I rode machen mountain for the first time last week, what great fun dh track steep and fast, loved it.

What I’m struggling is how to pedal back up without going round the road again via Lower machen or pushing. Any locals on here got any advice? Or any other good trails to link it up with for a bigger loop. Thanks…

Machen mountain morning ride by dan45a, on Flickr

No easy route back up but plenty of trails in the area.

Thanks creamegg, you confirmed my fears.

Any good sections to head to once down in machen, what about rudry? I’ve basically been looking for strava segments.

Get yourself over to castle bikes club.

Machen dh then cross over to draethen across the road and do garlic.
Halfwayup, the mojo lot and nine point eight cartel are riding them a lot the past couple of years to name a few.
Halfwayup are meeting at the crown pub thus night at 6 and going up from there. It’s much easier to climb from that side than the Bassaleg side. Did a quick run tonight- fast, dusty conditions.

Loads of ways up but their all rock hard !! Best way up is via the Velvet trail ? ( I think thats what its called ) but the last bit up is still a push unless your superman.

Go up Turners

Just dont ride all the way down, push up back to the fence up the middle path. Use two cars with a mate, park one at the bottom, drive one up to the top up by the mast, ride up to the mast, session the fence area when you wanna finish ride all the way down and drive back up to the other car.

I’d second frogleeks suggestion. It’s know as Turners, but actually called Dranllywn Lane /Ty Calon Lane (Turners on Strava) it’s a long tarmac climb, but gives access to Wylie, or back along the ridgeway to Machen Mast.

ah great looks like there’s going to be a huge influx of riders there this weekend! 👿 🙁 🙄 idiots

yeah, idiots. It’ll be like the megavalanche going down from the mast now 🙄

Looks great.
Why wouldnt you want it like the megaavalanche up there ..sounds like that would be a good craic to me….Ive never understood this concept of people being over precious about protecting there “secret local trails” crap…. All you read about in the magazines are articles to tell riders to to get off the kitty litter trail centres and try some more natural ungroomed trails but if your not a local rider how are you supposed to find these trails without things like strava and these forums etc.
See u up there for the mini-avalanche! 😉

Turn right after the Spar, and follow the road up to the lane which come up behind the slag heap. It’s steep but very doable

Nice bike btw

Easy to get up onto the Rymney Valley ridgeway from machen. Jusy check an OS map to see it. This can take you to Cwmcarn via sirhowey valley or the other way to coed couseu whips, machen woods, caerphilly woods, the wenault, castle coch or garth mountain if you wanted a long route. The Rymney valley ridgeway walk is the backbone with fantastic riding coming off it. Find that and it opens up the possibility for many long rides. I ride to Cwmcarn from Cardiff via Machen on the ridgeway. Sorry to the welsh for my appalling spelling of Welsh places.