Mountain Bike Wales

16/11/2024

Bwlch Nant Yr A***n is a fantastic trail centre, and a firm favourite with many riders from beginner to expert. The flow trails are a pleasure to roll along, and the longer loops into the Cambrian Mountains give you a great feeling of riding in Wales last wilderness.

So with announcement to close the cafe and visitor centre in the future, it’s caused great concern to not only the mountain bike world who use this great facility, but visitors who come to see the kite feeding, walkers, horse riders, 4x4 visitors, a whole plethora of users.

Again, continue to use the site and show NRW just how much it means to you, family, friends and the staff who work there. Summit Cycles Aberystwyth

www.mtb.wales

11/11/2024

Coed Y Brenin is still open to mountain bikes, runners and roamers despite miss-information being spread around by the cycling press for more clicks.

Both Beics Brenin & Pedal MTB are operating as normal from the centre, and other adventure tour companies from the wider site.

Trails are open with all the same information as before, there is no change at all. Please continue to visit the forest and enjoy the trails on both MTB and Gravel.

The cafe is currently open for food, so please make every effort to use it if visiting and give a thought for the staff who are going through a very difficult time with the prospect of losing their job and income in the very near future. A closing date for the cafe and visitor centre (where you buy gifts and maps etc) is yet to be announced.

Hopefully the cycling media will have some sort of BBC type verify for correct and factual information to ensure people continue to visit the site, enjoy they ride, buy a jersey, hire a bike etc. just make sure you bring your butties for now. Hopefully a local solution to running them will be found soon.

www.mtb.wales

10/11/2024

Join us next spring for our Elan Valley Spring Epic. A weekend of riding some of mid Wales finest single tracks. The scenery is absolutely stunning in every direction, and if you’ve not visited Cwm Elan before, you’ll wonder why it’s take you so long!

After a great day out on the hills, spend the evening relaxing at Ty Morgans / The Crown in Rhayader with some delicious food and a drink or two.

A handful of spaces are still available at https://www.mtb.wales/events/elan-valley-spring-epic-3

08/11/2024

Our Traws Eryri tours for 2025 are filling up fast with just a few spaces left on selected dates from May to September available.

For more details visit www.mtb.wales/trawseryri

07/11/2024

A to riding dry and dusty on trails across the Cambrian Mountains on our Wales C2C back in June. Heavenly…

05/11/2024

Join us on the Trans Cambrian Way in 2025 for three days of adventure across the wild and remote Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales.

Starting at Knighton on the border with England, you’ll ride across open moorland, traverse lakes and rivers, and dive down steep sided valleys on your way to Machynlleth in the Dyfi Estuary.

It’s an amazing journey with an ever changing landscape as you ride across Wales.

Accommodation, breakfast, 2x2 course evening meals, transfer of your overnight luggage, and transfer back to your vehicle at the end are all included.

With tours from April to October, there’s a choice of dates to suit all.

More at www.mtb.wales/transcambrianway

04/11/2024

Standard Monday morning job! Two very clean bikes ready for the next outing!

www.mtb.wales

02/11/2024

Our Dyfi & Hafren Forest Enduro weekender is now live on the website at https://www.mtb.wales/events/dyfi-hafren-forest-enduro-12

2 days of riding the forests best single track trails with the best local guides in each area. After you’ve had an awesome session, return to The Lodge, Staylittle (quite possibly the best bike accommodation in Wales 😉) for a well earned rest and some delicious home cooked food. Then relax and share your stories of the days ups and downs over a drink or two with friends whilst enjoying the views across the Cambrian Mountains.

The weekend is all inclusive, accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner all included from Friday to Sunday. You just need to rock up and ride.

30/10/2024

That’s what we love doing most… 🚵‍♂️❤️

28/10/2024

Another blue sky day in the Elan Valley of mid Wales. Truly nowhere finer to ride on an autumn Sunday in October…

A big thanks to everyone who joined Dan this weekend, you certainly lucked out on the weather. Thanks also to Andrea and the team at Ty Morgans and The Crown for looking after everyone. X

So that’s the last tour of 2024, and all eyes on next year with our enduro weekend from The Lodge, and Elan Valley Spring Epic the first two tours in March. See you then!

www.mtb.wales

26/10/2024

A very fine day riding in and around the lofty tops of Elan Valley. The colours are amazing, so many shades of brown, orange, yellow and red on the trees and moors of Cwm Elan.

More again tomorrow…

www.mtb.wales/elanvalley

23/10/2024

The storm season has arrived, and Storm Ashley certainly left a mark on the forests and trails across Wales. Luckily we’re used to riding in such conditions year round with added protection from the elements thanks to Madison Clothing 🙌🏻

21/10/2024

It’s our Elan Valley Autumn Epic next weekend, hopefully Storm Ashley has left a few leaves on the trees!

www.mtb.wales/elanvalley

20/10/2024

It’s that time of year when we ride whatever the weather… which this year just happens to have been pretty much most days!

www.mtb.wales

🎥 MBWales - Mountain Biking Wales

19/10/2024

A quick lap around Oneplanet Adventure at Degla with Suki & Dave. Not a bad way to start the weekend…

www.mtb.wales

Orange Bikes

16/10/2024

Fancy a two night stay with us at The Lodge, Staylittle for free? If that’s a yes, head over to Bikmo and enter. 🙌🏻

WIN A CYCLING GETAWAY IN WALES 🙌

We’ve teamed up with Mountain Bike Wales to give away an epic cycling experience.

You and a friend could be off to the heart of the Cambrian Mountains, staying at The Lodge, Staylittle – an award-winning basecamp for adventurers, run by Bikmo ambassadors and cycling guides, Phill and Polly.

With the lodge as your HQ, adventure is right on your doorstep – from epic rides to hikes, wild swims and more!

Phill or Polly will even show you around the best trails and roads the Welsh mountains have to offer. Whether it’s a road, mountain bike or gravel ride, you get to choose your adventure!

THE PRIZE 👇

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Two-night self-catered stay at The Lodge, Staylittle
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Guided road, mountain bike or gravel ride

ENTER ON INSTAGRAM 👇

https://www.instagram.com/p/DBGG8xhuW5R/

Good luck!

16/10/2024

Tales of the Trans Cambrian Way - October 2024

It’s always great to have post-ride feed back either by email, card or letter from time to time, and wish we’d share more of them. But this poem from Debbie just had to be shared, and summed up the weekend in her own joyful words. Luckily Debbie’s sun dance back in Kent also brought sunny spells – the rain just went!

Enjoy…

We found The Lodge, chez Phill and Polly,
arrival welcome, warm and jolly.
If any meal could win a prize,
it must be Polly’s luscious pies!

With expert guides, both Phill and Chipps,
all keen to start we clutched our grips
and set off, squeaky clean and dry,
in gentle breeze and sunny sky.
Outstanding vistas all around…
Stu gazed too hard - and hit the ground.
With Chipps on legs and Phill electric,
like herding sixteen cats – quite hectic!

Day 2 was BIG! Not just in size,
big ride, big views, big climbs, big skies.
Big Russ’s pride was slightly hurt,
he struck a rut and bit the dirt.
The sunken road, for those with motors,
proved worse than dodgy brakes on rotors.
Some parts were shallow, but who could know
how deep they’d get, once in the flow?
We pedalled deep into the ripples,
in Wicksy’s words, ‘up to Deb’s nipples’!
Some e-bike riders, one by one
soon found the water spoiled their fun,
as warnings flashed, they scratched their heads,
to no avail. Their batteries… dead.
And even our intrepid guide
found his bike, too, was drowned inside.
While Wicks took out his battery pack
and chose the long hard pedal back,
dear Barbara, no hesitation,
drove Steve and Phill to destination.

Well-fuelled by the Blue Bell beer,
Greg’s ‘Killer Pool’ was tops, I hear.

Day 3: Oh dear! With eyes all bleary,
fuzzy heads and bodies weary,
the merry band was slow to start.
But Sunday’s ride would lift their hearts.
Steve B and Wicks, whose batteries failed,
were saved by Phill’s smart Rescue Rails.
The analoggers toughed it out
and rode like heroes, without doubt.
Phill surely saved the best til last -
some tricky ups… downs – loose and fast.
Three more who crashed quite gracefully:
Greg and ‘Nice’ Steve, and then Pete B.

Our epic ride was almost done,
no rain, but intermittent sun.
We met the taxis once again,
all loaded in, down came the rain!

So, if we’re feeling down or blue,
remember what we need to do:
recall the fun we had in Wales,
the stunning views, the epic trails,
the killer climbs so tough and steep,
deceptive puddles, long and DEEP,
descents that made us whoop and squeal,
adrenaline charged Gods on wheels,
the river crossings, slip and slide,
such soggy feet, but grins so wide!

Images - Debbie Burton

www.mtb.wales/transcambrianway

13/10/2024

With the days getting shorter, so do our rides. So now’s a great time to start planning your two wheeled adventures for 2025, we think we have a tour to suit every rider from March to October. So here’s what we have for next year…

March - Dyfi & Hafren Enduro Weekender & Elan Valley Spring Epic
April to October - Trans Cambrian Way
May to September - Traws Eryri
June - Mynydd I’r Môr (Mountains to the Sea)
July - Elan Valley Summer Epic
September - EMTB Cambrian Mountain Safari (and other mid week dates in the summer)

So a pretty busy year ahead once again, and looking forward to seeing new friends, and some familiar faces too.

For more details and how to book, visit www.mtb.wales