This is the route from the latest STW mag. Probably the best “out there” feeling ride I’ve done in Wales. You really feel like you’re getting out into the hills on this one.

I rode it on the singlespeed which meant a bit of pushing here & there on the really steep stuff (I’m thinking mainly that first road climb @ 25% gradient). It was -3.5c at the start, and my CK rear hub was frozen. After a bit of frantic spinning of the cranks it started to engage, though it continued to skip throughout the whole ride and was very draggy. hmmm money well spent there then.

The route goes much of the way around the Claerwen Reservoir and on a sunny day like yesterday it was stunning. Mercifully, the wind wasn’t too bad. This ride would be quite a slog in high winds. Anyway, the warning…ICE! Sadly at the moment, the payoff for having the muddy bits nicely frozen means there’s also LOTS of sheet ice, frustratingly mostly on the nice payoff bits of trail. I could tell the main descents in the 2nd half of the ride would be great, but most of it was a walk due to the ice. I’ll certainly come back in the summer & try it again…would be fast as hell.

Also, if you ride the route at the moment, you WILL be wading through rivers. Waterproof shoes recommended 🙂

[video]http://vimeo.com/19337346[/video]

(contains naughty word 🙂 )
[video]http://vimeo.com/19337080[/video]

Crispy looking!

That ice on the spokes looks wild.

It’s a great route. Were there many 4x4s on the Tywi Track?

Great pics.

great pics 🙂

Have only been in the area once but loved it when i was there.

hmmm, interesting. Ta for sharing

Cheers guys. Ambrose, yes there were quite a few 4x4s. Whilst not being the biggest fan of 4x4s on shared tracks, it did look like fun 😆

Covererd some of that ground on last years Welsh Ride Thing, want to go back and ride the area without as much kit some time as was superb

Was a bit warmer when we did it (but wetterer)

Mark, you should have used my patented CK antifreeze technique. Proved in the field that feezing night ride we did up Shotover.

The pics look great and Im impressed you did it in that time on your SS. Well done mate.

Id like to try it sometime – in the warm and with gears 🙂

When i posted up my thread about freezing CK hubs it did seem many other makes had the same issues.

Your spokes are ace though.

I love the second vid – quality moment there. Riding a bike while looking at your storm trooper boots – almost crash.

I also like the fact you took your light along just in case.

WE tend to ride that at the end of June or July as part of the YstwythMTB end-of-month ride schedule. It is a cracking route 🙂 . The track along the edge of Claerwen seems to go on for ages and ages, but that may be due to the fact that we start in Strata Florida and obviously end there. The other advantage of riding it that time of year is that the rivers are a lot lower so easier to ride across 🙂

Nice pics pedalhead … after spending last night swinging from the trees in a hammock, I can vouch for how cold it was 😉

Ainsley, actually I did also use your patented defrosting technique…but it took 30 mins or so before I needed to go :-). Yes, riding over ice with one hand…not my cleverest idea.

still s8tannorm – Member

Nice pics pedalhead … after spending last night swinging from the trees in a hammock, I can vouch for how cold it was

Crikey, respect. It was bloomin cold!