I am staying in betws y coed this weekend as the mrs and I are going to walk snowdon on Saturday (it’s her last training walk before doing the three peaks next month).

Anyway I was thinking I might head out for a couple of hours on Sunday morning on the bike. Obviously there is the Marin and Penmachno right there but what I’m wondering is if I can cycle onto them pretty much from my door or do you need to drive to a starting point outside of betws y coed itself?

I’d like to head out for a ride from the place we are stayin ideally (it’s by the pont y pair bridge).

Also and recommendations for nice places for a good meal and a good beer?

Thanks

This place is great for food – http://www.bistrobetws-y-coed.co.uk/

I can’t remember how far it was to the trails sorry.

If Pont y Bair is the bridge in the main village, i’d suggest driving to the start. Having fallen victim to “it’s just over the bridge, turn left and follow the road, and we’ll join it in the middle.”, I wouldn’t recommend it unless you really like riding up miles of very steep tarmac, check how close the contour lines are, and how many double arrows there are on the OS map.

I’ve eaten at that bistro too, very nice indeed.

If you’ve not done Penmachno before, i’d say it’s worth the 10mins or so in the car to do that over the Marin trail. Always come away with a smile on my face after a ride round Penmachno.

Dead easy to ride straight onto Marin (15mins) or Penmachno (30mins) from Betws.

Use this track and you’ll find Marin eventually:
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=278590&y=357192&z=120&sv=278590,357192&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=741&ax=278590&ay=357192&lm=0
Or if you want to be sure ride on the road until Marin crosses here – you won’t even need a map for this option:
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=276890&y=358179&z=120&sv=276890,358179&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=741&ax=276890&ay=358179&lm=0

Marin Trail: http://www.justgoride.co.uk/Content/Routes/Viewer.aspx?id=199

Penmachno is reachable by road or trails, but you’ll need a map:
http://www.justgoride.co.uk/Content/Routes/Viewer.aspx?id=971

Thanks for the pointers all, sounds like I might just jump in the car and park up, probably the best way to be as quick as possible. So which one would you say was the quicker to get round for a quick blast?

Also where’s best for a proper pint…..

If you’re a quick rider you can do loop 1 & 2 at Penmachno in about 2 hrs 20mins with no stops, the Marin about 2hrs 10mins. If you’d prefer to take it in a bit more and stop a few times then 3hrs for Penmachno and 2hrs 45 for Marin.

Personally though, don’t bother with the Marin. There are some nice bits in it but there is far too much climbing and far too much fire road. Penmachno feels like a natural trail, has more techy sections and some really quick ST if you let go, plus you can wave to your wife from the back of loop 2 as you get a nice view of Snowdon.

Be warned, they don’t call it Wetmachno for nothing and after this weeks weather it will be river like in places.

Staying in Betws then riding up the road to join the Marin is probably quicker than loading the car driving out and repeating the process when you get back to the car, it is realy easy and you get a bonus climb to warm up with 🙂 Simon1975 instructions are spot on.

Why not do them both. Penmachno in the morning and then drive to the Marin and stop for a sandwich from the garage on the way. I do it a couple of times a year and if I can get to Penmachno by 9:30, I’m on my way home by 3pm(ish).

Bear in mind Penmachno is quite tricky to find (IMO) – it’s not really signposted much (or at least wasn’t when I was there).

The Marin really is just outside of Betws, so no need to get in the car. It is a fairly stiff climb to get up there.

The OH threw her bike down in disgust that I’d made her attempt to ride up there and I was “only trying to make her look stupid” as she walked up with her bike. At that point a bunch of others went past all walking with their bikes! So she didn’t feel so silly and apologised for getting stroppy.

Ahh the joys of taking your partner with you 🙂

A fine place to ride,a true classic,lovely.

the last down is slightly tricky if you havent done it before!

and apologised for getting stroppy

WTF…. how the hell did you do that ?! 😯

I have NEVER got my OH to apologise and neither has anyone else in the world that I know of. Even when we were having a heart to heart and I pointed out that she had never apologised to me for anything she replied ‘that’s because I’m always ferkin right !’

Bear in mind Penmachno is quite tricky to find

From BYC high street you only have to make one right turn by the cafe then just follow the road. 😆

Bear in mind Penmachno is quite tricky to find
From BYC high street you only have to make one right turn by the cafe then just follow the road.

Not how I remember it, but not everyone is as AMAZING AT EVERYTHING as you [seem to think you are] though.

Its easy to find places once you know where they are 😉

Someones i bit touchy. 😆

Being able to find penmachno doesn’t make anyone AMAZING

Just pointing out to the OP what it’s not very difficlt to find. Nothing for you to get all het up about.

Penmachno loop one is the quickest out of them all. Then Marin (only just) then Penmach with both loops.

If you’ve got a bit more time there’s a natural ride that starts from the Marin carpark and goes out over here.

2012_0225Welshwales0027 by singlespeedstu, on Flickr

and back across here.

2012_0225Welshwales0035 by singlespeedstu, on Flickr

You’ll need a bit more than a couple of hours though.

That looks cracking! Unfortunately I am walking with her on the Saturday so I’m just looking to sneak off for a couple of hours on Sunday morning.

If its good I might look at going back for a lads weekend and get in both marin, Penmachno and a natural route!

@ singlespeedstu

Any chance you could post a link or send me an email with details of that route. If it’s where I think it is I’ve done some of it but it wasn’t as long as you’re suggesting.

There you go.

http://www.theedgecycleworks.com/mtbroutes/marin-cowlyd-killer

Here’s my route that takes in Llyn Cowlyd:
http://www.justgoride.co.uk/Content/Routes/Viewer.aspx?id=462

Last time I was up there we went in October, managed a not too early start, rode the Marin trail and walked Snowdon in the afternoon (up the pyg, down the miners).

You should have plenty of time to do this with the OH.

excitable1 – I’m not sure to be honest. But I got my own back when she took me skiing for the first time and I threw a strop because she tried taking me down a steep icey slope. I didn’t talk to her for the whole journey back to our hotel. (thanksfully my skiing has improved an awful lot now!).

Yeah I’m sure I would have enough time to do both if it were just me, however it’s a group walk with a start time planned for 10:00 from pen y pass.

I can’t see the pace being particularly quick so I’ve just written it off and the sooner we do finish is a bit more pub time!!

I think a Sunday morning blast around one or the other is prob the best plan.

So I rode that Marin trail yesterday morning!

After chatting to the guys in the bike shop in Betws I decided that with the weather how it was yesterday the Marin would be the better option (they said Penmachno was somewhat exposed). I followed Simon1975’s tip of following the road along to where it crosses the Marin (it took about 15 mins there and less than 10 back).

With the weather how it was I motored round in just under 2hours as I didnt stop at all. I thought it was a good loop but the conditions did hamper my enjoyment of it somewhat.

Walked the Pyg track up and down Snowdon on Saturday, glad we did that as I wouldnt have fancied it yesterday. Was green with envy seeing all the bikers at the top and me just being up there on foot.

Anyway thanks for all the tips, it was a great weekend regardless of the weather!

Glad you had fun! And pleased to have helped save you a little drive 🙂