All the bears.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Some of you might find this interesting ... all the BB200 routes laid out on a single map. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mi ... 999997&z=9 Thanks to Matt Scholes for that.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Now with the Big Bear route added.

[whitestone]

Goes to check the "blank" areas for BWs that may or may not exist on the ground! You know, just in case

[Ian]

First time I’ve studied the Big Bear route.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

I see you’ve put in the bridleway east of Penmachno…

One does not simply ride into Mordor.

[Richard G]

Definitely scope for new areas to ride there.

You know, I'm actually far more interested in trying the Big Bear now I know it's not just all the crappiest parts of the other rides put together.

[Ian]

There would be an interesting ride in taking the outer of line of all the BB200's until you meet a route from another year. It might actually be longer than the Big Bear due to the cuts in between the blue and yellow routes in the north and the red/purple and green routes in the south. That said, that would include the nastiest of sections west of Coed-y-brenin.

[whitestone]

Not on that map is last year's BB200 but I suppose it's a bit of an outlier (sic) and doesn't intersect with any of the others.

Next year will be the tenth edition

[Bearbonesnorm]

We're past ten Bob - first was 2011.

[Dave Barter]

We're past ten Bob - first was 2011.

So Steve Large can ride them all over a period of 12 days as his Tour Divide preparation

[Richard G]

We're past ten Bob - first was 2011.

Ahh... so not quite all the bears on that map!

[Ian]

The black line on the map covers three years in two different directions; 2011 and 2012 were anticlockwise, then 2013 was clockwise.

[Richard G]

Were 2011 and 2012 the same routes then? Cool.

[burty]

i think bearbones backwards 2013, was harder than 2012 , as it took you out fast then a slow return ,the stupid little but funkin steep grass slope when you just got out of hafren springs to mind . 2012 the back lane from elan valley was quite quick ish

[whitestone]

Were 2011 and 2012 the same routes then? Cool.

2011 & 2012 did the same route. Then for 2013 Stu reversed it. Then for 2014 all hell broke loose

So, Ian's idea of the outermost line - clockwise or anti-clockwise? A name?

[Bearbonesnorm]

So, Ian's idea of the outermost line - clockwise or anti-clockwise? A name?

I think clockwise would probably work best but there really might not be much in it. Name - The Four Corners of Hell.

[FLV]

Some of those might make a nice summer tour

[whitestone]

So, Ian's idea of the outermost line - clockwise or anti-clockwise? A name?

I think clockwise would probably work best but there really might not be much in it. Name - The Four Corners of Hell.

ForeBearance?

[Ian]

Four Corners of Hell sounds about right. Agree clockwise. You’d start in Llanbrynmair and do the yellow first (2015, which was a good vintage), reverse a chunk of this years route and pick up the 2013 and 2017 routes (also very good). 2018 and 2019 I didn’t do, but know the trails, so all good. The sting in the tail is finishing with the 2014 route…

I really need to map this and work out how far it is

[Alpinum]

Name - The Four Corners of Hell.

the common reference to ultras and epics, isn't the sort of thing that makes it all seem particularly accessible. I believe it's far more accessible than it's portrayed anyway. The epic stuff or the importance of it just gets talked up a lot.

[Bearbonesnorm]

To be fair, it probably wouldn't be a route you'd want to send folk on with limited experience but I'll reconsider and perhaps we can call it something much fluffier.

[slarge]

I still think there's a route suitable for the name "Grizzly Bear"... maybe it's this one.

And for anyone thinking of the BB530 - it is a cracking route and there's a load of food and transport options all the way round (not "all" the way, that would be silly in deepest Wales, but frequently enough to not starve or be more than a day or 2 late getting home).

[Ian]

Perhaps we can call it something much fluffier.

The Balrog?

(In a tenuous one-ring-to-bind-them-all kinda way?)

How about first person to ride it gets to name it? Like climbing routes.

[slarge]

Perhaps we can call it something much fluffier.

The Balrog?

(In a tenuous one-ring-to-bind-them-all kinda way?)

How about first person to ride it gets to name it? Like climbing routes.

Ian , that type of approach gives us BearyMcBearface as a route name

[Richard G]

And for anyone thinking of the BB530 - it is a cracking route and there's a load of food and transport options all the way round (not "all" the way, that would be silly in deepest Wales, but frequently enough to not starve or be more than a day or 2 late getting home).

What are the current finish times on that?

I'm assuming I'd probably want to set aside 4 or 5 days to do it without turning myself inside out.

[slarge]

And for anyone thinking of the BB530 - it is a cracking route and there's a load of food and transport options all the way round (not "all" the way, that would be silly in deepest Wales, but frequently enough to not starve or be more than a day or 2 late getting home).

What are the current finish times on that?

I'm assuming I'd probably want to set aside 4 or 5 days to do it without turning myself inside out.

There’s only a few who have ridden it all - just under 3 days is the fastest time. A good ride would be 3-4 days (pick good weather)