North Wales routes

So we’ve got a cottage/place booked this weekend in Conwy and on the Sunday we’re going to do this recommended Drum route in the morning before taking pooch over to Newbury sands for a nice walk. On the Sunday we’re going to walk Great Orme and we’re then looking for something to do afterwards.

We had considering Snowdon but in the light of the ban meaning we’d be there right when the rain hit as well as the winds looking a little bit high I’m after an alternative.

Already done Cadair Idris this year so ideally not that again and have done all of the TC’s nearby too. Is there anything else worth considering not too far away? I’ve got a demo bike for the weekend so after something to throw it around. If not will probably resort to the known but not ridden within the last 6 months CYB.

The natural LLyn Cowlyd Loop is fairly near there.

Ahh nice one yeah that’s not too far. Have you ridden it? I’m guessing its worth doing rather than just an xc bimble? (no offence)

There are loads of routes here..http://flattyres-mtb.co.uk/route-guides/
If the weather is a bit rubbish the Clwydian Range is a good option (Moel Famau routes) loads to explore and not as exposed as some other areas.

Betws-y-coed. park at the ugly duck. ride the the good south (good) side of the Marin then lap the steep tech tracks that drop down to the river as many times as you can. Win DH, Salmon Bridge etc (all on strava so not giving away secrets) steep climb back up but worth it. spin back long the forest road to car.

If you haven’t already looked, might be worth looking at Dan Evans’ Strava rides for inspiration (is on the STW Strava club), he lives somewhere around the Conwy area and does a mix of road and off-road riding.

Cheers, flicked back through his rides to March and definitely a LOT more road than mtb so nothing that stands out. Will have a good trawl through flattyres for something!

take a look at Colin’s site Flat tyres – have ridden Llyn Cowlyd and Llyn Crafnant though there is one part of it that gets real boggy but still a good loop.

Ahh nice one yeah that’s not too far. Have you ridden it? I’m guessing its worth doing rather than just an xc bimble?

It’s no bimble – very much type 2 fun. A lot of climbing and not really any matching descents. Fantastic views and some moderately technical riding (IMHO).

Its also quite dry here at the mo, which makes it MUCH more fun

Yes I have ridden it Golfchick,I remember enjoying it – varied terrain .

Video

You’ve also go Foel Gasnach -shown on the map which is a nice DH area consisting of around 4 or 5 runs (I haven’t been for years-could well be more)

Mahalo-that looks interesting I will be exploring that area next month

The Llyn Cowlyd Loop is old school XC riding, you need to work at it. It’s not “winch and plummet” and nowhere near “type 2 fun”, firmly in the type 1 zone. 😉

If you’re thinking of heading south to CyB there’s also the Pont Scethin loop – opinion is divided as to which direction to do it.

Remember that away from trail centres the riding just happens to be on a RoW, there’s no guarantee that it is rideable or in anyway comparable to a trail centre or in some cases even exist on the ground. That’s the fun.

If you do llyn cowlyd you can miss out the long drop to trefiew on the road by bobbing across the dam and hiking up and over the llyn crafnant.

Not for everyone but saves loosing loads of height on the road and gives you an old school tree lined descentdown to llyn crafnant.

You can get the awesome crafnant descent to capel curig without the underwhelming Colwyd side of the loop – I just can’t remember how right now

But I’d say head to Gwydir forest and do the Marin best bits and off piste mash up.

Had some of my best rides of recent years there. Just great fun trails.

Point Scethin loop is excellent. Ride it from Dolgellau down the estuary path and do the loop anti-clockwise. We were recommended this direction by local guide Tom Hutton as being best in damp conditions. After riding it, I can’t see why you’d ride it the other way unless you have an aversion to rocky descents.
The route is detailed on Flattyres as mentioned above.

How good are the rocky descents on the pont scethin? Might finally do it this year.

Decided to do Mahalo suggestion today after a properly brutal drum mountain loop yesterday. 5000ft climbing and 28 miles. Have to say what we did today was blooming belting and the Airbnb we stayed in I’d HIGHLY recommend and we’ll definitely go back.

You can get the awesome crafnant descent to capel curig without the underwhelming Colwyd side of the loop

Ride up opposite the army camp in capel curig. Up to geirionydd. descend through the woods to crafnant (good descent on strava named ‘technical deep rutted descent’). turn left at crafnant to ride along and up the grassy hill through the little cwm. then down the descent to capel. Its not long. but good fun. link with parts of the marin to extend if desired.

The cowlyd loop is so over hyped. If you feel the need to do it definitely do as mrchrist says and hike-a-bike up from the dam and descend through the woods to crafnant.

Yes Chrisdw – I remember that descent through the woods, brilliant but over too quickly.

That was a fab day’s riding, 40 or 50km round Gwydir and then across to Capel Curig & back.

glad you liked!! wish id gone there yesterday, got hopelessly lost above Llangollen somewhere instead!