What state is the Marin Trail in?
I'll be doing the Marin Trail this Friday (7th) afternoon. Anyone done it recently? What state is it in? Anything I should worry about (apart from my fitness)?
This will be my 2nd trip to North Wales and I'm looking forward to revisiting Coed y Brenin on Sunday too. Doncha just envy me?
This will be my 2nd trip to North Wales and I'm looking forward to revisiting Coed y Brenin on Sunday too. Doncha just envy me?
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The Marin is usually fine whatever the weather is or has been like!
Nothing to worry about either apart from the never ending fire road climbs 
You should give Penmachno a go if you are in the area!
Stu0 -
The Marin was fine a couple of weeks ago.
Penmachno is great but it holds more puddles than the Marin, if it stays dry this week for me it would be 50/50 as to which trail I'd do.0 -
Cheers all. Might try Penmachno on the Monday before setting off home. Can't wait -spent an age in the garage this evening lubing up the gears and cables, fettling the fork pressure, tightening the bolts etc. Just one more work day to go......0
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im doing the marin trail for the first time in a few weeks... cant wait! I've read so many good things about it!
try to take some photos if you can.0 -
There's a few nice ones in the latest MBUK. Will have a stab though.0
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Some of the lads on MBNW forum are doing it in 1Hour13 min! SUPERMEN! :? Personally I think it's time it had abit of TLC. The bedrock bits on the lake side of the road arereally harsh, although I was enjoying myself this evening there!Found Advantage front, smallblock8 rear excellent! :shock: 0
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Penny's finally dropped that Betws' less than a pair of hours away from our new gaff. What a tw*t I am! Right, next day off, know where I'm going!
Thanks for nudging my unwilling brain into action. Better buy a map of the Clywdds(?) too, if they're where I think they are...
Have great rides - it even looks like the sun might shine on you 8) - and don't forget to report back!WTD:
Green Halo TwinRail
25.0mm-26.2mm seatpost shim
Red X-Lite bling
Specialized ladies BG saddle (white?) 155mm
RH thumbie
700x28c CX tyres&tubs
Flatbars 620mm 25,4mm & swept, ti in an ideal world0 -
mbrfan wrote:I'll be doing the Marin Trail this Friday (7th) afternoon. Anyone done it recently? What state is it in? Anything I should worry about (apart from my fitness)?
This will be my 2nd trip to North Wales and I'm looking forward to revisiting Coed y Brenin on Sunday too. Doncha just envy me?
Good. Did it yesterday and I can report all sections are open.0 -
Its in the state of California
It says Marin County California on the front of my Marin Shoreline Trail frame
(I am selling in size medium 17.5" BTW)0 -
We did the Marin trail last Tuesday and we weren't very impressed with it.
There's loads of climbing on fire track and the singletrack sections are over and done with too quickly.
The last two (downhill) sections are pretty good but it's too little too late.
In short too much pain for not enough gain!0 -
alisdairh wrote:We did the Marin trail last Tuesday and we weren't very impressed with it.
There's loads of climbing on fire track and the singletrack sections are over and done with too quickly.
The last two (downhill) sections are pretty good but it's too little too late.
In short too much pain for not enough gain!
Its a loop, the amount of hight decended is equal to the amount climbed . I dont know any other way of doing it unles you use an uplift service. I ride for both fitness and fun so I dont mind a bit of climbing. Where do you usualy ride?0 -
I can report back - sans photos, sadly (well none that do it justice, but maybe Troopy has some).
Friday weather was near perfect. Trail was dry (saw 2 puddles I think). I liked it immensely. We did it in about 2hrs 50mins, and aside from the rear tyre (see later), the Focus did a good job. The last few bits were the best - Ride Fast, Ride Free i think.
Didn't mind the climbs at all. I just felt that on some sections too much height was lost going down fire roads - seemed a waste to me.
Bad tyre choice marked the hols sadly - had a tubeless conversion running standard XC Pros, which didn't take the punishment at all - after quite a few bites and blowouts on the rear at the Marin. By Sunday on Dragons Back, I ran out of sealant and got fed up, stuck an inner tube in. Still had 3 more punctures and a slow bleed to contend with. Serves me right being lazy and not sticking something more substantial on. Lesson learned for next year!
Dragons Back still awesome (despite bottling it at Lurch), and even faced my demon at Seven Sisters where I bust a rib last year. I'll see what I can do re: piccies.
And a question to anyone on the Temtiwr/Red Dragon on Sunday - there was a group out, poor guy on a fancy Trek carbon took a fall and walked backed down Dreamtime with a head bandage and eye covered, bit of blood on the back of his head. Anyone know how he got on?0 -
Dirtydog11 wrote:alisdairh wrote:We did the Marin trail last Tuesday and we weren't very impressed with it.
There's loads of climbing on fire track and the singletrack sections are over and done with too quickly.
The last two (downhill) sections are pretty good but it's too little too late.
In short too much pain for not enough gain!
Its a loop, the amount of hight decended is equal to the amount climbed . I dont know any other way of doing it unles you use an uplift service. I ride for both fitness and fun so I dont mind a bit of climbing. Where do you usualy ride?
The trails i was comparing it with were Whinlatter, Grizedale and Dalby all of which seem to be much more flowy (and include singletrack climbs.) I also ride the Kitchener trail at Sherwood Pines but wasn't comparing that as it's quite flat. I did enjoy the technical sections on the Marin and the last two downhill sections but there wasn't enough of these in my opinion.0 -
Never been a fan of the Marin trail. I don't think it "flows", and as others have said, you never seem to get a proper reward for the climbing.
I still ride it from time to time, just to add variety, but it's not one I'd recommend.0 -
The trails i was comparing it with were Whinlatter, Grizedale and Dalby all of which seem to be much more flowy (and include singletrack climbs.)
I've not done any of the ones you've mentioned but they're all on my shortlist.
In fact I haven't done any riding in the lakes yet :oops: . Yeah, I know......... I'll get my coat!
I don't drive so I rely heavily on trains. Unfortunately most of the trailheads in the Lakes are miles away from the nearest stations which makes them difficult to get to.
The Marin was the first trail I ever rode so I have a bit of a soft spot for it!
Have you ever done Penmachno? In terms of single track, how does it compare to the ones you've mentioned?0 -
i've never done Penmachno.
We are in Betws y coed once a year to go water skiing so we might give it a try next year!0 -
Dunno about the marin trail but last time I did Penmachno I came off over the handlebars and smashed my knee. I'm still a fairly new rider and was using cable breaks which fails to stop me along with the rubbish stock tires went over down a big drop. Some local chap picked me up in a 4 x 4 drove me to an ambulance / helicopter that showed up and took me to hospital.
All I can say is that Penmachno is fun for the first hour from the car park...0
