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Hard tail with small rucksac or would i be able to complete it on a cyclocross with panniers
Any advice greatly received
I reckon, never having done it (although I've done bits of it during the Welsh Ride Thing), that a hardtail would be better.
Plus you really don't want panniers.
Better with a 13-20 litre drybag (say from alpkit) strapped to the bars, either with a couple of bungees (if cables will allow) or a proper harness like this
http://wildcatgear.co.uk/products/handlebar-harness/
this might also give you some inspiration
http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=364
Depending on time of year you ride it mud and navigating could be your biggest enemies. There's not much technical stuff, the hardest sections are towards the end ... Foel Fadian may well catch you out no matter what bike you're on :wink:. I'd say, ride the bike you're most comfy on / happy with.
As Nick says, panniers won't help your cause but neither will a big rucksack. A dry bag on the bars and something like a large saddle bag (Carradice maybe) would make life much easier.
Doing the Trans Cambrian in May, my setup is a Scandal based bike with Alfine 11, luggage carried as 13l drybags on bars and rear rack and a Wildcat frame bag. This has performed well on the Welsh Ride Thing and Pennine Bridleway trips last year, not the lightest but handling is not compromised too badly.
When you doing it, was gonna do it tail end of last year but weather turned, ill be doing it soon though probly in my half fat
It's only 100 miles so quite comfortable in 3 days I think
I thought 100 miles was an easy 3 days as well so have added another 25 by starting at Church Stretton and following the Jack Mytton Way over the Long Mynd and through the hills around Clun to pick the route up at the border. May live to regret that as there are 15 of us doing it.
Thanks for the offer Stuart, it's a bit off route in terms of altitude for us but you're welcome to join us on the run into Mach on Mayday Bank Holiday Monday, can't promise I'll still be sane after getting them all down Foel Fadian 😯 .Seriously, is the shop at Staylittle worth dropping into, do they do refreshments? Don't really want to loose too much height going to Dylife if I can help it.
The shop at Staylittle should keep you going, don't expect loads of choice but enough basics to keep you going ... Nick the owners a really nice bloke too, you'll get a much friendlier reception than if you go to the Star.
If I'm not working I might just take you up on your offer ... If the weathers not playing, may I suggest using the descent from the memorial on the mountain road rather than Foel Fadian. It'll drop you out within a 1k of Foel Fadian and it may help you keep your sanity 😉
There are 2-3 who will be doing this road alternative anyway, I managed it ok on the WRT with all my gear on. I've only seen 1 person ride up it without dabbing and that was Joe Hayward from Summit.
We are staying in Llangurig on the Sunday so I will ring you to see if you are playing out, might be a good PR exercise for you 😉
It is a nice route but you will not see much civilisation, s8tannorm is as good as it gets round there;-)
We did it early October a few years ago and did not quite finish it dropping into Mach early towards the end. We had a train to catch and had to ride a section back to the start. Three days would be nice.
For 100 miles it took longer than I thought it would, be careful with navigation, we had no problems but could have gone wring a couple of times.