there are some sections where you need to follow the detailed route description diligently and/or use a satnav.
How tough is it?
This circuit of Wales can be ridden as a leisure activity or as a challenge, and this guidebook provides schedules for both types of rider. There are some hilly sections, particularly along the west coast and the border. However, the gradients are never extreme, with even the Gospel Pass above Hay-on-Wye, which is the highest road in Wales, snaking steadily uphill for 5 miles at an average gradient of 5.5%.
A cyclist nears the top of the Gospel Pass after the long climb for Hay-on-Wye (Stage 11)
Which direction to ride
Because of the prevailing south-westerly winds that sometimes rip up the exposed west coast, it is usually easier to ride a circuit of Wales in a clockwise direction as described in this guidebook. Riding in this direction also means you quickly escape the predominantly urban landscape between Cardiff and Swansea. However, you may decide to ride the route in the opposite direction, in which case you will need to adapt the directions in the route descriptions.
Looking north along the Promenade at Aberystwyth (Stage 5)
Selecting a schedule
Inevitably, the 12 stages of this guidebook will not necessarily coincide with your personal itinerary, which will depend on the amount of time you have available, your daily mileage and whether you wish to visit attractions along the way. If you want a more relaxed schedule, allow more time for the more undulating west coast and the southern section of the English border.
The availability of accommodation will also determine where your days begin and end, which could be at places before the end of a stage, into the following stage or perhaps somewhere off the route altogether. When planning your ride:
first decide how many days you can spare or need,
then use the alternative schedules to identify roughly where each day will ideally begin and end.
Identify the most convenient accommodation that suits your budget. This may mean amending your initial schedule so be prepared to be flexible, perhaps enjoying a night in a B&B if there are no hostels nearby and vice versa.
Book your accommodation and finalize your schedule. You will have more choice of where to stay if you book your accommodation well in advance of your departure date.
You can combine the cross routes with sections of the circular route to plan your own itinerary. The suggested tours are categorized as short, medium and long, but you can take them at your own pace.
Short Tours (2–3 days)
Around North Wales: 144 miles/230km with 3000m of ascent
This circular tour crosses North Wales from the border through the dramatic Snowdonia Mountains before turning back along the coast to return to the start at Wrexham. It is easily accessed by rail and there is plenty of accommodation to choose from throughout the route.
Tour of Pembrokeshire: 146 miles/234km with 3300m of ascent
This wonderful short tour around the spectacular coast of Pembrokeshire is easy to reach using the train network, with direct services from many mainland stations.
Across and back: 156 miles/250km with 3650m of ascent
This tour runs from the border to the coast and back again through some of the less-visited parts of Wales. Again, it is easily accessed via the national rail network – and you may also wish to take the train between Aberystwyth or Tywyn and Machynlleth to avoid a particularly busy stretch of the A487. See Stage 5 for further details.
Medium tours (4–5days)
Around the heartlands: 171 miles/273km with 7100m of ascent
This circuit has considerable variety, including the well-surfaced canal towpath between Welshpool and Newtown, the high mountain road between Llanidloes and Machynlleth, the seaside at Barmouth and a high-level traverse of the Berwyn Mountains back to the start.
Around the Welsh Valleys: 232 miles/371km with 3500m of ascent
This easily accessible tour takes in the South Wales coast, where much of the route follows a shared-use path, returning on quiet lanes along the northern edge of the Brecon Beacons.
Through the high hills: 218 miles/349km with 5040m of ascent
This more demanding short tour passes through Snowdonia before turning south down the more gentle west coast, returning over the Berwyn Mountains. Plenty of accommodation is available in the resorts and coastal towns, and you may wish to take a rest day before tackling the more strenuous ascent on the return leg.
Longer tours (6–7 days)
The following three tours are ideal for those who can only get away for a week. They are all easily accessible by rail, and there are plenty of opportunities to resort to the train should you need to make up lost time.
Loop of North Wales: 348 miles/556km with 7100m of ascent
This is the easiest of the longer tours as it avoids the higher mountains.
Loop around Central Wales: 422 miles/675km with 10,000m of ascent
This week-long tour takes in the less-populated parts of Wales, which is ideal for those wanting to get away from it all.
Loop around South Wales: 472 miles/755km with 9200m of ascent
This longer tour can either be ridden fast over a hard week or taken at a much more leisurely pace over two weeks.
Getting there
Many local cyclists will happily add an extra day or two to either end of their tour and make use of the National Cycle Network (NCN) to get to the route and back. But others from further afield, and those pressed for time, will undoubtedly need another form of transport. Unless you are riding in a big group or on a tandem, the easiest way to access the route is by train, as Cardiff, Chepstow and Holyhead are all on the national rail network. Similarly, there are a number of stations
