Cycling in Mid Wales
Mid Wales is beautiful, varied, quiet, and off the beaten track - which makes it perfect for your next cycling holiday.
Elan Valley Reservoirs
The six dams in the Elan Valley were built to provide water for Birmingham, the reservoirs providing a very pleasant background for a bike ride.
Photos: Garreg-duu Reservoir; Elan Trail; water flowing over
Pen-y-Garreg Dam; Pen-y-Garreg Reservoir
The road alongside the reservoirs is relatively quiet and perfectly okay to cycle on if you don't want to use the Elan Trail cyclepath which runs from the top dam all the way down the valley into Rhayader. Personally, we prefer the road - except the path (stone) between the top dam (Craig Goch) and the next dam (Pen y Garreg) which offers some really fine views. The path next to the bottom reservoir (Caban Coch), although tarmac, is rather narrow and busy. The path (tarmac) from the Visitor Centre to Rhayader is much nicer than the B4518. For more info visit Elan Valley Reservoir & Dams.
Cycling Route Idea: from Rhayader [small town; 'Rhaeadr Gwy' in Welsh] cycle up the mountain road (west towards Cwmystwyth), then down past the reservoirs. Lovely little ride (23.3 miles) so one to take slowly, stopping to admire the views. See our suggested route Elan Valley Ride (plus more photos).
National Cycle Museum
The National Cycle Museum in Llandrindod Wells contains over 260 bicycles. Located at The Automobile Palace in Temple Street. Phone: 01597 825531.
Also note the grade 2 listed Art Deco building housing the cycle museum. If you look at the inscription above the ground floor windows of The Automobile Palace (originally called 'The Palace Of Sport') you'll see that Tom Norton Ltd sold "Cycles, Motors and Aircraft" - so they had most options covered. The below photo shows the Tour of Britain passing the museum.
An aside: we regularly visited The Automobile Palace in the 1980s, when it was still a car showroom, to look at the old cycles that hung above the gleaming gas-guzzlers.
The Victorian spa town of Llandrindod Wells holds an annual Victorian Festival in August when the townsfolk dress up in period clothes and go about their daily business - although I doubt if this lot were really about to go cycling...
Bike ride idea: Our hilly 24-mile 'Heartsease Hop' ride, north of Llandrindod Wells. Sustrans' The Radnor Ring, an 84 mile circular route around the old county of Radnorshire (or just do the Route 825 part at 73 miles). The Radnor Ring map from Amazon.
Open All Hours
In the village of Penybont (NE of Llandrindod Wells) is the Thomas Shop - a village shop museum (admission free). What's more, it has a tearoom that every cyclist should visit (take your bike around the back to the garden by the river).
Open 10-5 everyday April to end of October; Mon-Fri other dates; closed January. Phone: 01597 851951. They also do B&B.
Trees In Winter
Winter is a great time to go cycling around looking at the shape of trees - the skeletal structure really stands out.
An aside: the yew tree in the churchyard at Defynnog (near Sennybridge) is more than 5,000 years old, which makes it one of the oldest in the UK.
Trespassers will be...
Don't go trespassing near Llanidloes.
A Few More Cycling Ideas
- Our 'Heartease Hop' Cycle Ride - a 25 mile route with plenty of variety and stunning views north of Llandrindod Wells.
- Our Elan Valley Cycle Ride - a 23 mile route around the reservoirs starting from Rhayader.
- The Brecon Beacons National Park - to the south of Mid Wales (some would say it is in South Wales). We've given it a page all to itself.
- Lôn Las Cymru - Sustran's cycle route 8 from Holyhead to Cardiff/Chepstow passes through Mid Wales via Machynlleth, Llanidloes, The Wye Valley, and the Gospel Pass on the Black Mountains. Route maps: Lon Las Cymru North (covering 137 miles from Builth Wells to Holyhead) and Lon Las Cymru South (covering 118 miles from Builth Wells to Cardiff or Chepstow).
- Llanwrtyd Wells (pro. thlan-ooer-tid) - The smallest 'town' in Britain. The 'town' is famous for holding the World Bog Snorkling Championships, the Horse v Man race, and the Real Ale Wobbles. Road cycling and mountain biking events take place throughout the year.
Hay-on-Wye
- The famous second-hand book town at the foot of the Black
Mountains. In 1977 bookseller Richard Booth declared the town
independent and himself king - see the King of Hay-on-Wye
entry on the Brecon Beacons
National Park page for more details.
- Castles - You can't come cycling in Mid Wales without visiting at least one castle. You really should visit Montgomery Castle above the pretty little town of Montgomery. Also Sustrans route 81 (Aberystwyth to Wolverhampton) passes Powis Castle (at Welshpool) - free to get into the courtyard with a cafe and great views.
- The Montgomery Canal - The easy flat cycling route 'greenway' between Newtown and Welshpool is along the canal's newly resurfaced towpath (Sustrans route 81), canal section map. The towpath is being improved towards Llanymynech where the old limekilns are worth looking at. This section of the canal is not yet open to boats so it is one of the best canals in the UK for wildlife.
- The
Llangollen Canal - The Chirk
to Llangollen section of the canal 'greenway' is well
worth cycling. This section contains the famous Pontcysyllte
Aqueduct which carries the canal 126 feet above the River Dee. Our
favourite aqueduct is just to the south at Chirk (photos), which
is smaller but has wonderful views up through the arches of
the adjacent railway viaduct. It also goes straight into the first
canal tunnel to be built with a towpath. Please cycle responsibly,
and dismount and walk across the aqueduct.
Cycling Maps
Mid-Wales
North Cycle Map - shows on-road and traffic-free cycle
paths, height contours, 6 town centre maps, recommended linking
routes connecting the NCN with quiet roads. Includes the Lôn
Mawddach cycle path between Dolgellau and Barmouth, the Montgomery
Canal Greenway, and the Llangollen Canal Greenway. Published by
Sustrans. 1:110,000 scale.
Mid-Wales
South Cycle Map - shows on-road and traffic-free cycle paths,
contours, including Lôn Las Cymru (route 8), Lôn Teifi, Elan Valley
Trail, Ystwyth Trail, 6 town centre maps, and 3 day rides. Published
by Sustrans. 1:110,000 scale.
Radnor
Ring Cycle Map - 84 mile circular route (or 73 miles) from
Llandrindod Wells, taking in the Radnor Hills, Kington, Knighton,
Abbeycwmhir and Rhayader.
Or buy the ordinary Ordnance Survey Landranger
Map from Amazon.co.uk; scale 1:50 000 (1.25 in to 1 mile),
costs £7 to £9:-
Number 147 Elan
Valley & Builth Wells.
Number 148 Presteigne
& Hay-on-Wye.
Number 136 Newtown
& Llanidloes.
Photo: Brechfa Pool with the Black Mountains beyond (winter)
We take no responsibility and give no guarantees or warranties,
implied or otherwise, for the content or accuracy of any linked
sites above.
