Adventure 2025
Gravel Adventure
Spring is on its way and as the days lengthen and the air loses the sharp bite of winter, we begin to itch for a taste of bigger outdoor adventures. A bike is the perfect companion for those adventures. You can travel further and faster by bike than on foot. You can carry more gear so day or even multi-day adventures are easily within your grasp. This allows you to go deeper into the wild country, to explore beyond the borders of the familiar and discover new places to roam.
Mix a bike, some healthy exercise and the restorative qualities of time spent in nature and you have a powerful combination for boosting health and wellbeing.
Bikes are the adventure enabler. Climb aboard a bike and you are no longer a passive passenger, you are an active participant in the outdoors, you feel the wind and rain, every hill you sail down is earned via your own efforts. Every turn of the pedals binding you more closely with the environment you move through.
Gravel bikes are uniquely adapted to exploring our wild country here in West Wales. These bikes offer the ability to cover long distances in relative ease and comfort and can do so over a variety of terrain and trail/road surfaces. More than this, gravel bikes are highly adaptable and offer a great deal of flexibility in their use. Jump on board for a short fitness ride straight from your door or take on a day long gravel grinding epic, your bike will be ready for either. Many also come ready equipped for bigger adventures with mounts for racks and luggage so you can easily set off on an overnight bikepacking trip or multi day tour.
This versatility and load carrying capacity also makes them great for a daily commute, for shopping or for cafe-to-cafe hops and anything you give up in out and out speed on the road they win back for you in comfort and the ability to just keep on trucking. With tyre clearance to run some nice chunky rubber you are guaranteed extra comfort in the saddle that will keep you smiling when the trail turns rough.
Gravel
Summit Cycles offer gravel bikes from Trek, Specialized and now Genesis. Our staff have been exploring the back roads and forest tracks of Wales since well before gravel was a thing, squeezing big tyres into cyclocross bikes or adding drop bars to mountain bikes. Thankfully these days we have models ranges like the Trek Checkpoint and Specialized Diverge that offer everything we are looking for with geometry and features adjusted to maximise gravel riding enjoyment. These bikes are perfectly suited to help you unlock the many cycle adventures that can be accessed here in mid Wales so if you are looking for a single bike that can be your daily driver, fitness bike and wild country adventurer then you need look no further.
New Arrivals
New to Summit this spring we have Genesis bikes. The range is designed right here in the UK, to deliver the best for UK riding. These steel bikes offer plenty of features, durability and smooth handling and represent great value for money. If you are looking to get into gravel on a budget but don’t want to compromise on features then a Genesis could be the answer. There are a range of models to choose from depending on where you want to take your riding from the fat-tyred Vagabond that’s ready for some real rough terrain to the sleek lines of the Croix de Fer. There are even stainless steel and Ti options if you are seeking something a little more exotic.
Load em up
There are a plethora of options for carrying gear on your gravel bike. You can go down the traditional route of rack and panniers or take a more modern and lightweight approach and pick from the huge variety of frame bags that are on offer today.
Bike adventuring can be tough on bags so it’s important to select bags that are up to the job. At Summit we are big fans of Ortlieb bags. While these may not appeal to riders seeking an ultra-light setup their features and durability far exceed much of the competition and make for a solid, dependable and stylish choice for anyone looking to make bikepacking adventures a regular part of their cycling.
There are lots of options, frame and handlebar bags, seat packs and top-tube bags. With a few well-chosen additions your bike will be equipped to take on overnight trips or longer tours.
Our staff are experienced cycle adventurers and know just what questions to ask to make sure you get kitted out with the right gear for what you are planning.
Clothing
There are no shortage of options for the adventure cyclist but choosing the right apparel can make all the difference to your comfort and enjoyment when you ride. There are gravel specific ranges like GV500 from Endura and brands like Rab who have focussed their entire cycle lines towards the adventure cyclist but the good news is that gear that works for adventure cycling is generally good all round and will work for other cycling too. Whatever you choose, layer up some options to give you the flexibility to deal with changes in the weather. We don’t have the most consistent climate here in Wales so it’s a good idea to be prepared for some changes in the weather.
Routes
For some, spending hours poring over maps or plotting GPS routes is a big part of the appeal but there are plenty of easy options if you are not a born navigator. A route sharing app such as Komoot is a great place to start, in fact, we at Summit Cycle share a selection of our favourite rides from short outings to multi-day epics via our Komoot page. You can find them linked from our adventure cycling page.
If route planning and GPS apps are still a step too far for you there is an even simpler option. Just an hour’s drive up the road from our Aberystwyth store is our partner store Beics Brenin at Coed y Brenin. Last year, Coed y Brenin added around 100km, of fully mapped and wayposted adventure cycling routes. Here you will find a selection of graded adventure routes with options for all fitness and ability levels. These rides offer easy access to Coed y Brenin’s spectacular forest scenery, with breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains of southern Eryri. The centre makes a great starting point to explore the forest trail network on tracks that are suitable for your gravel/adventure bike. The routes are also available in a series of easy to follow map guides which can be downloaded free in .pdf format from the Beics Brenin website.
Everything else
However you choose to adventure by bike, Summit Cycles has the bikes and gear you need to make the most of your ride and our staff have years of knowledge and expertise gained from our own cycle adventures. We are passionate about cycle adventure and want to help others get out and enjoy their own wild riding. From your first gravel bike to gearing up to tackle a big adventure like the Traws Eryri, we are here to help you make the most of your adventure cycling. So if you have a burning question, or need anything bike from a new tube to a custom gravel build, why not drop by or give us a call.
Gravel Adventure
Spring is on its way and as the days lengthen and the air loses the sharp bite of winter, we begin to itch for a taste of bigger outdoor adventures. A bike is the perfect companion for those adventures. You can travel further and faster by bike than on foot. You can carry more gear so day or even multi-day adventures are easily within your grasp. This allows you to go deeper into the wild country, to explore beyond the borders of the familiar and discover new places to roam.
Mix a bike, some healthy exercise and the restorative qualities of time spent in nature and you have a powerful combination for boosting health and wellbeing.
Bikes are the adventure enabler. Climb aboard a bike and you are no longer a passive passenger, you are an active participant in the outdoors, you feel the wind and rain, every hill you sail down is earned via your own efforts. Every turn of the pedals binding you more closely with the environment you move through.
Gravel bikes are uniquely adapted to exploring our wild country here in West Wales. These bikes offer the ability to cover long distances in relative ease and comfort and can do so over a variety of terrain and trail/road surfaces. More than this, gravel bikes are highly adaptable and offer a great deal of flexibility in their use. Jump on board for a short fitness ride straight from your door or take on a day long gravel grinding epic, your bike will be ready for either. Many also come ready equipped for bigger adventures with mounts for racks and luggage so you can easily set off on an overnight bikepacking trip or multi day tour.
This versatility and load carrying capacity also makes them great for a daily commute, for shopping or for cafe-to-cafe hops and anything you give up in out and out speed on the road they win back for you in comfort and the ability to just keep on trucking. With tyre clearance to run some nice chunky rubber you are guaranteed extra comfort in the saddle that will keep you smiling when the trail turns rough.
Gravel
Summit Cycles offer gravel bikes from Trek, Specialized and now Genesis. Our staff have been exploring the back roads and forest tracks of Wales since well before gravel was a thing, squeezing big tyres into cyclocross bikes or adding drop bars to mountain bikes. Thankfully these days we have models ranges like the Trek Checkpoint and Specialized Diverge that offer everything we are looking for with geometry and features adjusted to maximise gravel riding enjoyment. These bikes are perfectly suited to help you unlock the many cycle adventures that can be accessed here in mid Wales so if you are looking for a single bike that can be your daily driver, fitness bike and wild country adventurer then you need look no further.
New Arrivals
New to Summit this spring we have Genesis bikes. The range is designed right here in the UK, to deliver the best for UK riding. These steel bikes offer plenty of features, durability and smooth handling and represent great value for money. If you are looking to get into gravel on a budget but don’t want to compromise on features then a Genesis could be the answer. There are a range of models to choose from depending on where you want to take your riding from the fat-tyred Vagabond that’s ready for some real rough terrain to the sleek lines of the Croix de Fer. There are even stainless steel and Ti options if you are seeking something a little more exotic.
Load em up
There are a plethora of options for carrying gear on your gravel bike. You can go down the traditional route of rack and panniers or take a more modern and lightweight approach and pick from the huge variety of frame bags that are on offer today.
Bike adventuring can be tough on bags so it’s important to select bags that are up to the job. At Summit we are big fans of Ortlieb bags. While these may not appeal to riders seeking an ultra-light setup their features and durability far exceed much of the competition and make for a solid, dependable and stylish choice for anyone looking to make bikepacking adventures a regular part of their cycling.
There are lots of options, frame and handlebar bags, seat packs and top-tube bags. With a few well-chosen additions your bike will be equipped to take on overnight trips or longer tours.
Our staff are experienced cycle adventurers and know just what questions to ask to make sure you get kitted out with the right gear for what you are planning.
Clothing
There are no shortage of options for the adventure cyclist but choosing the right apparel can make all the difference to your comfort and enjoyment when you ride. There are gravel specific ranges like GV500 from Endura and brands like Rab who have focussed their entire cycle lines towards the adventure cyclist but the good news is that gear that works for adventure cycling is generally good all round and will work for other cycling too. Whatever you choose, layer up some options to give you the flexibility to deal with changes in the weather. We don’t have the most consistent climate here in Wales so it’s a good idea to be prepared for some changes in the weather.
Routes
For some, spending hours poring over maps or plotting GPS routes is a big part of the appeal but there are plenty of easy options if you are not a born navigator. A route sharing app such as Komoot is a great place to start, in fact, we at Summit Cycle share a selection of our favourite rides from short outings to multi-day epics via our Komoot page. You can find them linked from our adventure cycling page.
If route planning and GPS apps are still a step too far for you there is an even simpler option. Just an hour’s drive up the road from our Aberystwyth store is our partner store Beics Brenin at Coed y Brenin. Last year, Coed y Brenin added around 100km, of fully mapped and wayposted adventure cycling routes. Here you will find a selection of graded adventure routes with options for all fitness and ability levels. These rides offer easy access to Coed y Brenin’s spectacular forest scenery, with breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains of southern Eryri. The centre makes a great starting point to explore the forest trail network on tracks that are suitable for your gravel/adventure bike. The routes are also available in a series of easy to follow map guides which can be downloaded free in .pdf format from the Beics Brenin website.
Everything else
However you choose to adventure by bike, Summit Cycles has the bikes and gear you need to make the most of your ride and our staff have years of knowledge and expertise gained from our own cycle adventures. We are passionate about cycle adventure and want to help others get out and enjoy their own wild riding. From your first gravel bike to gearing up to tackle a big adventure like the Traws Eryri, we are here to help you make the most of your adventure cycling. So if you have a burning question, or need anything bike from a new tube to a custom gravel build, why not drop by or give us a call.
