The symbiotic relationship between beer and bikes goes back a long way. The very first MTB races in Britain used a pub as race HQ, and ever since then it’s rare to find one half of the partnership without the other.

Few events, though, rely quite so heavily on mountain bikers’ fondness for beer as the annual Real Ale Wobble. This classic event will be held for the twelfth time on 13/14 November 2004. It’s a weekend of mountain biking around Llanwrtyd Wells in conjunction with the Mid Wales Beer Festival.

Each day offers choices of waymarked 15, 25 or 40 mile routes. When you register at the Neuadd Arms Hotel you’ll get a bunch of tokens that you can exchange for half-pint samples of fine real ale at various checkpoints along the route. So essentially it’s a wide-area pedal-assisted beer festival. Which we’re sure you’ll agree is an excellent concept.

Needless to say, all the routes are entirely off-road. And there’s no shortage of off-road around Llanwrtyd Wells – take decent waterproofs, map, compass, survival bag and all that stuff, there are some fairly desolate areas and the only safe prediction that you can make about the weather is that it’ll be unpredictable.

The entry fee is £16 for both days, including refreshments (not just beer). Llanwrtyd Wells has plenty of accomodation options and a selection of bike hire operations. Everything you need to know and an entry form is available at http://llanwrtyd-wells.powys.org.uk/event8thalewobble.htm.