Storm the Bannau by Bike

Why join us?

How do you feel about maps?  Are you a gpx dependent or do you prefer to hold something in your hands?  Whether you are a gravel grinder or a mtb shredder the West of Bannau Brycheiniog has trails and adventure to suit.

This weekend of adventure is packed full of good food & drink, fabulous routes, and a chance to 'storm' the mountains to test your navigation skills.  Friday and Saturday are a chance to get to know the area, chat to like minded riders, learn some maps skills, and chill out in a fabulous setting at the Ynysfaen Campsite near Trecastle. There will be a chance to book a guided ride or maybe a chilled paddle on the Usk Reservoir too.

Sunday is where you put skills and knowledge to the test.  Storm the Bannau is a chance to ride a navigation loop to grab clues or points.  The map stays hidden until just before the start and you can ride it for fun or go for broke.

Storm for FUN

This is our fun version that is about 35km. The focus is on having a go, maybe working as a team, and being given enough support to not feel 'lost'. You have the choice of following the predetermined route via GPX/Komoot (which will get you to all points but not necessarily the fastest way) or riding with your map only.  Whatever you choose your objective is to find and solve 10 cryptic clues. The correct answers give you entries into our fabulous prize draw.

Storm for KUDOS

This is the competitive route, which runs approximately 40-60km (depending on your map and riding skills). This could be for you if you want ride something bigger than the 'fun' loop and want to test yourself a little bit more. Or you are an experienced rider who wants the challenge of map reading added to the ride.  And of course those seasons riders who know their navigation and want to see how many points they can get. There will be entries into the prize draw for every 70 points accumulated.

What is this bike, maps orienteering all about?

You need a bike, (anything with 40mm tyres or wider for this event), a helmet, a map (provided just before the ride), a map board is helpful to hold it and make it easier to navigate, and a smart phone. We use MapRun which is a GPS App route recorder to 'ping' when you hit a checkpoint. We are also providing a suggested route for the Storm for Fun via Komoot.

Now that you have all of the above, you set off with 4 hours to ride and get to as many of the checkpoints on the map as you can.  If you are riding for Fun, you have cryptic clues to  solve, if you are riding for Kudos, you are collecting points.

The route you take is up to you.  This is where map skills come in handy. How to read contour lines, what paths are permissible to bikes, whether pedalling in and out of a point is faster or easier for your bike than cycling through it.

What bike should I ride?

The route has been planned so that gravel and MTB are suitable, it is all down to route choice and preference.  Your can ride a faster but longer road/gravel version, or take as many short cuts as possible and take the lumps, rocks, etc all normal on natural terrain.

We have identified the more severe bridleways, paths, byways that would be more suitable to something with suspension.  We have ridden it all on a gravel bike and although your rattle may teeth, it is still lots of fun.. :D  An XC bike is perfect, a hardtail would  be just as fun, and a gravel bike with at least 40mm tyres will make you whippet fast but more cautious on the rocks.