Don't worry any roads will be quiet … it's not uncommon for me to ride all day (8 hours +) and not meet a sole 😀

Aye you're right John it's about enjoying the journey … shame though as I was looking forward to a go on your Jones 😉

I fully intend to enjoy myself, even if I decide to do it on the singlespeed 🙂

What's the consensus on the bridleway that goes through checkpoint 12?
I've not ridden it, but I recall a mate telling me he had, and it wasn't pretty…

my favourite bit from last year, beautiful it was/is.

Come on give us WRT virgins more info about the "bridleway that goes through checkpoint 12"

took a lot longer than i was expecting.

all kitted out for a trial run this weekend, about 100 miles with wild camp.

Oooh Checkpoint 12…. yes I have memories. well more like Flashbacks…. don't expect dry feet. 😉

My short route is 35% road. and 20% pushing…..

Flatfish, that looks like a great set-up. What frame bag and seat pack is that?

jandd frame bag which i found a lot cheaper online from utah(shop rans) than from jandd themselves and the seat pack is from Epic designs in alaska, not cheap.

From a different angle,

"bridleway that goes through checkpoint 12"

You take the low road, I'll take the high road and I'll be at the bridge afore ye. Again another track which isn't on the 1:50,000 but is on the 1:25,000 will be your friend.

Giving all your secrets away, you are! 😀

there are some nice sections of singletrack on that bridleway down the valley.

Last time I rode down there I ended up to my waist in a bog, similar consequences if you don't know the line across Monks Trod.

You're just scaring us now….

@pistonbroke: so there is, thanks for that. I think I'll trade dry feet for nice singletrack in this instance and save myself for Doethie Valley later on.

I once rode Monks Trod on a singlespeed and didn't get wet feet or sink up to my waist in bog. The secret?
Do it in February when the ground is frozen solid 😀

Any tips on route editing on bikehike. I've had second thoughts about my approach to checkpoint 12! Route dragging seems ok for shorter sections but gets very messy on longer sections and leaves my route looking like a tangled piece of string.

doesn't look like a dry route to me 😯

ooh i'm so excited!

Essential equipment.

😆

flatfish – have you got larger sizes of those images? Interested to see your set up in more detail – cheers.

Route now finalised. Total distance is 194km, 5700m ascent, 29% tarmac. Two days*. Camping in Doethie Valley, unless I think I can get to Moel Prysgau before quite late 😯

*My nipper's 2nd birthday party is on the Monday…

Wow Ian, as a fellow 2 dayer that's an ambitious route!

so where's everyones, aimed for, overnight stops?

mines somewhere in the region of Claerddu for night one and Elan for night two.
I'll have my hip flask with me so your all more than welcome to join me for a nip or two if you can find me.

Ianb, sorry i'm a bit of a 'pooter nugget so i don't know how to resize a pic before i send it.

Me, Hafod Arms in Devils Bridge and the Teifi Inn in Ffair Rhos. I'm not daft.Might even stop off for one in the Blue Bell 😉

Oh and nearly forgot The Star Inn in Dylife, favourite haunt of Terry Jones off of Monty Python who lives(d) just down the road.

Terry Jones still has the house but we don't see that much of him, see his lad more.

Star Inn … erm what can I say 😕

@boingboing, I can't get drag editing to work with Bikehike at all for some reason, might be worth just cutting the route into sections and saving them as gpx files (ie. Leg 1, Leg 2 etc) then if you mess one up you can just dump a section and then start just that bit again. Keep a list in a doc of all leg, length, ascent etc. You can then mix and match bits until you have a total route you are happy with.

Also spending night 1 in the vicinity of claerddu or possibly bryn eithinog depending on progress/weather etc. night 2 will be back home in bed!

Hi all,

Newbie here, I've done little riding in the area, have never wild camped, but now look like 'man at Alpkit'as I've bought so much of their stuff. I'm planning a trial wild camp next weekend.
Will be single speeding (With either 34:19 or 34:20 following Stuart's advice) and would like to get all 13 checkpoints. I was planning on a relativity flexible route that will take me in a CW direction and expect to cover approx 130 miles using my very scientific 'count the squares' method on 1:50000 maps…….clearly not worked out the amount of climbing. Looking through the listings here it looks as if I may need to zoom in on a few areas. Anyway OMG I can't wait to get started…..lets hope the dry weather continues…just added crocs to my pack list and I don't want to upgrade to waders 🙂

I'm thinking that for the 1st night that I'll camp somewhere south of the Claerwen Reservoir / Northern Tywi forest, so hope to cover 40-50 miles on day one.
For the 2nd night I'm looking to cover a similar distance, so hope to get somewhere near Devil's bridge, which will leave a nice 30 mile cruise back home with an option to take in a bit of Nant yr Arian. Probably not the best thought out or efficient route but I can't wait to get started.

@ flatfish, supersessions9-2: Yeah, two days isn't ideal, but my little lad is only 2 once…

Also a bit of an opportunity to experiment with some light kit options and set myself a good challenge. Plus the further south I go on the course, the more familiar I am with the terrain, so I figure I can go into the night for some of it if it puts me in the right place to bed down.

Pubs. I must admit I'd not thought about those. I'd planned a couple of food stops on route. Perhaps a beer will be required at the end of the ride instead.

Ianb YGM

Who's zig zagging.

or

Doing it clockwise

or

Doing it anti clockwise

We are anti and getting the bog over with at the start

anti for me too, bog first

I've certainly got a pub roast dinner pencilled in for Sunday, followed by a bit of a power nap / siesta.
I have visions of me resting in the afternoon sun on the side on a suitably picturesque hill, although fully expect to be pedalling on through grim rainfall though. 🙁

CW for me so that I can visit Nant yr Arian on the way back up if I have anything left…….bog…what bog, looks like I need to review the maps once more!

figure of 8 for me. top anti, bottom clockwise.

May stop at a pub or cafe, depends on timings I suppose.

Anyone know the opening hours of the shop in Llangurig?

I'm doing 2 days as well, friends getting married on the monday. Be in trouble if I wasn't back for it!

I'm doing 2 days as well, friends getting married on the monday. Be in trouble if I wasn't back for it!

could always say you got lost. 😉

@ flatfish – mail received, thanks. Nice 🙂

I'm going anticlockwise but there's a bit in the middle I do in both directions, but it's kind of a figure of eight, if you zoom out and squint 😉

There is no bog, though I have to admit that with the development of google earth, geograph and bikehike etc the sheer adventure is reduced somewhat – it won't be a surprise in some parts as I've already seen it before I get there.

I hear you, which is partly why I plan to keep it relatively low tech! I'm sure I will get a few surprises along the way as a result…some good…some not so good !

for some of you guys with the mapping there is the http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/maps/ site, 1:50000 is available without registering, but you have to register to get the 1:25000, but its free, and you can download to GPX, you can get a fair bit of map on the screen at once as well

alfachippy there's a slightly infamous BW which may or may not lead to or from grid reference 12 … this is what's meant when people are talking about a bog 😉 There might be a way around it but it doesn't appear on 1:50000 maps only on 1:25000.

Also a little psa … if anyone is wanting a cheap (er) down jacket I bought a RAB microlight online from Cotswolds yesterday for £70. Weighs just over 300g and packs down to nothing. RRP is £130. They only had s and m in a rather fetching acid colour.

Over and out.
Stuart