OS Map (zoom in for more detail)
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Route directions PDF (right click to download)
GPX file (right click to download)
Glorious Bike Rides
Glorious Bike Rides
Route directions PDF (right click to download)
GPX file (right click to download)
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Love the route, don’t like the viagra adverts at bottom of page!
My 24th Lost Lanes Wales ridden on a very hot September day (14th). I rode 36km with 640m of height gain.
This route is short but very sweet with lots of glorious scenery. Though the ride only includes a moderate section of it, the road from Rhayader through Cwm Ystwyth towards Aberystwyth is one of my favourite Welsh roads; only slightly marred by the many motorcyclists who seem to enjoy it. The ride’s final section on the back road from Elan Village to Rhayader is also delightful, despite a rather wobbly river crossing via the suspension bridge!
“Gair i’r gall” – The suspension bridge is a tight squeeze for a bike-pushing cyclist and the short section of track which follows it can be very muddy after the plentiful rain of this area of Wales.
Our 3rd Lost Lanes ride whilst staying a week in Aberdovey.
Started the ride at 2pm on assisted tourers & decided we would take the suggestion of gong striaght on at 8.6km !!
Despite a grey day scenery was fantastic, ride was good but took longer than anticipated to get to Ponty-rhyd-y-groes & then onto Ffair-Rhos !! (4.45pm) At the pub turn left sign posted Teifi Pools ! Continue to very end of Tarmac Road and then on past sign that says unsuitable for vehicles. This is the start of the old cattle track across the Cambrian hills to Rhayader, it is a shale mountain track but a bit bumpy & very bleak. There is one point where you wonder if you should take a left track, but we carried striaght on & then saw the Claerwen Reservoir in the distance. Didn’t see the bothy ! but took some time to cycle length & relieved to pick up road (B418) to cycle back to Rhayader. Sadly ,due to low battery & failing light missed out on the off road ride from Elan Village back to Rhayader -arriving at 7pm.
A great trip to return to on a sunny day.
My second lost lane, despite it being in culturally appropriate Welsh weather there’s really on so wet you can get and the scenery, or what you can imagine of it through the impenetrable cloud, is amazing.
I started at the Elan Visitor centre, because I like it there and also to get all the hills out of the way at the beginning. I think it’s always better to end on the downhills.
The route from Elan to Rhayader is fun, very up and down but quiet roads and the little rope bridge is quite exciting.
The climb out of Rhayader is a different kind of fun, despite the rain and low cloud there were still some good views back down into the valley ( which was actually looking like it was bathed in sunlight ). It’s a long climb but the really horrible bit is fairly short and there’s plenty of sheep to keep you company.
I’ve been to the Elan Valley many times and always wanted to explore the area behind Craig Goch, I was considering Jacks longer suggestion as I know the route back from Clarewen Dam to the visitor centre is entirely downhill. However in the mist and rain, and as it was only an hour or so until the darkening I will leave that for another day.
Very nice route, thanks Jack. Onwards to number 3 !