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Grassy hillside with three gravel riders at the top, looking out.

Go Find Out: An ARC Gravel Ride in the Black Mountains

Tucked away in the eastern edge of South Wales, the Black Mountains offer a rare kind of riding. Remote, rugged, and quietly spectacular. Traversing open moorland, forest trails and ancient drovers’ roads, the Black Mountain Crossing route from bikepacking.com covers 117km with 2,504 metres of elevation.

It’s a place that rewards patience and effort, where the riding is as wild as the landscape itself, delivering both physical challenge and off-grid escapism. Featuring a mix of grassy single track, bridleways and gravel trails, it was the perfect route for a two-day gravel escape, and the kind of environment the ARC Gravel Collection was built for, offering reliable, adaptable apparel for gravel rides in changeable conditions. 

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ARC Logo, All roads considered, Le Col.

GRAVEL UNDER GREY SKIES

We invited ultra-endurance cyclist Angus Young to join the trip along with partner Megan Young and friend Claire Frecknall. Rolling out under grey skies and into open moorland, the group quickly found their rhythm, steady and fluid, conserving energy for what lay ahead. The terrain never settled. One moment flowing along hardpack gravel, the next shouldering bikes through boggy singletrack and steep climbs. 

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Two images, Male gravel rider crossing a rocky stream and two riders on a grassy track.

ENDLESS VIEWS

High above Llanthony, exposed ridgelines offered views that stretched endlessly west, a reminder of just how far from anywhere we’d come. This wasn’t about speed, but distance and exploration. Quiet conversations filled the flatter sections, so did long silences.

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ARC Logo, All roads considered, Le Col.
Three shots of gravel riders showcasing the Longsleeve jerseys and tops in lichen, grey and stone.
Upland landscape of three riders on a rocky path, one stopped to put on an ARC rain jacket.
Gravel rider in long sleeve merino jersey and snood, on the trail in evening light.

CHANGING WEATHER

The ARC Collection proved its worth. From technical odour-resistant and temperature regulating merino pieces to adaptable overshorts and cargo bib shorts, the products kept up pace with the changing weather and effort levels, light enough to climb in, tough enough to handle the grind.

EXPLORE THE UNKNOWN

As the sun dipped low, the riders settled on a quiet moorland to set up camp. The second day brought renewed energy, legs warmed by morning light and the promise of rolling down out of the hills. By the time the loop closed, 117km later, there were no finish-line fanfares. Just the quiet satisfaction that comes from going out, digging deep, and finding something new - in the land, and in yourself. Because that’s what gravel riding gives you. Space to explore the unknown. A reason to keep moving forward. And with the right kit on your back, you can go further. Go find out.

Three riders going downhill away through grassy banks either side
Three image collage, gravel riders going through grasslands in evening light.
Four image collage, gravel riders going through grassy upland landscapes in the fading light.

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