Just ridden the Marin and Penmachno linked via Sarn Helen today and was absolutely awesome. Everything was bone dry, no mud in sight. What a perfect day! just thought id share that with everyone 🙂

Went round Peno on Sunday and must say it was a fantastic day! the trail was perfect!!! the odd ice patch just added to the fun!!!

Yes sir! yes it is. Going that area on Sunday. Woop!

shame it's full of Welsh folk
😉

Hate the marin trail.

In fact the only bit of N.Wales I liked was snowdon, which was amazing.

Just thought I'd share that with everyone.

It is indeed great.

I've dissed the Marin in the past, but I'd be pathetically grateful to have somewhere as well-drained to ride locally right now.

I didn't rate Penmachno at all.

CYB was lovely at the weekend, though! As was NYA on Friday, when it was all but empty! Lovely.

Never been to Penmachno, but I love the Marin trail !

Just got back from Llandegla today – went round twice, trails were perfect, some ice and mud to keep it interesting.

I guess Penmachno is next on my list then

I do a 'er indoors forced trip for 2 weeks every year to N Wales. It's good. Very good. I wish I lived there instead of here in the crowded North of Scotland with its crap riding. Everyone should go to Wales. It rocks. Particularly Wrexham. Go there.

love the marin, not a fan of penmachno, descent back to the marin via Pont Cyfyng is ace though

We're off to North Wales for Easter to have a change of scene from S.Wales 😉

Wales sure is great – they ought to charge on all entery points to the green green grass of home LOL 😆

DeVs – you couldn't be more wrong – it's rubbish here.
I'd suggest everyone who was thinking of coming to North Wales to ride should head towards somewhere a little more remote… perhaps Northern Scotland would fit the bill. 😉

North Wales is very good. I have ridden Llandegla and Betws-y-coed trails and they are both excellent. The best thing is Llandegla is only about 45 minutes from my house so I can get there whenever I want.

"North Wales is very good. I have ridden Llandegla and Betws-y-coed trails and they are both excellent. The best thing is Llandegla is only about 45 minutes from my house so I can get there whenever I want."
Bravo…10/10…the best trolling I've witnessed on here for a long while….take a bow young man.

Penmachno last Saturday for me – great ride, not too much mud, fantastic views and and a little less "man made" feel than the other North Wales ride at Llandegla

Penmachno is my fave N.Wales ride.
Shame there are no facilities at the trailhesd.
Then again,dread to think how busy it would be with a cafe,etc on site.
Penmachno village is losing out big time due to lack of above.

mttm – You have obviously never been here. It's pants. Honestly folks save yourself a shed load of cash and hours of frustrating journey on third world roads and go to Wrexham. It's got Llandegla, kebab shops and everything. Some parts of the borders are nearly as good as NyA, CyB, Marin and Penmachno if you really must travel north for a change of scenery but if you go past Perth there be the end of the earth and monsters. Wrexham has cash machines and chicks that will shag you post ride for a few pints of Brains SA. Surely that beats dying in a snow drift or your arteries clogging up with deep fried pizza if you ever manage to circumnavigate the potholes to the chippie down those singletrack roads?

"Shame there are no facilities at the trailhesd
..
Penmachno village is losing out big time due to lack of above"

Hmm? Surely if there were a cafe/bike shop/showers/etc etc, there would be no need for anyone to stop in Penmachno village?

Penmachno is great becacause it has no facilities, like Cli-mach X
Cafe? Theres a pub in Penmachno village
Toilets? Take a dump before you leave home/campsite/B&B, pee in the bushes (out of sight of other people)
Showers? Can you not wait until you get home/your campsite/B&B? Or are you really that sweaty?
Bike shop? Theres one just down the road in Betws-y-coed, they hire bikes too
£7 car parking? You can donate that much if you wish
Black runs? Ride it faster, its pretty narrow, it gets more difficult (and more fun)
Blue runs? Ride is a bit slower

Okay there some oversights there, but a lack of facilites shouldn't detract from somewhere to ride your bike

Apart from a bried mention of Sarn Helen and snowdon, I can't believe (well maybe I can) only marked trail centre runs have been mentioned in a thread about North Wales
Theres so much more

FFS man…..sssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Good rantin' tho.

Penmachno is teh ace. Best TC in Walo!

But there isn't anything else there 😉 I mean who would want to go riding in the Clwydians say?

By eck I'm gonna give you such a clip round the ear…… 😯
What Matt-P meant is that its devoid of all amenities essential for latter day mountain biking,so move along-nothing to see here.Thankyou

Exactly! Thank you for the clarification. 😳

Love Penmachno , find Marin boring until last descent – definately one to loop and miss out the fireroad crap

Slight OT but I hope the guy who crashed on the jumps section at Llandegla this afternoon was okay, he looked like he'd done his collar bone. He had some friends with him one of which had gone to get some help so not much assistance I could offer. Lovely day for it!

Oh, and I love Penmachno. Marin is pretty good too but mainly the final descent…

He had some friends in the ambulance aswell…..he's in the ambulance service!Oh sweet irony.

Hijack alert!

We're going there at the end of the month staying near Pentrefoelas. Fancy riding over to Penmachno – anyone know what these trails are like to get us there?

1) http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=284367&Y=350430&A=Y&Z=120

2) http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=283624&Y=349205&A=Y&Z=120

3) http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=281396&Y=349110&A=Y&Z=120

4) http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=283748&Y=348735&A=Y&Z=120

5) http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=283630&Y=350855&A=Y&Z=120

Rideable or not?
Bad in the wet or OK?
Featureless slog or interesting diversion?

Thanks!

He seemed pretty shook up but was walking and I'm guessing if he did a bit of self-diagnosis he wouldn't have been moving if he felt it was serious.

I was on my own and it made me a tad more cautious for the remainder of the ride.

1)The main one,bryn llech is fine but its a BIG climb coming back to ysbty ifan.I usually park there to do penmachno.The other bits Im not so sure about-but finding out is half the fun is'nt it.
Good out and back to Llyn Alwen aswell.
Do not be tempted by this http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=284151&y=344620&z=120&sv=284151,344620&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=822&ax=284151&ay=344620&lm=0 cos its not there (although the first bit is and its ace ,it just peters away to nothing)

Thanks Rorschach!

no 4 is sick upwards.. really sick you will be at the top realising how you are suffering and you could have ridden down it.. er and it was better before they repaired it. Really though there is a good car park at penmachno use it these old tracks leading back to Pentrefoelas are worthless, you would not catch us locals using them when riding over to Penmachno.. oh no sirree we always use the car park

if you think wales is good you should try the NW Alps!, Englands best kept secret 😉

Yeah avoid North Wales…lots of Snow due this weekend, Swine flu is really bad at the mo, bird flu seems to be making a comeback, casualty is full of MRSA and C-diff, there was a case of a kite attacking riders at NYA and hoards of killer zombies have been spotted at CYB…Llandegla is just about rideable….between 2.30 and 5.00pm on Saturday will be quiet :wink:…oh if you think the Wrexham lasses are bad…you want to see the Valley ones…proper scary!

North Wales is great, but some of the locals seem to have a bit of an attitude.

M@tt – you looked like you enjoyed yourself when I ran into you in the carpark. It was a lovely afternoon for it…

hoards of killer zombies have been spotted at CYB

OK, I had a hangover, it's true, but I don't think I looked that bad!