New DATES!
The Brecon Beacons Beano
22-26 August 2024 (new dates!)
29 August - 2 Septenber 2024
3 full days of cycling in the spectacular Brecon Beacons National Park
More lovely Welsh landscapes, this time in the foothills of the mountains of the Brecon Beacons National Park (or the Bannau Brycheiniog as they say in Welsh).
As the original dates booked up within a couple of days, we’ve decided to run this Beano twice! The new dates are a week before the original dates, taking in the August bank holiday weekend.
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.
The rides
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 on wooded lanes by the River Wye.
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 backroads and 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 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.
The venue
For the duration of the Beano we’re taking over Coleg Trefeca, a Grade II listed 18th-century building set in its own beautiful grounds, nestling at the foot of the Black Mountains.
It’s a bit further north than the venue we’ve used for previous Brecon Beacons Beanos, so the rides will be a little different from what we’ve done before.
Coleg Trefeca holds a significant place in Welsh history as the birthplace of Howell Harris, one of the leading lights of Welsh Calvinistic Methodism, who founded a religious community there. It later became an ecclesiastical college and still serves as a lay training centre. For us, though, it’s a peaceful and relaxing base from which to explore the countryside.
The modern bedroom block has recently been refurbished, giving us a number of comfortable single, twin and double bedrooms with ensuite facilities. In the evenings, the historic main building provides several lounges and areas to relax and chat.
When
Due to popular demand we’ve decided to run this Beano twice:
Thursday 22 Aug – Monday 26 Aug 2024
Thursday 29 Aug – Monday 2 Sep 2024
Arrive Thursday evening. 4 night stay; 3 days of cycling; depart Monday morning.
Rides
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 optional easy offroad sections.
Availability
The second Brecon Beacons Beano (29 Aug – 2 Sep) is fully booked. Contact us if you’d like to go on the waiting list – or sign up for our new dates (see below)!
There is good availability on the first Brecon Beacons Beano (22-26 Aug).
Prices
Tell us your preferences when you fill in the booking form. If we can’t provide the accommodation type you want, we’ll offer you alternative options.
What’s included
Prices are per person and include dinner, breakfast, and tea & cakes after the ride. They don’t include bike hire (most Beanoers bring their own bikes) or the cost of lunch/coffee stops during the rides.
Prepared to share? If you’re travelling solo but prepared to share a room, let us know. If we can find someone else for you to share with, we’ll charge you the shared-room rate.
