I know this is lame, but please humour me.

I’ve got the whole day tomorrow to ride, I’m in Cardiff. So:

1) Big loop from my house, heading up towards the valleys, 5-6 hour ride. Route planning is quite hard and would involve new trails probably and hence route planning and exploration

2) Drive to Afan – been there loads, bit dull mostly. Unless there’s anything new in the last 3-4 years?

3) Drive to Brechfa – further, 3 hours lost to driving, but I’ve only been there once, that was just after the red was finished. What’s new, and is there a whole day’s worth there?

4) Drive to the Beacons and do something classic

5) Drive further up to Mid Wales and get the maps out again.

If anyone’s got a decent long tracklog to share, that’d be appreciated.

Gower will be nice – the route in the MTB Wales Guide with the cheeky bit over Lanmadoc Hill.

I’ve done the Gower loop a couple of times already though. Plus it’s likely to be busy in this weather!

OK, go and do Mynydd Mallaen and then a loop of Cwm Rhaeadr to finish – cracking day out.

Have you done the routes @ Glyncorrwg, just up the road from Afan? Really worth a look if you haven’t..

I rode along the coast to Ogmore, that was really nice. I came back by A-road though, and that wasn’t nice at all, so don’t do that.

Oh, did you mean offroad? You could get up to Mach – bit of a drive I know, but in your Pious* it won’t cost much.

*sorry, Prious 🙂

If you are going to Mynydd Mallaen be careful on navigation. I am normally the map reader but I got pretty lost at a point.

Having said that I would think the weather is good for the ride as it was very boggy when I went there.

I did a ride starting at Talgarth, around Llangorse, about a month ago, it suffered as it was wet but should be great now so long as the bracken has not gone too wild. Quite a drive from Cardiff though.

Whats the planned route for Number 1 option?

Karin – it’s more about time than cost. More driving = less riding. Kids are away for the weekend so I need to have fun times with Mrs Grips too 🙂

Talgarth.. yeah that’d be the classic option.. Black Mountains epic.

No planned route for option 1 yet. That’s part of the problem. Hard to pick a route through the valleys – I used to do it when I was younger, but I was on a fully rigid flat barred bike which ate up roads a lot better than my FSers do now. And I was single so I could spend each weekend exploring and finding out what was good. I’ve either forgotten all those routes now or I expect better singletrack and more fun trails.

I live up the rhondda if you needed any help with routes.

I don’t think the Talgarth/Llangorse route is the same as the ‘Killer Loop’ or ‘Black Mountains Epic’ that I have ridden and heard reference to in the past but it may well be, I have sent a gpx to what I think is your e-mail so that you can check.

I agree the Gower option is not a good one, loads of people will be heading that way for the beaches.

Have a good ride wherever you go!

When I say ‘Black Mountains epic’ I don’t mean any specific published ride.. I know most of the trails up there and nav is fairly easy.

Phil, local insight into upper valleys trails would be good.. do you have tracklogs of anything?

Its going to boiling hot and the roads will be packed with grockles heading for the coast.

Ride from your door.

Looking at Black Mountains now. Anyone know about the permissive path up on Bal Mawr, above the Reservoir climb? Is it any good?