs. HT550 training for me as well – it’s not too dissimilar effort to each of the first two days, a bit less distance but a bit more climbing.

Nobody has mentioned the gates!

Molgrips are you sure about your mate as he would have broken the single and double records in that time?

As far as I am aware Ian Barrington holds the double record at 32.5 hours

That’s who I did it with 🙂

I did indeed get the time wrong though you are quite right.

I had 12 hours total riding time – three hours of stops was not great but a chunk of that was me wondering wtf was wrong with my bike and discovering the frame was bent, then taking photos of it for the ensuing warranty claim.

@dave – amusing as always 🙂 I was quite happy with the gates. Gave me time to reflect on exactly how much water it was possible for a single sock to hold.