For once I'm not working ... so bike's packed and ready to go. Tommorrow morning I'll be heading north to Capel Curig for a little overnight explore of the Carneddau. It would appear that even the weathers on my side

Anyone else doing anything?

Got a baby sitter booked for the morrow and I'm going to be beasting the wife around our local trails. :D
After all it's my birthday and I'll cry if I want to.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QguPS_iw ... re=related

After all it's my birthday

There must be something wrong with the forum software ... At the bottom of the index page it says your 38

read it and weep old man. :D

read it and weep old man

Yea, yea, yea ... least my legs still work

Well a nice time was had in the mountains, plenty of miles ridden and quite a lot of hike-a-bike too. A very still night so condensation was the biggest concern ... after all I wouldn't be wanting to get my new hat wet

Pleased you had a good trip out...I got all my gear ready yesterday and just before setting off realised my lights hadn't been charged!!! Just wanted to get out with the weather still being fairly mild. I was going to do a short'ish ride with a good view of Bassenthwaite Lake and surrounding hills. Never mind, still had a good ride today though. :D

p.s. Is your hat on your list of 'necessities'?

p.s. Is your hat on your list of 'necessities'?

Just the Bear Necessities by the look of it :D


IGMC...

Stu.... b*gger - missed your post before the weekend. Would have loved to hook up - where did you get to? I've been eyeing the southern end of Cowlyd as nice spot for a bivvy by bike from the Capel area.

Just got back from my first benightment on a mountain bike in the northern Carneddau. Realised on my way down I'd left my backpack up there after a map stop (reading it in the dark with no lights with a mates mobile phone light) so just been on a quick solo night ride to retrieve the backpack with house keys etc. Full on numptiness on my part!!

s8tannorm wrote:

after all I wouldn't be wanting to get my new hat wet

Just wondering where I can pick myself up one of those official BBBP ultralight hats?

How big is your head if you can get a child size hat on?

@ 99percentchimp - didn't really have any fixed plan just a map and a few ideas. I did end up going down the side of Llyn Cowlyd, I'd heard it described as 5k of superb, serpentine singletrack that's fast and flowing ... lets just say I'm in no rush to ride it again.


@ flatfishy - my heads got smaller as more of my hair's migrated

@ Wixey - I'm just working on a Cuben fibre version of the hat

I'd heard it described as 5k of superb, serpentine singletrack that's fast and flowing

Hmm, I remember it as a rock strewn technical/thrutchy track that commanded 100% attention to keep the bike and self upright. Normally I don't mind such challenges, but the Cowlyd track has an extra ingredient that I can't quite recall, but the result being it wasn't very enjoyable to ride. Which way did you ride it? Think I went SW when I did it.

Did you, per chance, do the track that goes out of Cwm Crafnant and over to Capel Curig direct? Looked at it for the Wales trip but opted for the forest option in the end (which was still good).

Did you, per chance, do the track that goes out of Cwm Crafnant and over to Capel Curig direct?

Yes, it's a push up out of the cwm but the views make it enjoyable. Plenty of rock on the way down but the gradient makes keeping momentum pretty straight forward. It's not a fast descent (apart from the last 300m) but it's enough of a challange to keep it interesting ... obviously bike choice will effect just how much of a challange

Here's Paul having a slight moment. The majority of the descent looks like this.

Stu - yep the Cowlyd track has something of a reputation in these parts.... there seem to be several tracks like that in North Wales MTB guide books that I swear have not actually been ridden!
The connection for a return trip over Crafnant involves a 'bit' of a drop down to Trefriw too.... did you get the brakes smoking on the tarmac descent (scared the hell out of me once in the wet) from the top of Cefn Cyfarwydd or did you follow the leats round Afon Ddu? Where did you bivvy in the end?

looks fun, despite the mist.
A picture of the Cwm Crafnant track from days gone by.

The Colwyd ride, was in Singletrack a few years ago, along with a route up and down Snowdon. I did the Colwyd ride on the basis it was the medium ride, turns out it was the hard one (Snowdon was medium). That said I loved it, the challenge of cleaning the trail alongside the lake kept us focussed/giggling in equal measure. The push up wasn't that bad, and then the ride back from there was great.

Next weekend (26-27th) I'll be trying out a route I've mapped from Central Birmingham to Sheffield. It's a nice 120 miles taking in lots of canal and bridleway to get to Ashbourne where it picks up the Tissington trail before heading across the Peaks. Not sure where to stay overnight yet, but think I've spotted a pub near the route with a stone walled grave yard and tree cover close by. If your interested you can view the three gpx tracks I've created for the route :)

http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com/Course. ... rse=329409

http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com/Course. ... rse=329410

http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com/Course. ... rse=329411

Your last section through the Dark Peak looks good j.c, I'm sure that last climb up onto Stannage will test you.

There is a great off-road cycle-path that takes you all the way into Sheffield if that helps, lots of swoopy smooth urban woodland berms to finish your trip off nicely.

I know about that path which is why I did not bother to include it on my gpx track, but thanks :)

Have fun, did a route up to Ashbourne in the summer and was at 90 miles by the time I hit the train track there. Could not belive how tough the drag up from Ashbourne felt, the cafe just after the tissington junction is an ace refuel stop though.