Welsh audax events

This weekend, Billy Weir had a hilly Welsh weekend...

Ride Report: Elan and Ystwyth / Welsh Festival 200

Directions to great cycling. Up M25, west along M4, join A40, stop anywhere in vacinity of Brecon / Llandovery, leave car, hop on bike, cycle. Really, it's as simple as that. After a couple of tough weeks at work, it was a real joy to be revisiting Cymru for two cycling events: the Elan and Ystwyth 200 from Gladestry and the Welsh Festival 200 from Llandovery. Both picked their way through the Brecon Beacons and surrounding hills, but shared very little roadspace. Both were extremely enjoyable.


The Elan and Ystwyth was by far the harder of the two ride, since it was hilly from beginning to end. A quick check of the statistics listed by the organiser suggested that it was longer and had more climbing (4500m) than the l'Etape du Tour, and I wager the views were just as stunning. The theme of the route was to get us to Rhyadder and then to climb up the Elan Valley with its dams and reserviors that supply the mighty metropolis of Birmingham, then turning left toward Cym Ysywth (valley of the river Ystwyth) and climbing to Devil's Bridge and continuing to Aberystwyth. The route then returned by different roads to the Ystwyth valley and continuing along the mountain road to Rhyadder before returning via the Glascwm pitch to Gladestry. I can say, hand on heart, that the views along every inch of the route were variously dramatic, inspiring, thrilling and wonderous.


An overnight stay at the Brecon YH, and I then made my way down to Llandovery for the start of the Welsh Festival 200, organised as part of the CTC Cymru's weekend of cycling. This was a flatter ride, but in general each of the four 50km stages would have a large climb bookended by rolling countryside. The route was mainly on A roads and B roads, but this wasn't really a problem as these roads are typically quieter than the country lanes in Surrey! There was a particularly monumental climb in the first stage through the Brechfa Forest, and another in the third stage as we climbed out of Pontrhydygroes to Devil's Bridge. All worthwhile, however, as the views and the descents were breathtaking.