BIKES PAGE
Oak Grove Retreats self catering for holidays in Mid Wales
We are located a stone's throw from the River Wye
Near Rhayader & the Elan Valley in the Wild heart of wales!
Mountain Bikes, touring bikes & Motor Bikes
Nestled Smack in the
middle of Wales, this compact area of hills, rivers and lakes offers
easily accessable big country mountain biking, wonderful lanes and cycle-ways for touring bikes and black velvet motorbike
road riding for everyone. There is enough riding here to keep you
occupied for weeks.
Road Cycling
If you are into your cycling the Upper Wye/Elan Valley area has plenty of rewards in store: from ancient country lanes to trail marked cycle-ways and of course around the imposing victorian resevoirs. We see tandems, tricycles, tourers and hybrid bikes out daily on our scenic cycle-routes.
Mountain Biking: Rhayader Round
Rhayader has two of the best downhills in
Wales. This route unlike others we've seen, takes in both of them. It
doesn't, thank the gods, include the loop South of Rhayader with the
river crossings and vertical climb...
1. (0 miles) Start at Leisure centre car park (just off the A470,
200 yards North of the clock tower) Turn left back down A470 then right
on to B4518 (right at clock tower).
2. (0.5 miles)
Follow to 0.5miles then turn left on to Elan
Valley Trail. You can't miss it as it has a huge carved wooden gate.
Follow this through numerous heavily sprung wooden gates for just over a
mile to >'
3 (1.6 miles)
Where the cycle trail adjoins the road. Cross the
road at the give way sign and go North up the lane opposite (dead end
sign post). This quiet tarmac road climbs gently and bears left avoiding
going straight on up stony track at'
4. (1.9 miles)
(stony track ahead only climbs then re-joins road). Continue on tarmac to'
5. (3.1 miles)
then turn right through single wooden gate with sign 'No Vehicular Access'.
Climb on grass trail up to and through gate (pic A) then ford stream at
3.4 miles. Bear right as this short climb slacks off and follow
increasingly rocky trail up the hill. Trail has a short unrideable
section over solid rock continuing in this direction until the top is
reached in the heather at 
6. (3.6 miles)
The Trail now bears right to cross the shallow valley,
then turns left to follow the right flank through bracken (Pic B). This
is the beginning of one of the best descents in Wales! Follow down to
and ford stream (rideable!) then short climb takes you to the top of the
big drop down to the reservoir. Tip: head down the left bank of 'The
Gully'
7. (3.6 miles) Turn right on the reservoir road at the bottom
look out for three way split where road forks right, take the high,
right fork. Bear right again at 5.8 miles (uphill) on shale doubletrack.
8. (6.0 miles)
Turn right at Pen y Garreg cottage, Continue on up
here with wood on your left then through bracken (in season Pic E)
trail climbs up switchback at 6.2 miles (follow obvious trail) Soon
reaches T junction where you turn left (uphill, as always). Continue on
to grassy moor top with view of radio mast dead ahead in good
visibility. Trail goes straight on along fun singletrack then hits bog.
Go straight on heading for grassy knoll.'
9. (7.5 miles)
Bear right and follow trail down to shale
doubletrack (8.2 miles) turn right on here and follow back down to
number 6 above. This time around take the trail through the wood (middle
of the three way split) and follow up to Dam.
10. (13.5 miles) go through wooden gate on right hand of dam .
Follow this trail (Elan Valley Trail Pic D) along the side of the
reservoir and continue bearing right along lakeside at next dam (lake on
your left).
11. (13.5 miles)
Trail becomes stony (Pic G) then eventually
grassy as it climbs on to moor at 14.2 miles. Bear right on most obvious
trail at fork, climbs steeply up grass and on to moor top, crossing a
small bog at 14.9 miles.
continue on most obvious path past two post markers. Trail becomes fun
multiple singletrack roll at high speed on to road at 16.2 miles. Turn
left up road for an easy climb to top at:
12. (17.2 miles)
keep going until around right bend at top then
turn right on to wide doubletrack (heading back downhill). Follow on top
speed to 20 miles, doubletrack splits, take left but both rejoin and
head down to gate at 20.5 miles.
Go right through gate downhill on tarmac and then left on main road.
Turn left signposted Rhayader 21.2 miles. Turn left at 21.5 in Rhayader
and then right back in to car park.'
If you don't want to travel with your own bike, there is an excellent hire shop 3.5 miles away in Rhayader (run by enthusiasts).
MOTOR BIKING
The Wye and Elan Vallies are well known for having some of the best biking roads in the UK.
The
mountain road between Rhayader and Aberystwyth, via Cwmystwyth and
Devil's Bridge is a wild and beautiful route across the Cambrian
Mountains. Rated as a 4.5 star route it is perfect for motorbikes. It will take you past the spectacular resevoirs of the Elan Valley, known as The Lakeland of Wales.
The route starts 4 miles from Doldowlod, just north of Rhyader.
Best Biking Routes UK scores it out of 5 as follows:
- Corners: 3.8
- Straights: 3.5
- Scenery: 4.8
- Road Surface: 3.8
- Visibility: 4.5
- Police Presence: 2.5
- Hazards: 3.5
If you are planning to come from Aberystwth, the scenic and lonely
mountain road from Cwmystwyth will take you across to the beautiful
reservoirs of the Elan Valley then onwards another 4 miles via
LLanwrthwl to Doldowlod where you are guaranteed a warm and friendly
welcome. Our touring field has hot showers & flush toilets (you can
even book a massage to soothe your aching muscles after a long ride).
Thanks to yahoo image gallery for local photos
