Marin Trail in the Winter?

n.battison

hi

i am thinking of riding the marin trail in wales inbetween christmas and new years this years,from the 26 th of dec to the 29th of dec.

as this will be in winter is the trail still good and ridable/ has anyone got any advise for this trail?

thanks

neil.

bregante

nowt like planning ahead!!!!

I did CyB on January 2nd this year and it was -8c! My rear hub froze! Pi55ing on it (seriously) got it going again!

be very wary if it's that cold. If there's been any rain as it WILL BE ICY.

In general though the Marin trail holds up well all year, so you should be fine

n.battison

Thanks Bregante.

-8!! fliping hell.

but pi55ing on it is genius.

i will just have to layer up and man it out.

bregante

as far as advice goes, IMHO there are better trails to ride in that area (unless you've done them all apart from the Marin, in which case it's worth doing)

Eg. Penmachno, CyB, Macchynlleth (v.boggy when wet)

n.battison

i have never riden any of them in that area as i am only just getting into to xc really.

i am looking for something that isnt that difficult to ride but has some nice tech stuff and single trail.

which trail would you recommend if you had to recommend one?

thanks

bregante

If it was me, I'd head to Coed Y Brenin. There's a huge variety of trails there and you can mix and match segments to make up your own routes, once you've got used to the layout. I would say the MBR is a good starting point without any monster climbs and you can easily cut it short if it gets too much, or add to it if you want more (pick up a trail map from the visitors centre)

There's a bike shop, cafe plus toilets and showers etc for getting warm again after. There are no specific facilities at the Marin or Penmachno themselves although in both cases there are some good pubs nearby.

Penmachno is also good and is made up of two loops, with one sprouting off the other about half way round so you can make your mind up how you're feeling when you reach it. Haven't been there for ages so I'm not sure about maps. i am sure a bit of internet research will find you one

taz3611

Do Marin on the Saturday and Penmachno on the Sunday. Both fine to do what ever the weather.

Splottboy

I did the P'machno one winter, before it officially opened. Watch out for the wooden bridges, they get a bit slick in the cold. Having said the, mate of mine took his £3,000 Merida Carbon Full Sus there in the Spring/Summer. Broke his scaphoid on first bridge! ( See...told you...)

Also, one of the first DH sections on the Marin gets rough/cut up in the winter, and there's a drop-off to the left. The trails sort of gravitates that way. Just take care on it, no sudden braking etc.

RealMan

Bregante wrote:

it was -8c! My rear hub froze! Pi55ing on it (seriously) got it going again!

What a solution. I'll have to remember that one..

Stu 74

All of the North Wales trails hold up well what ever the weather. Penmachno is the best trail in my opinion but some people don't get on with it. The Marin is pretty good but expect lots of fireroad.

Stu

Anonymous

Not much difference in weather round here from summer to winter, although it gets a bit colder - so pretty much all our trails are rideable all year round.

Bregante, what exactly froze on your hub? the bearings themselves?

bregante

Bregante, what exactly froze on your hub? the bearings themselves?

Basically, from what I understand, moisture inside the freehub body had frozen preventing the pawls from engaging, leaving the freehub to spin in the body, rather than driving the rear wheel. A knowledgable local suggested it and I thought he was taking the Pi55 (no pun intended).

It's just not right......... I mean, widdling on your own bike :shock:

Anyway. it worked a treat

Anonymous

haha! that makes sense yeah.
Come to think of it, that might be what heppened to me years ago.
As a kid, I was mucking about in the snow on my mountain bike, and found after a while that I had no drive to the back wheel, the cassette was all snowed/iced up, and at that age, I guessed that the chain was just slipping over the ice, but in hindsight it probably was the freehub, just like yours.

My solution however, seing as I was just round the corner from home, was to pour my dad's coffe on it, which worked - it was the first hot liquid I found

welsh_wonder

Me and a few guys did it last winter when temperature had dropped below -12 during the night and it was a fresh morning which i love and actually ride longer in colder weather :? but the trail was in great nick, the only problem was ice that was on the fire roads but the singletrack was clear but if it rains then freezes the place is a death trap.

bregante

on the day I rode at C-y-B when it was -8, I arrived on the car park to find a bunch of lads who were up from the south somewhere and had slept in the van! One of them had an arctic sleeping bag and had slept outside on the car park.

So much for softy southerners :oops: (they were hippy types tho....... with beards and stuff :shock: )

n.battison

Thanks for all the replys i think we are going to stay near Coed Y Brenin so we will ride some trails in that center.

I like the sound of MBR and maybe do the Dragon's Back Trail then may travel to Penmachno the next day.

Sound like a good plan?

Northwind

Bregante wrote:

I did CyB on January 2nd this year and it was -8c! My rear hub froze! Pi55ing on it (seriously) got it going again!

Versatile cure that, my rear hub got stung by a jellyfish once and that was the treatment for that as well. Is there nothing piss can't cure?

bregante

I like the sound of MBR and maybe do the Dragon's Back Trail then may travel to Penmachno the next day.

Sound like a good plan?

sounds like a great plan. Only three months to wait!

n.battison

85 days to be more precise.

i do love to plan ahead.