As above, my mate and me are doing snowdon this friday and then riding the marin the morn of saturday and penmachno in the afternoon.
Should we do both loops at Penmachno?
Any tips plz for making the day better, I saw some comments that there were some descents that were easy to miss.
Thanks all.
the marin and penmachno are well waymarked you shouldn't miss anything, as for both loops see how your legs feel when you have the option half way round loop 1.
Take waterproofs
Prepared to be bored to tears by the Marin, prepare to spill some blood on Penmachno (but in a good way)
marin is slippy when wet. last descent is good. rest of trail never really gets going to be honest.
Did both loops Penmachno Saturday - fantastic ride, very well waymarked most round. Even managed to spill blood, I have an innate ability to fall off going slowly uphill 🙂
Last 3 singletrack dh sections to carpark are amazing. At junction of 2 loops wooden signs were gone and previously laminated signs had dissolved - come out singletrack and turn right, over road and pick up proper signage again to do both . If just doing loop 1 turn left and pick up signage up the fireroad.
My tip for Penmachno would be not to listen to anybody who tells you loop 2 isn't worth doing - they're wrong. As northshoreniall said, keep your eyes peeled for the signs though. And you WILL get wet! I'd be tempted to ride Penmachno first as it's (in my humble opinion) the better trail of the two.
Marin isn't boring, just more fire road-y than most. Sociable climbing for tired legs after Penmachno with some nice descents (esp. the last one), and great views if the sun's out.
HTH
see how your legs feel when you have the option half way round loop 1.
This, the very very best bits are in loop 1, loop two can be hell on a very windy day, but it is nonetheless a great extension and should be done if possible. Machno remains one of my alltime favourite trails, and will be ruined if they ever put a cafe there. Stop in the village if you happen to catch anything open, a lovely little place that just seems dead. Very sad.
Marin - has to be done, it was one of the very first trail centres, and should be ridden as much as a historic footnote to the rest of your riding as anything else. It complies with the fire road up, ST down mantra, with a disproportionate ratio of the first compared to the latter. But in amongst it all are some of the best sections in the UK. Just try to savour those, and not hold the rest of the trail against it.
Last time at Penmachno I had a big off and broke my collarbone ... despite that it's still probably my favourite trail out of those ridden. There seems to be hardly any climbs there, great place!
Just got back from a weekend riding both.
I would Ride Penmachno First(its very wet), but one of my all time faves! The Marin has some great bits, (Esp the last down hill section) but it is very fire roady 🙄
So save the marin till last.