Hi top team…

Has anyone done the Trans Cambrian Way – have any suggestions, any tips, any advice ?

Me and 3 friends are planning it for first weekend in June – over 3 days (3 nights). Staying in B&Bs.

Ive read all the IMBA site, and links, but any advice would be most welcome.

Grassy Ass

I did it just before Xmas over 3 days camping each night. Carrying winter backpacking gear and in very wet conditons, I found it bloody hard going.

I left my car at Knighton station, training back from Dovey Junction. I overnighted at Rhayadar and Tyllwyd near Llangurig. The days are easily split into 3 at 35ish miles each. You'll get a really good impression of mid Wales farming and maximum exposure to gate etiquette which gets on yer tits after a few hours. There's some good 'proper' MTBing on the last day, a bit of it quite technical…

If you do it after a dry spell, with long days and B&Bing, you should be OK so long as you're reasonably bike fit.

If you plan to take the train back on the last day as I did, start early as the last Knighton train leaves at ~15:20 (IIRC). If missed, you'll spend a night in Shrewsbury, or (God forbid) Dovey Junction. Ask me how I know, go on… 🙂

Need to know out else?

or go a week earlier and do this instead:

The 2010 Welsh Ride Thing

Its a lovely ride with little sign of other riders. Two of us did it in early October though we missed off a bit near the end in order to get a train.

Three days preferred, we did not have the time, but hope to return in May and do it completely.

We were OK on the navigation but you could get lost if not careful. The IMBA notes were very useful. Its not a technical ride in the most part, just long but the scenery is great and some of the climbs were tough…

Enjoy!

I used a GPS route and found it really useful. You could faff for hours if you nav by normal means. I have the MM files if you want them.

6 of us did it last September. It's pretty tough, although if you're used to all-day riding, then you'll be fine.

Navigation is far from simple. We had three GPS'd bikes and lots of maps (OS and IMBA versions), and still needed to check every now and then to make sure we hadn't gone wrong. Way-marked trail centre it is not.

We stayed in The Crown Inn (I think) on the first evening. Nice pub with good beer & decent food – nothing special. They locked the bikes away for us, but the rooms were a bit rubbish. It did the job, but if I was going back I'd stay somewhere else in town (possibly The Elan hotel) and head to the Crown for evening drink.

Second evening was at the Black Lion in Llangurig – it's an old skool B&B (not the most friendly welcome I've ever had, but they served us beer & food and it was warm, dry & comfortable) and they stashed the bikes for us. Top tip for brekkie is to say you're a veggie 'cos then they'll give you a decent portion of beans on toast, preferable to the traditional fry-up IMO.