Bicycle Beano Cycling Holidays

We return to Bicycle Beano’s old home territory – some of the very first Beanos took place in this area – but at a new venue for us, on the edge of the historic cathedral city of Hereford.

Our circular day rides take us past orchards and farms, hills and forests, ancient common land and prehistoric standing stones. We venture west into wild Welsh border country, following the Golden Valley through remote villages in the shadow of the Black Mountains and passing ruined border castles and medieval churches. To the south we dip into the gentler countryside of the Wye Valley National Landscape. For our lunch and coffee stops we stop at local pubs and cafes.

The Beano starts on Thursday evening and finishes after breakfast on Monday morning, giving us three full days of cycling with no time pressures. Rides are mostly on country lanes with some sections of well-surfaced cyclepaths, plus the occasional optional offroad diversion for those who want it.

Some sections are easy-going, but there will be a few challenging hills in each ride.

As always on a Bicycle Beano, the rides are designed to give a number of options for distance, with suggested detours and short cuts to suit a range of abilities.

The main route each day is 30-40 miles (50-65 km) with optional detours and short cuts so you can choose to ride up to 60 miles (100km) or less than 30 miles. Ride at your own pace. Some hills. Mainly on quiet country lanes with some cyclepaths and one or two optional easy offroad detours.

The Brecon Beacons National Park – we love it. Spectacular and ever-changing views of the mountains, bubbling rivers, historic towns, sleepy villages, quiet lanes, forests, open moorland… there’s a lot to discover.

Our circular day rides take us into the valleys of the rivers Usk and Wye and along the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal towpath. We follow twisty roads into the foothills of the mountains, stopping at ruined castles and dipping into the historic market town of Brecon and the “book town” of Hay-on-Wye. We venture upstream by the River Wye on wooded lanes.

The Beano starts on Thursday evening and finishes after breakfast on Monday morning, giving us three full days of cycling with no time pressures. Rides are mostly on back roads, some well-surfaced cyclepaths and a few gravelled canal towpaths, with the occasional optional offroad diversion for those who want it.

Some parts are easy-going, but this being mid-Wales there are inevitably hills – sorry, I mean valleys – to climb. Think of them as an excuse to slow down and take in the view!

As always on a Bicycle Beano, the rides are designed to give a number of options for distance, with suggested detours and short cuts to suit a range of abilities.

Sandy beaches, fishing villages, rugged cliffs, rolling country lanes, ancient standing stones, the cathedral city of St David’s, and even a small rainforest!

The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park runs along the far west coast of Wales. As we cycle along quiet lanes we get tantalising glimpses of the sea: picturesque fishing harbours, towering cliffs pounded by Atlantic breakers and broad, sandy beaches. Inland from the coast is an ancient and powerful landscape dotted with prehistoric standing stones and steeped in Celtic and Arthurian legend.

Our rides visit the surfing beaches of Whitesands and Newgale, Carreg Samson pre-historic cromlech, the medieval cathedral of St. David’s (Britain’s smallest city), the harbours of Porthgain and Abercastle, numerous coastal villages and the isolated lighthouse at Strumble Head.

Inland we travel through green countryside, discovering working mills and even cycling down the runway of an old airfield. On one day we head to the dramatic Mynydd Preseli, the Preseli Mountains, and discover ancient standing stones, spectacular views and the site of a forgotten (and short-lived) Victorian spa town.

The terrain is varied: there are rolling hills and some long flatter stretches inland, while our many coastal visits sometimes involve a short, steep descent into a cove or a fishing village and a short climb out again. Our day in the Preselis involves a few more challenging climbs but they’re definitely worth the effort.

Wednesday is an optional cycle-free day: you could take a boat trip around the RSPB wildlife reserve of Ramsey Island, walk along part of the dramatic Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, visit some castles, or take a short ride down to Newgale and spend the day on the beach. Or we can give you the route for an optional longer ride.

As always on a Bicycle Beano, the rides are designed to give a number of options for distance, with suggested detours and short cuts to suit a range of abilities.