Hi, was up on Conwy Mountain last weekend and it looked great for biking. Tempted to do an explore but as a starting point does anyone know of a good 2-3hr route around this area?

Would that be Drum Mountain?

This one is a belter of a route

drum mountain route

It’ll take you longer than that though. Some serious climbing. But the payback is the descent from the top of Drum, which is crazy fast!!!

Or this one. Infinitely better, long hard day in the saddle though.

Drum Mountain by lowey.com, on Flickr

Click to make big.

That looks great Binners, but a bit more than the 2-3hrs we have free on the Sat. One for another day though certainly. If we omitted the Drum climb/descent (possibly the best bit but we can come back and do this again) would the ride still be worth doing?

You can’t go far wrong around there, to be honest. Its all good. You can easily skip the mahoosive climb up Drum to cut it shorter. The views out to sea on a good day are a major bonus. Its just a really nice part of the world to ride

Lowey, that also looks ace. Trying to look at doing the Conwy Mountain section plus the section to the farm at Tyddyn Grasod. Would like to carry on to do the Parc Mawr descent but the only way back up to Tyddyn Grasod I can see on the map involves either cutting left on the fireroad in the middle of the woods (missing some of the descent), or following the road all the way back round from the bottom of the descent and loosing a lot of height in the process. Is the Parc Mawr descent worth it?

Binners, how much time would you estimate that cutting out the Drum climb/descent would save?

It’ll save you a lot of time. Its an absolute killer of a climb. You can skirt around it instead

The mother – in law has a caravan at Conwy, been going for a few years now. We are up ther Saturday as well.

If you want a nice ride for 2-3 hours, start where Lowey has shown, go up to the standing stones don’t go down the drop which will end up with a bugger of a climb out of Rowan. Go straight on and you will meet the road up from the Rowan YH and as binners says miss out drum.

That might be just doable in 3 hours.

and missing those bits out still makes it a great ride 😀

The other option is to go to the first cross over point, and drop back down to the road, as on Loweys return leg and try a few of the trails around the mountain next to the A55, loads to do and ride around there.

LOL – I posted the same question a few months ago and Lowey posted the same route… thanks.

Been out and done it so if you want a GPX just drop me an e-mail.

I saw sweet FA from the top of the drum as the weather was crap and the cloud was about 10m off sea level. A good route though. That DH off the drum is excellent. Very fast and not to be missed. It’s still a fast grassy descent if you miss out the Drum but you’ll be sorry you missed it. The worst part is the ferkin road climb from Rowen, bloody hell that’s steep and energy sapping but the drop through the woods just before it was great, you need to sit on your back wheel for that one. Took me 4hrs 30mins. My advice..get up earlier and do the lot, you won’t be sorry.

Thanks again Lowey, great route.

Thanks again Lowey, great route.

No worries mate, but Vortex gave it me in the first place.

I’m nearly a l part time local now too, so trying to find a lot more routes around there.

The worst part is the ferkin road climb from Rowen

Your not kidding! Its evil!! I remember doing the full route on the most baking hot day of the summer, a few years back. I thought I was going to die by the end!!

The other option is to go to the first cross over point, and drop back down to the road, as on Loweys return leg and try a few of the trails around the mountain next to the A55, loads to do and ride around there.

Hi Vortex, that’s a good suggestion. Do you mean the trails over on Conwy Mountain and Penmaen Bach? Also, the trail from the standing stones to the top of the road above the Rowen YHA – is that all rideable or is it likely to be an absolute bog fest after all this recent rain?

Do you mean the trails over on Conwy Mountain and Penmaen Bach?

yip over the back of the mountain, there are loads of trails.

BTW, on the way back down to the green footbridge, don’t use the BW that you climbed up, use the elevated FP on your Left, it’s an absolute hoot. It finishes at the houses at the bottom of the bridleway.

Also, the trail from the standing stones to the top of the road above the Rowen YHA – is that all rideable or is it likely to be an absolute bog fest after all this recent rain?

That path is rideable, may be a bit muddy in places but not bad. You know when you are on the right path as it finishes at the road with a bungalow on you right. Great views over the valley from it as well.