WRT Event

Photo © John Moore

The Welsh Ride Thing began in 2009 and is the longest running bikepacking event in Europe. It’s quite unlike anything else because there is no fixed route to follow or mandatory checkpoints to visit. Instead you are given a number of grid references (which differ each year) from which to form your own route but you’re free to choose how many of these you use in planning your ride – all of them, a small handful or even none if you already have a route in mind.

The unique format makes the WRT accessible to everybody, no matter what their level of experience. It can be a solo ride, group ride or even a family outing. While people might devise a route which is 200km long, others may decide on something closer to 50km. Neither is right or wrong, it really isn’t a competition, it’s simply an opportunity to explore the hills and valleys of mid-Wales at your own pace. You can choose to complete your ride over 2 days/1 night or spend a 2nd night out and ride for 3 consecutive days.

Over the years the start of the WRT has become an integral and much loved part of the event. The infamous ‘weigh in’ has become hotly contested with riders vying to be awarded the honour of lightest loaded bike – sadly many have their ultralite aspirations crushed by the scales of truth. Besides the ‘weigh in’, the start also plays host to a prize-draw and sweepstake with prizes donated by the cycle and outdoor industries. The ‘ride’ part of the event starts after the giveaways have been distributed and then what happens over the weekend is entirely up to you.

On your return, there will be lots of hot drinks and home-made cake waiting for you and a chance to swap stories and relive your adventure before heading for home.

Looking to truly challenge yourself? Try the Bear Bones 200!

Why not use the WRT weekend to attempt a BB200 route? When we send the WRT grid refs out, just ignore those and choose any of the BB200 routes. All the routes are available to view and download here. You could of course attempt any of these routes for free, any time of the year but on this weekend, we ask you enter the WRT as normal to access parking and all the other trappings of the WRT. Sadly you won’t be eligible for the BB200 badges though.