Wales?!

albo

Hi,
i'm going on holiday to North Wales in a few weeks and would like to know if there are any good spots for biking,

i only have a hardtail ( so double black diamond is out of the question Razz )

i am looking for a sort of "beginner" downhill course which a solid hartail could handle

thanks! :twisted:

mhuk

Have you had a look here:

http://www.bikeradar.com/routes/

pittpony

You've got a lot of choice in North Wales!! Betws-y-Coed and Coed-y-Brenin are very famous for XC riding. I've ridden the Marin at Betws and loved it 8) I'm not sure about DH courses but i'd expect there to be a lot on offer. This site has quite a lot of local riding info so might be wortha look.

Anonymous

albo wrote:

Hi,
i'm going on holiday to North Wales in a few weeks and would like to know if there are any good spots for biking,

nah, it sucks round here. You'd be better off in Essex.

bluechair84

There are a few 'secre't DH courses around Bangor but you'll struggle to find em, or anyone willing to share em!
Moel Elio has a wonderful fast flowing descent on the East side from the Rangers trail and is detailed in the Bikefax guides. Near Waunver - 15mile from Bangor. Wonderful very fast flowing path. feels longer too because of its gentle gradient. Smooth transitions allow you to keep up a phenomenal pace though.
The Marin trail has had numerous unofficial DH tracks that aren't that demanding. They aren't waymarked but you can't miss them if you do the first big hill from the car park. It's possibly trespassing by riding these trails though. If you stick to the start of the Marin, the first descent takes you back down the hill that you go up and is a steep-as-you-like wonder, and the final descent runs on the same slope but is a completley different ride. Both are awesome descents and you can just keep shuttling up and down until your knackered. My times are - 26min to the top, 6m50s to the carpark on the final descents - but my bladder pack escaped my backpack and overtook me on the last section.
And maybe have a think about Snowdon. Have to be off the mountain between 10am and 5pm but that's the longest descent south of the Highlands. I've been up with lads on Stinkys and they managed getting up in 3.5hrs. Down in about 10min. 20min on a hardtail. 45 min for a beginner on a hardtail.
Have fun!

Anonymous

If you're going to go to Waunfawr, for a "gentle gradient DH", then you surely may as well carry on a bit further and go play in the quarries for some proper brake melting, back country freeride, with 20+ minute descents?

bluechair84

oooh those quaries are fun. Do em in the dark with lights for a nice n scary ride!