The Headstock 500 by All mountain adventures, this one I got the chance to go check it out before the official event in May 2024. This route is by all intensive purposes a route that just screams THIS IS WALES, it has everything wales has to offer from a bike packing route, it has its easy parts, it has its tough parts, it has its hike a bike, and for me, it had that good old welsh weather, rain, wind and sunshine on occasions. Don’t forget the steep Welsh hills. Straight up vertical climbs. Most of the climbs on this route are probably in the 20%+ gradient. So it will make your legs burn, and your heart beat hard. But that is what I mean when I say this route just sums up wales, it has a bit of everything. If you take on this route, you will feel every emotion along the way. You will at times question why you are here, but then you will hit them sweet descents or experience what it feels like to you to be up high looking over the rugged Welsh landscape.

This isn’t a route for an absolute beginner I’m not sure wales is too great for beginner riders, but the headstock 200 exist for people who might want to experience wales on an easier route. The 500 though, when you get to the end of this route you will feel that you have achieved something great. This route takes you all over wales and showcases its rugged beauty, you will get to cycle around the beautiful Ellen valley, over ancient Roman roads (Sarn Helen)

I rode this on the bomb track a big tyre bike 2.6 inch tyres which was the right choice of bike, although I know some of you will be eying this up with the gravel bike, and you will get through with 50mm tyres (wouldn’t want anything smaller) I’d really recommend the MTB for this one, you will get to enjoy the route a lot more mainly because you will have that MTB position for them really steep descents. Some suspension would not hurt either. It will also help with peddling up the technical climbs which there are plenty, plenty of single track and some rutty trail (ahhh a hate them ruts).

If you are interested in taking on this route, then head over to All mountain Adventures for how to enter. Currently, this route is not publicly available (probably will be after the first event in May)