So we decided to take a well earned break last bank holiday and get out and ride our bikes for more than a day. At fairly short notice we decided we’d go and do the Welsh Ride Thing. The WRT isn’t a race it’s more of a challenge that can be a easy or hard as you like. A month or so before Stuart who organises the event gives out a list of grid references, you then throw all your maps on the floor and attempt to plot a route to ride between them all (or not if you prefer a more relaxed approach).
This years references covered areas of mid Wales and the Shropshire Borders both areas we hadn’t done a lot of riding in so it was a good opportunity to find some new trails and put our latest bike through it’s paces. Yes it’s a mid fat 29r off road tandem.
The event starts on the Saturday afternoon and finishes on the Monday so we’d be carrying all our gear on the bike for 2 nights bivying out on the hills.
The weather was good and over the course of the two days we rode on the Kerry Ridgeway, Offas Dyke and Gwyndyrs Way and even though 132 people set off at the start we saw only a handful as everyone’s routes took a different path.
Riding a 70lb laden tandem does have some advantages in that you can eat a lot and not feel too guilty about it!
View from the bivvy spot before riding the last 40 miles in.
Over the couple of days we rode some amazing trails, slept in some beautiful spots, hit speeds of over 50mph on the tandem (going downhill!) and pushed it over some very steep hills.
If you fancy an introduction to bike packing the WRT is a relaxed and friendly event to give it a go at.
