Bear Bones Bikepacking in Wales, including the legendary BB200, BB300, Bear Bones Bash GPX route, entry requirements, gear recommendations, and event dates.
If you’ve spent any time in British bikepacking circles, you’ve heard of the Bear Bones 200. The event has a particular reputation: brutal terrain, Welsh weather that doesn’t care about your plans, and a fabled black badge that fewer riders than you’d expect manage to earn. It is, by most accounts, one of the toughest 200km rides in the UK — and one of the most beloved.
But Bear Bones Bikepacking is more than a race. It’s a community, a philosophy, and a gateway into the raw, boggy, spectacular world of mid-Wales off-road riding. This guide covers everything you need to know — the events, the routes, the GPX tracks, and how to get involved.
What Is Bear Bones Bikepacking?
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Bear Bones Bikepacking is a Welsh bikepacking collective founded by Stuart (Stu) Wright, the man behind Forest Freeride in Llanbrynmair, Powys.
What started as a small group of riders exploring mid-Wales by mountain bike has grown into one of the most respected bikepacking communities in Europe, with a forum of over 2,000 members and a calendar of annual events that draws riders from across the UK and beyond.
The ethos is stripped back and self-sufficient. No marshals, no feed stations, no hand-holding. Just a GPX track, a mandatory kit list, and the Welsh hills.
The Bear Bones 200 (BB200)
Overview
The BB200 is the flagship event and the one that put Bear Bones on the map. The format is deceptively simple: ride approximately 200km through mid-Wales, completely self-supported, with no outside assistance. The route starts and finishes at Ysgol Llanbrynmair & Community Centre in Powys (SY19 7DH), and riders can set off any time between 7:00 am and 9:00 am.
Key stats:
- Distance: ~200km.
- Elevation: ~5,000m of ascent.
- Start/Finish: Llanbrynmair, Powys, Mid Wales.
- Time limits: Black badge (sub-24hr) / Blue badge (sub-28hr) / Green badge (sub-36hr).
- Terrain: Predominantly off-road — remote tracks, forest roads, moorland, hike-a-bike sections.
The Route
The exact route changes every year — this is one of Bear Bones’ defining characteristics. Riders receive the GPX file just one week before the event, which prevents excessive pre-riding and keeps the experience fresh and honest.
What you can count on year after year is a mix of gravel forest roads, ancient drovers’ tracks, tufty moorland singletrack, boggy hike-a-bikes, and the occasional brutal road climb stitching it all together.
The Cambrian Mountains provide the backdrop: remote, sparsely populated, and utterly beautiful in good weather, sufficiently grim in bad. Expect steep valleys, big views, river crossings after rainfall, and the kind of terrain that makes you reassess what “rideable” means.
In 2017, more than 20 riders scratched within 24 hours. That tells you something.
What You Must Carry
The mandatory kit list is non-negotiable:
- Sleeping bag.
- Waterproof shelter (bivy bag or tarp).
- Lights (front and rear).
- Mobile phone.
Additionally, riders are strongly expected to carry first aid supplies, tools, spares, and a backup navigation method in case the GPS fails mid-route. A SPOT tracker or Garmin inReach is recommended — not just for your own peace of mind, but for anyone following at home.
How to Enter
The BB200 is now an invitational event. To get your name on the list, you need to demonstrate relevant experience through one of the following:
- Evidence of completing other bikepacking events
- A GPX file from a previous BB200 route you’ve ridden independently
- A vouching reference from an existing invitee
Entry opens on 1 February each year. The 2026 event is scheduled for the weekend of 2–4 May. More details at bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk. The BB200 (Autumn edition) will be Saturday, 3 October 2026, also from Llanbrynmair, limited to 80 participants. Entry opens 1 July 2026.
The Bear Bones 300 (BB300)
For riders who find 200km insufficiently punishing, the BB300 extends the route by an additional 100km — roughly 12 more hours in the saddle.
The BB300 is only open to riders who hold a BB200 black badge, meaning you need to have completed the 200km course in under 24 hours before you can even apply.
BB300 riders are advised to be underway by 8:00 am at the latest, and must complete the full 300km within 36 hours.
The Bear Bones Bash: The Rideable Route with GPX
Not everyone wants to race. And not everyone can get onto the invitational BB200 list. That’s where the Bear Bones Bash comes in.
Published by Bikepacking.com, the Bear Bones Bash is a 230km loop through remote mid-Wales based on the 2017 edition of the BB200 (Stu’s own words: “a lot of people seemed to actually enjoy that one”). Unlike the race, it’s designed to be ridden at your own pace over several days, with a resupply stop built in at Machynlleth.
Route Details
- Distance: ~230km
- Terrain: Steep back lanes, drovers’ tracks, forest roads, tufty singletrack, hike-a-bikes, and extended bog trots
- Difficulty: Moderate to hard — rarely flat, requires off-road confidence and suitable gearing
- Highlight: A potential overnight in a candle-lit bothy
- Resupply: Machynlleth, home to the Centre of Alternative Technology
- GPX: Available to download on Bikepacking.com
At a leisurely three-day pace, the Bear Bones Bash becomes a very different experience from the event — a proper adventure through some of Britain’s least-travelled terrain, rather than a sleep-deprived sufferfest. That said, the terrain itself doesn’t change. Expect pedal-grabbing trails, short but testing hike-a-bikes, and occasional steep slabby slate sections that you may choose to walk.
Bear Bones Border Bash
The sister route to the Bear Bones Bash, the Bear Bones Border Bash strikes east from mid-Wales toward the English border, tracing Offa’s Dyke — the 8th-century earthwork dividing the Kingdom of Mercia from the Welsh kingdoms.
It briefly crosses into England and links up the Gwydyr Way, the Trans Cambrian, and the Heart of Wales Trail. It’s quieter and more off-the-beaten-track than its western sibling, trading the Elan Valley’s reservoirs for genuinely remote bridleways and heathland.
Other Bear Bones Events
The Welsh Ride Thing (WRT)
The Welsh Ride Thing is the longest-running bikepacking event in Europe, first held in 2009. It’s the perfect introduction to Bear Bones and to mid-Wales bikepacking — and deliberately unlike anything else on the calendar.
There is no fixed route. Instead, riders are given a set of grid references (different each year) and must plan their own path between them.
You can visit all of them, some of them, or none at all, and ride a route you’ve already planned. The result is an event accessible to all experience levels: solo, group, family, beginner, or seasoned tourer.
Note: The WRT is taking a year off in 2026 after 17 consecutive editions, with plans to return in 2027.
The Winter Event
Held in January, the Winter Event is a one-night social bikepacking ride from Llanbrynmair. Riders set off in their own time, camp overnight wherever they choose, and return the following day to tea, cake, and company. There’s no time pressure and no competitive element — just a good excuse to get out in the cold.
The 2026 Winter Event took place on the weekend of 10–11 January.
Bikes and Gear for Bear Bones
What Bike?
The BB200 demands a capable off-road bike. A hardtail mountain bike or gravel bike with wide, aggressive tyres is the standard choice. Full suspension helps on the rougher terrain but adds weight. The terrain includes everything from fast gravel tracks to deeply rutted, waterlogged moorland where walking the bike is simply faster than trying to ride it.
Key considerations:
- Tyres: 2.2″ and above recommended for the roughest terrain; gravel-specific rubber (40mm+) works for less aggressive riders on the Bash
- Gearing: Low gears are essential. A 1x drivetrain simplifies things and reduces mechanical risk. A 32t chainring paired with a wide-range cassette covers most terrain.
- Geometry: A stable, confident geometry handles better on rough trails
Essential Gear
The BB200 mandatory kit list is a starting point, not a ceiling. Beyond a sleeping bag, shelter, lights, and phone, experienced riders typically carry:
Navigation:
- GPS device (Garmin Edge Explore or similar) with the route loaded.
- Phone with Komoot or OS Maps as backup, downloaded for offline use.
- Paper OS map of the area (1:50,000 Landranger sheets for mid-Wales).
Shelter and sleep:
- Lightweight bivy bag (OR Helium Bivy, Alpkit Hunka, or similar).
- Emergency foil blanket as backup.
- Sleeping bag rated to at least 5°C for October events — colder for the Winter Event.
Tools and repair:
- Two spare inner tubes.
- Tyre plugs and COâ‚‚ inflators.
- Chain quick links and lube.
- Multi-tool with chain breaker.
- Duct tape (wrapped around the pump).
- Cash for any small shops encountered en route.
Food and water:
- 2–3 litres of water capacity — resupply points are scarce on the route.
- Water filter or purification tablets.
- High-calorie riding food: gels, bars, and real food for longer stops.
The Bear Bones Community
Beyond the events, Bear Bones Bikepacking maintains one of the most active bikepacking forums in the UK — a resource that’s been running since the early days of the community and covers everything from kit reviews and MYOG (make your own gear) to trip reports and route advice. It’s well worth browsing before your first event.
The Bear Bones forum is accessible via bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk.
Is Bear Bones Right for You?
The Bear Bones team is refreshingly honest about who the BB200 is for. If you’re new to bikepacking, they’ll tell you directly: start with the Welsh Ride Thing or the Winter Event. The BB200 is not a tour. The terrain is unforgiving, the climbs are relentless, and you are entirely on your own if something goes wrong.
But if you’ve got the miles in your legs, the confidence to navigate in the dark through boggy moorland, and the stubbornness to keep moving when everything hurts, there aren’t many experiences in British cycling that match it.
For those who want the terrain without the clock: download the Bear Bones Bash GPX, load up your bags, and head to Llanbrynmair. Mid-Wales will do the rest.
Quick Reference
| Event | Distance | Difficulty | Entry | Next Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BB200 | ~200km | ★★★★★ | Invitational | May 2026 |
| BB300 | ~300km | ★★★★★ | Black badge holders only | May 2026 |
| Welsh Ride Thing | Variable | ★★★ | Open | 2027 |
| Winter Event | Variable | ★★★ | Open | Jan 2027 |
| Bear Bones Bash (self-guided) | ~230km | ★★★★ | GPX download | Anytime |
| Bear Bones Border Bash (self-guided) | Variable | ★★★★ | GPX download | Anytime |
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