Trans Cambrian Way - Gravel bike non-stop
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.ย. 2024
- Completing the Trans Cambrian Way (East to West) and setting a new fastest time to date (May 2020).
Starting in Knighton on the Welsh Border it crosses Wales, taking in 168km of incredible scenery along the way. Plenty of climbing with a total of 3900m
Originally designed to be and usually still ridden as a 3-day MTB route, I mixed things up, using a Lauf True Grit gravel bike instead and riding non-stop.
The previous record was 10hrs 22min, which was set in 2014.
With no racing for 2020 but plenty of fitness, I took on the local route and aimed to beat the previous fastest time.
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This is by far the best video I have found on the TCW on TH-cam - the route commentary was especially helpful, and far more informative than some videos lasting a lot longer. I'm doing the TCW in just over a week's time, on a fully rigid Do-It-All bike that was made in Knighton by Chris Yeomans (Smithy Framebuilder). Must admit to feeling a bit nervous at 65 y.o. - all the pictures I find taken on the TCW are of young men on dual sus MTBs. Seeing you do it on a gravel bike, in a single day, give me more confidence. I'll be doing it over 3 days, so plenty of time to spare. Thanks for your excellent video!
Thank you for the comments, and best of luck with the trip. I went back with an adapted MTB a year later and have that video up too. Overall it was faster with wider tyres, but you will be fine if you have that. Nothing technical, just rough in places.
If you are also attempting in a single day, make the most of the early daylight, and aim to get to Rhayader with places open in case you need to refuel.
Awesome Matt!! Defo on my bucketlist, this!!
Brilliant! quality ride and vid 👏
Thank you
Super useful video Matt - thanks for sharing :)
Thank you for sharing this. Looked like a great (if long) day.
Really great video Matt. Really like the simple commentary and footage! One for post lockdown
Amazing ride. Well done. I’ve seen some others do it but that was comprehensive and gave a great insight on what to expect. Out of my league I am afraid but I enjoyed the vid a lot. Thanks
Thank you. It is a good route eve over 2 or 3 days with different options for stopping points.
Bloody good going that...great info to, was looking at doing it myself in one go ... very impressive 😉🍺🍺🍺🤟
damn you had a good weather! I plan to do this some day (over few days off course)
I did, but after Rhayader the weather isn't too important as it is mostly firm tracks and trails and enjoyable all year round.
Solid work Matt! Felt tough when I did it over three days - the big slope at the start was a proper eye (and lung) opener :-)
Thanks Jon. I fancy doing it more socially over 2, maybe bothy stop at Claerddu or bivy/camp. Also thinking of going West - East and that climb up to Glaslyn will be a killer!
Quality mate that was a nice insight to your day out. Might try it - the gates give me shivers though...
Hey Gav - it is a wicked ride, even with the gates!! 😜
Very good commentary. I finally have some decent info about this route........Thanks
www.transcambrianway.org.uk/
Jeremy Atkinson .Thanks very much for the link
Ace 👍
Great time for the terrain.. Does the record have two versions Your route and the thing done in reverse. ? Possibly a superlight mountain bike might be faster if you were going for it again maybe . Wild Wales classic stuff.
There is a record the opposite direction, although rarely ridden. There is also a double record. This attempt is not the fastest however, I did it later on a MTB with another video on here that was quicker.
Thats a heck of a ride Mate. Great work. 👍
I enjoyed this, cheers dude and great going!
Really good info. Thanks.
Bloody good going that took me and a mate 3 days! And I did get a puncture on that slate downhill
Thanks Andrew. I'd have been gutted to get a puncture there and so close to the finish!
@@MattPage to be fair it was at the top, I'd already broken a chain and bent a chain ring at that point, quick link used and employed a rock and gave it the old whack damn it until chain ring was okish. Puncture fixed at the top and enjoyed the descent. I have no clue how you managed it that quick
Very informative video. Tyre choice of yours (width)? Thanks
From memory, Schwalbe Smart Sam Evo 1.75" front, WTB Nano 700x40 rear.
This time was beaten early this year and I then re-took the record on a custom MTB.
Cool video Matt 👍🏼
Looking at doing in a day myself. Cycle a lot along mid Wales bridleways and grav tracks. Out of interest what kind of snacks and food did you take? Morning porridge and a couple of flapjack breaks are usually perfect for 5-6 hrs riding but feel I need something more when it gets over that.
Where is the rough section that can be avoided by road please ?
Great vid👍
You outta try the Braunton 150 ;) lots of gates on that one.
Great vid! What tyres did you use?
An old MTB Schwalbe Smart Sam, 29x1.75" on the front and WTB Nano 700x40 rear.
Matt Page cheers dude. Really good vid. Please make more like this . The detail was really useful
hey Matt great vid. could you ponit me in the direction of a gpx file for the route
There's GPX downloads available from www.transcambrianway.org.uk/
It wasn't invented by IMBA UK. The guy that invented it wasn't an IMBA member at the time [2000]. That piece of fiction was put about to prevent antagonism from the Powys countryside dept who stated that there wasn't be any demand for such a route...... so they were not going to support it in any way. Thankfully the Head of dept lost his job a year or two ago.
That is interesting to know. Given how many people I know use the trail now and when it was originally put together I am amazed that anyone could argue there is no demand. And the impact must be absolutely tiny.
@@MattPage So tiny that Powys Countryside Services had been unaware of it's existence until Colin Palmer [who compiled and posts the route notes] asked them for some signage for the first grass section a couple of weeks ago. Naturally they couldn't do anything as they have a zone system and it wasn't in a current one..... I'd rather he hadn't contacted them but anyway I subsequently went and saw the landowners and showed them the signage I'd just put up. They were really sweet, but they'd had increasing numbers end up in their yard due to a lack of mobile coverage. Some unknown hero having shoved it on international phone mapping well over a decade ago...... This route truly is a child of the internet.
@@jeremyatkinson4976 I think I know the section you mean and some signage would be useful I am sure, although luckily GPS navigation is pretty amazing and accurate these days.
@@MattPage Well the signs are up now. Just up past the viaduct. Originally I waymarked the route with yellow paint blobs. Even that enraged some farmers, though they had no idea what it was for, probably what enraged them......