I’ve fancied a go at the route from Crickhowell in the V Publishing book ever since I got it and have a free weekend coming up with a favorable forecast at the minute.

However I don’t know the area and wondered what conditions are likely to be at the minute? I don’t fancy the long drive and possible overnight stay to be riding a bog when I could head to the Lakes.

I did it the other week and it was brilliant, though it is probably quite a bit wetter now. I think some bits of it will be a bit slippy and muddy, a fair bit is rocky so would be fine. If you’re going clockwise from Crickhowell then the first big long climb is grass for the last mile or two, so maybe slippy and I wouldn’t want to descend on it if going anti-clockwise. Once over Pen Trumau there are bits of grassiness, then the byway over Castell Dinas and the other side will be pretty claggy i would have thought. Y Das and Grwyrne Fawr are mostly rocky so fine to do. All in it’s probably a ride that is more rewarding when it’s drier!

I’ve done it both in Nov and in the summer. There’s quite a contrast. The ride in November was one of the most tiring rides I’ve ever done – wet and very “draggy” with getting lost and fading light thrown into the mix. By contrast, a dry ride in June with skylarks and a cuckoo adding to the soundtrack on the Pen y Trumau ascent was one of the best rides ever. Top it off with an overnighter at the Bear Hotel in Crickhowell (v biker friendly), steak & chips and a few real ales with mates and you have the makings of a fantastic day out.
Unless you know where you’re going, I’d leave early to have as much daylight as possible and try to pick a dry spell beforehand.

I ride it regularly, once a month or so as my parents live in Crickhowell so it’s handy for a bath and food at the end 😀

It’s been very wet for the last few days there after a longish dry spell so the ground shouldn’t be too bad but not dry, expect the odd boggy bit. Definitely better in the summer though.

Cheers chaps, I’ll maybe give it a miss this weekend and do something next summer.

Now, where to go this weekend?