120 mile trail ride starting from Rhayader

[merlings1200]

I rode up to Rhayader in Mid Wales on Friday evening in readiness for trail riding the following day.
Friday evening was spent looking over my OS maps of the area, making a road book up then a Curry and a couple of beers.
I set out from Rhayader at 9am Saturday morning the sun was shining and not a cloud in the sky.

 

[merlings1200]

Within 20mins I was at the start of the first green lane.I met Craig and Tamsin Jones who have done the Dakar rally, they were guiding a large group of trail riders on a 6 day ride from South Wales to North Wales and back.
After a chat with them for 15 min I was back on my way again, this took me to the farm at the bottom of Claerwen Dam,then a nice ford across the river.

 

[merlings1200]

After fording the river it was up the hill on the Tarmac and on to the next green lane that follows Claerwen Reservoir.
This is a good graded track with a few pot holes with some tight hairpin bends with big drop offs on either side.
This track takes you up to a farm with a few gates to open and close, after the farm the track becomes more gravelly and washed out in places with some streams to ford.
Lots of Welsh mountain ponies running wild up here and red kites soaring high in the blue sky.

 

[wildbeeste]

Starting well

 

[merlings1200]

After the lane round Claewen i was back on the Tarmac again for a few miles down to the village of Pontrhydfendigaid.
Pulled over at the little shop for a Mars bar and filled my Camel back with cold water befor heading up to Strata Florida. This is a long green lane with lots of deep water and very well rutted in places.
Saw a few trail bikes and a load of Land Rovers coming the other way.

 

[merlings1200]

At the end of Strata Floirda I turned left on to the Tarmac then right on to the road for Landovery for about 2 miles then another right and over the bridge across the river Tawy.
I followed this road to Scar y Mynydd, this should have been the start of the next byway except the council have closed it for repair.

 

[Andy B]

Keep it coming!!

 

[merlings1200]

As the byway was closed I took the mountain road to Tregaron and found a nice little cafe for lunch.
While sat waiting for my well earned lunch I had a ponder over the OS map and found two byways that I had not done before which would take me north west towards Cwn Rheidol hill.

So after eating lunch I set of for a village called Ysguborau to find the start of the byway.
A nice grass byway that followed the line of Mynydd Bach Forrest, turned left at the end and found the main road up to Llanafan for the start of the next byway this was quit flat and has just had all the pot hole filled it passes through a large farm.
Turned right on to the Tarmac and headed north west for Cwn Rheidol nice back lanes through old mining village and past a nice lake the fishing look good.

 

[Timolgra]

Gorgeous! That trails that is

 

[merlings1200]

Some great byways round Cwm Rheidal that take you back to the A44.

 

[Dansin]

Looks a great day out. That way on Clearwen and then down to Strata Florida always seems the right way to me but there always seems to be more traffic coming the other way.

 

[merlings1200]

On the A44 I headed towards Llangurig looking for a village by the name of Pen-Y - Geular. Turned right of the A44 on to a back lane up over the mountain and through the Forrest to the last ford of the day.
Once you ford the river you have quit a steep clime on broken Tarmac then quit steep down the other side, through the gate at the bottom on to the old mountain road towards the Ellan Vally.

 

[merlings1200]

And finally the last byway of the day this takes you back down into Rhayader. A great days riding 120 mile loop.
Any one wanting to come and do this ride get in touch and I will take you round.
The end

 

[Smug]

Good ride report. Will have to head out that way some time soon. Thanks for posting.

 

[Tinytim]

That looks absolutely fabulous . Thanks for posting, I enjoyed that .

 

[rocky burns]

On the A44 I headed towards Llangurig looking for a village by the name of Pen-Y - Geular. Turned right of the A44 on to a back lane up over the mountain and through the Forrest to the last ford of the day.
Once you ford the river you have quit a steep clime on broken Tarmac then quit steep down the other side, through the gate at the bottom on to the old mountain road towards the Ellan Vally.

Theres some big rocks in that crossing as I found out a while back

 

[Dansin]

And finally the last byway of the day this takes you back down into Rhayader. A great days riding 120 mile loop.
Any one wanting to come and do this ride get in touch and I will take you round.
The end

I'm really liking the look of your loop.

Is the 120 miles from Rhayader and back to it? It looks a great ride but that's right at the end of my tank range riding in lower gears and not at highway speeds. Could take fuel in a can I suppose.

 

[merlings1200]

Hi Dansin
Yes the loop is 120miles starting in Rhayader and finishing in Rhayader.
With two fuel stops if you need it

 

[Dansin]

Even better if there's fuel on the way round. Will give you a shout once I have had my new rims laced.