Recommend me a Natural ride in North Wales

turnercraig

So I live in North Wales.

I ride mainly at the many trail centres here (just 10 mins from Coed Y Brenin), they are just so easy to get to and hassle free. I also have a few local loops when I just want to ride from my front door.

I got Viewranger for my Nokia N86 yesterday and think it's great! (Basically GPS with OS mapping for your phone!) I want to get out and use it a bit.

So, can someone recommend me a great natural ride, hopefully with plenty of singletrack and some great descents.

cee

just turn on your mapping thingy.....find a dashed line.....ride.

turnercraig

Thanks,

The main reason I posted was to try and see what other people would recommend so I know that dashed line is is a good bit of trail.

I'm up for exploring but would be nice to know you're going on a good ride, not getting lost in farmers fields in the mountains all day (which is what I would probably end up doing).

thistle_

Check out:

http://www.mbnw.co.uk

or http://www.flattyresmtbroutes.com/

Around your way, I only know of Coed y Brenin but I live on the other side of Wales so I don't get to go exploring near you.

I had a look at the OS map a while ago and it looks like there's some natural trails to go exploring near the forest, possibly as a etrvagant extension of The Beast 8) There's also some "off piste" sections of trail at CyB - have you found those yet?

Beddgelert forest has a MTB trail, but I think it's quite easy and I've not tried it.
I'm guessing Dyfi forest isn't far from you? I think that's largely a place to make up your own route (again, not tried it).
Nant yr Arian is worth a visit if you haven't been yet.

RallyBiker

You can try Penmachno, that's as natural a manufactured trail as is possible!

Splottboy

Park somewhere near Caernarfon. Take the quiet roads to Waunfawr, then up the Bwlch, and I mean UP!!! Then, thro the gate and this "would" take you to Llanberis, but...
keep going toward Snowdon. You'll see the pumping station, then it's up the Telegraph Valley, which is UP again. Through the gate at the top, take the trail down the rough Snowdon Ranger track toward the Youth Hostel. ( Watch out for the slate water bars and deep erosion troughs).These trails are rideable ALL YEAR round.

Then it's quiet roads to the "Wall", very steep lane to Rhosgadfan/Rhostryfan, which leads to Cilgwyn Quarry, then onto Cilgwyn Mountain via Fron/Carmel. You can then drop on quiet roads to Pen Y Groes or Groeslon, with a cycle track back to Caernarfon. This will take at least 3hrs, 4 if windy.
( If you want to add another 1.5 hrs, from the Youth Hostel, turn left to Beddgelert Forest and retrace your route again to R-gadfan.)
The Natural stuff more than makes up for the tarmac sections...

scale20

If you want the view head up to the coast and hills allong the coast from Conwy above Penmaenmawr, Llanfaifechan, Abergwyngregyn and heading round above Bethesda.

There are miles and miles of trails up there and its easy to figure out where you are because you always have reference points like Anglsey, Puffin Island and Llandudno. Never far from a pub either

Alway willing to show you round up there.

Oh and some of the descents are to die for 8)

tsenior

scale, i've not ridden the northern carneddau but can imagine that theres some brilliant stuff up there...

when i used to go walking up there it was always sooo empty: everyone seems to by pass it en route to the more glamorous (read log jammed) big hitters to the south....must head over sometime.

LoUiS1985

capel curig loop, about 13miles long but mega technical and a real challenge!

http://www.flattyresmtbroutes.com/CapelCurig.html

turnercraig

thistle (MBNW) wrote:

Check out:

http://www.mbnw.co.uk

or http://www.flattyresmtbroutes.com/

Around your way, I only know of Coed y Brenin but I live on the other side of Wales so I don't get to go exploring near you.

I had a look at the OS map a while ago and it looks like there's some natural trails to go exploring near the forest, possibly as a etrvagant extension of The Beast 8) There's also some "off piste" sections of trail at CyB - have you found those yet?

Beddgelert forest has a MTB trail, but I think it's quite easy and I've not tried it.
I'm guessing Dyfi forest isn't far from you? I think that's largely a place to make up your own route (again, not tried it).
Nant yr Arian is worth a visit if you haven't been yet.

Thanks for the heads up on the two websites, have been checking them out.

Ye done a bit of the 'off piste' stuff at CYB, some of it's great! I'm actually going on a ride this Saturday to check out some more and hopefully find the 'plunge pool' and others.

Beddgelert is pretty much fireroad all the way round if you follow the markers, there is quite a bit of singletrack there though if you go exploring, some more 'off piste' action!

Dyfi forest has the Climachx trail which is really good (especially the last descent!), noticed on the Flattyresmtbroutes.com website there is a route with extensions to it using natural singletrack, it even has a gps download so I'm going to check it out soon.

Nant Yr Arian is very good, I've been there quite a few times and will always go back for more.

turnercraig

RallyBiker wrote:

You can try Penmachno, that's as natural a manufactured trail as is possible!

Ye done Penmachno a few times, will pencil it in for another visit.

turnercraig

Splottboy wrote:

Park somewhere near Caernarfon. Take the quiet roads to Waunfawr, then up the Bwlch, and I mean UP!!! Then, thro the gate and this "would" take you to Llanberis, but...
keep going toward Snowdon. You'll see the pumping station, then it's up the Telegraph Valley, which is UP again. Through the gate at the top, take the trail down the rough Snowdon Ranger track toward the Youth Hostel. ( Watch out for the slate water bars and deep erosion troughs).These trails are rideable ALL YEAR round.

Then it's quiet roads to the "Wall", very steep lane to Rhosgadfan/Rhostryfan, which leads to Cilgwyn Quarry, then onto Cilgwyn Mountain via Fron/Carmel. You can then drop on quiet roads to Pen Y Groes or Groeslon, with a cycle track back to Caernarfon. This will take at least 3hrs, 4 if windy.
( If you want to add another 1.5 hrs, from the Youth Hostel, turn left to Beddgelert Forest and retrace your route again to R-gadfan.)
The Natural stuff more than makes up for the tarmac sections...

Thanks for that, sounds like a great loop, would be good to check out some of the Ranger path, will have we a look on my map.

turnercraig

scale20 wrote:

If you want the view head up to the coast and hills allong the coast from Conwy above Penmaenmawr, Llanfaifechan, Abergwyngregyn and heading round above Bethesda.

There are miles and miles of trails up there and its easy to figure out where you are because you always have reference points like Anglsey, Puffin Island and Llandudno. Never far from a pub either

Alway willing to show you round up there.

Oh and some of the descents are to die for 8)

The descents are to die for bit is really drawing me in

Will have a look at my map and see if I can plot a route.

Cheers for the invite I may well take you up on that offer sometime.

turnercraig

LoUiS1985 wrote:

capel curig loop, about 13miles long but mega technical and a real challenge!

http://www.flattyresmtbroutes.com/CapelCurig.html

Ye sounds like a good one!

There are a few routes on that website that look well worth checking out.

turnercraig

All the info so far has been great thanks, any more suggestions will be much appreciated.

If anyone has a GPX (GPS) file download of any good routes also that would be great.

juankerr

Also..

http://www.ridetheclwyds.com/

http://www.ridehiraethog.co.uk/