Traws Eryri, meaning Trans Snowdonia, is a new 200km predominantly off-road cycle route in Wales, connecting Machynlleth to Conwy. Ideal for a bike-pa …

By amandawishart

Get the full story here:

NEW Cycling UK Route: Traws Eryri

Good news, doing this next weekend. Useful there is the official route now  : )

nearly 5000m over 200km… that’s VERY lumpy !!!! not sure i’d manage that !

That looks ace, we might look at breaking that into sections at some point so we can explore the route a bit 🙂

Yep, we’ll definitely be doing that at some point 🙂

What’s the logistics like for getting back to the start? Or is it really a 400km ride…

Yes agreed looks a bit lumpy! Hoping to do it in three days.. I say hoping but with bikes booked on trains we pretty much have to stick to schedule.

Took three days to do Pennine Bridleway, which was further but less hilly. Road surfaces are gonna come into it. PBW was very rough in places which slows you down (as do all the gates!).

Would be  interested if anyone else with experience of the Wales route knows how heavy going it is compared to PBW.

Thanks

 

Jam-bo : my plan is to leave vehicle at Crewe and catch trains.

Crewe-Machynlleth

Conwy-Crewe

 

Jam-bo : my plan is to leave vehicle at Crewe and catch trains.

Crewe-Machynlleth

Conwy-Crewe

That’s a good plan.

Nice write-up in the Guardian today:

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2023/aug/23/cycling-wales-snowdonia-new-bikepacking-route

Does anyone know the bit up near Llanfairfechan that is still being negotiated (hence the A55 Cycleway diversion), and does it get ridden regularly anyway?

Found a rail map. Shrewsbury looks a good option coming from the south.

Looks interesting!

How hard do you think it would be in 2 days?

More of this good stuff, less pick up truck advertorials.

 

 

 

How hard do you think it would be in 2 days?

According to Strava route planner, two 60 mile days with approx 7,000ft of climbing in each. So not impossible, but long days. Logistics of travelling to/from the start and finish might make it trickier.

It could work well as a travel and shorter day, long day, then another shorter day leaving time to travel.

I’m definitely going to have a closer look at the full route.

 

Definitely interested in doing this route!

Having done 84 miles of the Pennine Bridleway from Settle to Glossop, it was two long days at 40 miles a day, just for that section.  All fit, just long 8 hour days – left at 10am and it was 6-7pm before we rolled into the hotel each day.

So I can imagine this taking a few days.

Nice one – although Traws Eryri actually means Trans Eryri

😉

Well, maybe it should be Llwbyr Eryi or Ffordd Eryi or something.

Anyhow, it looks nice. 2 days would be pretty full on and I reckon you’d be tired at the end. If the weather is good and trails dry then it’s do-able. It’s not a technical route, just a lot of hills.

2.5-4 days would be nice easy going with a bit of sightseeing. I like the booklet that goes with it as there is lots of interest nearby, especially abandoned quarries!!

Be warned that daytime trains (esp in summer) are VERY busy. Sometimes it’s impossible to get another bike onboard (regardless of booking). Early morning or midweek is a better option.

I quite like the little guide that’s available (for free) — well produced

How hard do you think it would be in 2 days?

A bit harder than the Trans-Cambrian Way in 2 days perhaps. 1.5 to 2 day TCW is quite realistic for an reasonably fit rider carrying their own kit to kip out. Book a bnb half way and carry less gear and it’d be ‘easier’.

Route looks good, some sections I’ve ridden and some new links. And the guidebook is 👌🏻

Good work Cycling UK

@martinhutch

You could ride along the beach to llanfairfechan and avoid the A55.

 

Oi @DrP lenzzure new bike for a day….. 🙂

Any idea how feasible it would be to find somewhere to store your gear at the trail centres to make adding in a loop or 2 a bit more appealing?

I rode it earlier this year (Had a sneak preview). Took us 2.5days, and was an amazing ride even in crazy wet and windy weather. The descent through the slate mines in gale force winds was epic! Brutal last half day just when we thought it was almost done. Travelling S to N btw.

Planned to get a train back from Conwy to Mach but there was a train strike, so after a much needed lunch in a cafe, we followed a ‘gravel’ route suggested by komoot for our return. This meant another overnighter but was equally brilliant.

In summary; bring your climbing legs and enjoy the views. Allow 4 days for the loop.

After a summer spent trying to get fit enough (and pluck up the courage) for a crack at the Lakeland 200, this looks like a more achievable target. I like a point to point route rather than a loop, and Mach is four and a half hours and cheap by train….

Kestevan’s got a couple of vids up on it (considering he wrote the guide book):

Just got back from doing this south to north. As expected, a blinding route! Weather was great so that helped.

Could be done in 2 days if you really go for it.

Don’t be fooled by the distance- this is a hilly ride! Would recommend an xc mtb for it.

loads of accommodation available in September.

I did a slight shortcut from Llan Ffestiniog up through the snowdonia slate trail right into Penmachno, which avoids a lot of boring road climbs.

Trains were surprisingly quiet

I think they’re closing the Barmouth bridge for repairs for a couple of months.

I think they’re closing the Barmouth bridge for repairs for a couple of months

You don’t go over the bridge. You go via the estuary to dol or vice versa.

Doing this next year with a few cars and staying at my caravan by harlech. Seems a cheap way of doing it.

Will change some of the route. The part out by llan ffestiniog to penmachno can be ridden differently if you add a bit of cheeky into it as can Conwy mountain. But it is cheeky.

Barmouth bridge is closed until December.

Don’t forget 30p for the toll at Penmaenpool!

Printed the guide of for this the other day – it does look an epic route.

Looked at doing it the MTB Wales to take the hassle out of it, but it’s £795 for guiding, 4 nights accommodation, food & transport…..

When you take the cost of the accommodation, food and transport out of that, it’s not a vast amount of money for three days of guiding, is it?

Five of us planning to do this in may. Looking at logistics of getting back to Mach after. Don’t want to rely on being able to get 5 bikes on the train.

Can anyone recommend any taxi firms that can provide take bikes?

https://www.facebook.com/share/Y6TMnJ9khoxHLHBc/?mibextid=K35XfP

This Facebook group (the official one) has a lot of info and there are a few taxi drivers posting on it offering transport for the route – worth having a look there.

We’re doing the route at the end of may, really looking forward to it….

Mach Taxis in Machynlleth would probably come and pick you up from Conwy – they have minibuses if there are a few of you.