As the title. We are off up to Snowdonia at the weekend for a week and I’m allowed to take the bike (and board, as I’m doing a sesh at SurfSnowdonia, see just how rubbish it actually is!!) i am also hoping to check out some of the best riding up there too, but will have to prioritise as its not a riding holiday as such, more a family holiday avec bike
I’ve never actually ridden north wales, just lots of cwmcarn, Afan and everything at bpw. I would love to hike a bike Snowdonia at some point, but would be doing it solo, unless anyone local wanted to join me that is…Think I’m right in saying there’s a riding ban between certain hours though? What other trails/trail centres are a must? I’ve had Marin, Penmachno recommended so far…I’m into fast n flowy and steep n techy. Any advice or tips gratefully received, cheers

http://www.cyclingnorthwales.co.uk/pages/snowdn_volunt.htm

Coed y Brenin offers more than Marin and Penmachno IMO, unless you’re not counting that as N Wales.

Llyn cowlyd is a really good natural loop and can be extended into the Marin trail for a bit more riding. I’d also suggest having a play at Antur.

Don’t let the naysayers drag you down – SurfSnowdonia is good fun!

On trails and assuming you’re staying close to Betws, there’s certainly lots of steep stuff but I suspect you’re really looking for trail centre ease. The Marin has a fun new mid-section and is a great trail overall (with a stunning final long descent). Penmachno divides opinion: I really like it, but others not so much. Antur also great if you fancy doing some uplift (blues/reds fine for trail bikes). Cyb definitely an option, but it’s a 30min drive from Betws.

Snowden: there are many threads. Bike “ban” means you cannot ride between 9-5 but you can push up alongside the railway from Llanberis, then ride down via Rangers and Telegragph. As such you could push up mid/late afternoon maybe meet the family at the top if they take the train.

Yep, Snowden deffo an option, but still busy in the evening. Depends if you want a clear run down (and not to have an audience baying for over-the-bars blood as you negotiate the nadgery bit on Rangers!).

Thanks guys, great info. I was gonna go up Snowdon early doors, if weather plays ball, I might go super early, catch the sunrise and a hassle free descent. So you’re reckoning about 2.5 hrs up then? Is Rangers a goody then?Heard good things as long as you’re a fan of rocks, which I am! Im gonna be riding my Dixon so good for most stuff. I was wondering about Revolution BP, anyone been, any good or Antur looks sick, although I might be under biked for some of it…The natural loops sound great, just depends on how much time I’m given! Trail centre options are probably the easiest option for a few hrs of shredding!
We are staying in Nantgwynant? A place called the nook Snowdonia btw. Looks great!

CYB is defo an option too, hasn’t it just had a face lift or new trails or something? Surfsnowdonia will be a laugh I’m sure, novelty factor at the very least, I’m just spoilt living on Devons north coast that’s all…ha ha!

Snowden.

Snowdon.

Important.

The restriction on Snowdon is no cycling between 10am and 5pm on all the bridleways that lead to/from the summit. Pushing is fine.

If you’re going to go early, then start in Llanberis and push/ride alongside the railway, descend Rangers to the BW that leads back over Bwlch Maesgwm, then descend Telegraph Valley back to Llanberis. As long as you are off the Rangers and on to the Maesgwm BW by 10, then you are off restricted trails. If we’re guiding, we usually leave Llanberis at 6, summit about 8.15 and start the descent about 8.30. Leave the Rangers by about 9, by which time, there will be a few walkers coming up unless the weather’s awful.

If you’d rather do evening, then start at the Ranger car park at whatever time you like, climb up to the Maesgwm BW and then over Bwlch Maesgwm and down Telegraph Valley to Llanberis at whatever time you like – none is affected by the restriction. Start pushing up from Llanberis (ideally around 5 but 4’s unlikely to be an issue). Hit the summit about 7 and descend in your own time all the way back the Ranger 🙂

In my opinion, morning’s best.

If you need any other info, email me mtbguiding@gmail.com

Been watching his with interest – I’m heading to snowdonia on a 2 week family holiday on Friday (bikes are coming!) I’m up for riding snowdon too, so onedpete, maybe we could meet up and do it together next week…

Personally I would only do Snowdon to say “I’ve done Snowdon” it’s not ‘that’ great a ride TBH, it’s pretty quick (if you’re reasonably fit, 3 hours tops) the Llanberis Path is a dull push/ride/push, and the worst thing about it…the thousands of walkers.

If you start from Llanberis at 6am and follow the route suggested above, and don’t choose a weekend, you won’t see 1000s of walkers… And the descent of the Rangers is superb… It’s a real experience and one I never get tired of…

Alternative: take bivy kit and some whisky and head up in the evening, enjoy the sunset, get up reasonably early and be back in Llanberis in time for the cafe to open.

Does depend on the weather playing ball mind.

Antur Stiniog and Penmachno are pretty near to each other, but with different types of riding. I’ve been to both recently and had a great time at both.

+1 Penmachno

this thread might be useful

I’d take Drum Mountain before Snowdon every time.

+1 Penmachno

God no, hateful. 😆

Penmachno is bloody brilliant!!

…. on the three days a year when it’s not like riding down a stream!

What do people hate about Penmachno?
What’s not to like about 30km of flowing singletrack? Ok there’s no adrenaline-pumping descents, but that’s not everything.

Rode Penmachno back in 2012-ish, during a beautiful hot dry March. It was awesome, but bloody sketchy in random places, without warning.

One moment you are hooning it along bermed flowy wonder at Mach 3 – the next you suddenly hit some poorly maintained bit of gullyed and completely washed out trail with braking bumps and piles of loose rock and wonder quite how you are still alive.

I rode it on the same day that Clive Forth was riding it – during his ’50 trail centres in 30 days’ challenge – and he pretty much agreed with me that Penmachno was fast, but worryingly-deceptively-sketchy in places.

Marin + CyB would be my recoommendation though. Ridden them billions of times, still love them.

I love Penmachno despite it trying to give me hypothermia on two separate occasions. Just do it when it’s dry. And not in January when the snows melting

Anyway… Drum Mountain is the best ride in North wales, by miles. For the bonkers fast, 4 mile long descent from the summit! Snowdon is a bit… Whatevs… tick it off the list

I went for the first time on Sunday and it seemed pretty well maintained, maybe they’ve done some work recently as a couple of sections looked quite new, with a few rollers and jumps.

Conwy Mountain/Drum, as Binners suggests is a bit of a classic.
If you’re doing the short loop from Abergwyngregyn, pop up to Llyn Anafon for your lunch.
Classic grinder of a climb, back down the same way can get a bit sketchy at speed if you don’t get your braking juuuust right.
Turn right at the bottom for Drum and another of the best bits of riding anywhere.
It’s all (fittish) family friendly, steep and fast but no real gnarr.
Worth it for the views even if the riding was crap.
It isn’t, it’s hilarious.

The Llyn Colwyd/Crafnant route scares the gravy out of me, but is popular amongst those who can actually ride.

And another Penmachno fan too.

Anyone around next week and wants to ride snowdon with me?

Sorry Bigdaddy, I meant to get in touch, but didn’t get the window required to hit Snowdon while I was up there I’m sorry to say, weather not great and kids requiring entertaining…Gutted. I did have a few superfun ones at Marin and CYB though….the new sections on Marin are ace, although too much fire road climbing and even…descending!! I loved some of the sections at CYB, false teeth, Abel and beginning of the end being my faves