[Closed] What's better for natural riding - Snowdonia or the Brecon Beacons?

Probably a getting a bit cold now in the mountains. Better to wear some clothes, IMO.

Brecon I'd say...If you're after a decent day in the saddle then 'The Gap' is the one (click the link / scroll down / # 4): -

http://46.254.200.236/mountain-biking-routes

There is a pack of maps you can buy online, worth a look if you're down for a while.

https://www.beacons-npa.gov.uk/shop/product.php?id_product=27

Counter intuitively there's not actually masses of riding (non trail centre) in snowdonia....what's there is good....but a bit sparse.Weird.

Just back from a week in the western Beacons, took my bike but didn't ride it because none of the bridleways were worth it, think indistinct boggy moorland slogs. One or two decent routes in the east, gap road and around Talybont res, and also an ok loop heading north out of Crickhowell. Snowdonia beats all of this with one of the best routes ever, Rangers path. Rhyd Dhu also excellent. Good loop north out of Capel Curing round via Betwys Coed and heard recently that Drum Hill is worth a bash. So Snowdonia I'd say

Gah... why do people keep going on about the Gap and then posting the worst possible version of it?

The Gap road is alright in an early 90s kind of way, but there are much better rides out there.

This is my definitive Beacons ride. Start at the crosshairs

[img] [/img]

Brecon, Black Mountains, Crickhowell (loop up to the North). IMO Snowdonia is a bit hike a bike up and unridable down, great for walking.

EDIT: Molgrips clockwise or anti-clockwise

Better riding is in Snowdonia, but as Rorschach says it's all a bit sparse. The riding in the beacons and the black mountains is still good and is much easier to link up.

I'd second Molgrips on the gap, it's ok but there's so much better around there. My preferred route takes in the Llangorse loop.

On the original question - yes, Jam is right (for a change). My mate went to uni in Bangor and said there wasn't actually that much good biking around, cos it's all too big, steep, rocky, boggy, unrideable or combinations of those things, and going around the big mountains is miles on road.

However if you're prepared to ride footpaths the hinterland of the big mountains opens up a bit 🙂

Although - I'm assuming by Snowdonia you mean the most popular northern bit. Coed y Brenin is in Snowdonia too remember. Also the Rhinogs and the fabled Pont Scethin route:

[img] [/img]

As someone who's ridden extensively in Snowdonia... brecons are probably better

Must do trails in Snowdonia... Llyn crafnant to capel curing, dolwyddelan to pont cyfyng(+/- dolwyddelan to betws if you enjoy riding on pumpkin sized boulders), all the trails on snowdon itself (note the "voluntary" ban during the summer). All are fairly obvious on the map and and in the ground and fairly doable.

The Marin above betws is fun and allegedly there are tons of cheeky downhills if you know where to find them. Not sure if that meets your definition of will riding or not.

The trouble with that molgrips is that the bit over Fan G is private. The landowner who gives consent for all sorts of events (the Beast for instance) is having his patience tried, not just by mtbers, at the moment by all sorts of unlawful use and is likely to tell everyone to do one soon so publishing here may not be the most politic thing to do.

Oh.

Hmm. Well been riding that for years before there even was a Brecon Beast. I can't edit the post but I'll delete the image.

Perhaps I'd better not explain the potential loophole in the access laws...

I think people who want to ride it will find it and I think that light use is tolerated (for now anyway) lots of use with mxers and even commercial events being organised without the owner;s consent (the Beast gets consent) - gates damaged, fences cut etc.

Statistics say I have to be right sometimes 🙂

Which way round for your loop, feel free to delete the image as I have saved it now

There are arrows on the map.

Either way, but anticlockwise I prefer.

Are you planning on doing it Jam? Let me know if you do.

There are arrows on the map.

😳 in fairness I couldn't see them with my old eyes !

Molgrips thanks for the confirmation, unfortunately very unfit so I suspect that may be beyond me. Hoping to do 40k with 300m climbing in next few weeks which will be longest ride of 2015 😐 Have a loose plan for a boys weekend in October to South Wales