Snowdon on an xc bike

rockmonkeysc

I was thinking of riding up snowdon before the summer ban. Is it going to be much fun on a 5" travel full sus xc bike? I know some of the descents can be pretty gnarley.

welshkev

i asked this question before as my mate has a hardtail and people said it's perfectly doable on a hardtail with 100mm travel so should be fine for you

i've not done it yet, but i aim to do it this year

Stu 74

Yes it will be loads of fun

The Ranger's path down is quiet but very gnarly in parts (have walked it but not ridden it). However the Llanberis path is an absolute blast but can be very busy with walkers in the day.

Personally I would recommend doing the Llanberis path up and down on a midweek sunny June evening as it will be quiet and you will get a clear run down.

I have done it the last 2 years and plan on doing it again this year.

The Northern Monkey

remember there is a voluntary mtb ban from may - september!
http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=14520277

good info here too
http://www.flattyresmtbroutes.com/Snowdon.html

Stu 74

Yes but the ban only applies between the hours of 10:00 and 17:00.

I would be willing to bet a fair wad of cash that it will be quieter on an evening in June then during the day in April.

Stu

welshkev

i'm gonna be there this june 8)

my *mate let me down last year





*not a mate anymore for various reasons

Silversladey

welshkev wrote:

i'm gonna be there this june 8)

my *mate let me down last year





*not a mate anymore for various reasons

Can it be done in a day trip, looks like it could be a real blast

welshkev

Silversladey wrote:

welshkev wrote:

i'm gonna be there this june 8)

:

Can it be done in a day trip, looks like it could be a real blast

Not really mate, it's a good 4 and a half hours drive there, then probably 2 - 3 hours of riding then a 4 and a half hour drive back :shock:

i suppose it's do-able, but last time i walked snowdon i was so shagged after it i just wanted to go to sleep

i'm looking to go in the summer with the gf and baby if you fancy it? i stayed at a nice, cheap campsite last time, i think it was a fiver per person

rockmonkeysc

Campsite in the pass opposite the pub is pretty good and mega cheap.
Think I will go and give it a go on my Trance X rather than lug up my (now rather heavy) hardtail.
Any other routes in snowdonia worth doing? Nothing too tough if thats possible!

tsenior

is 150mm xc these days? good grief

i usually stay at the rydd ddu campsite, its run by the guy with the (great) pub there, this is also at the bottom of one of the routes down..

auq

I know this may sound a bit soft, but I wonder if there was any possibility of trying to achieve what they do in Canada and other places, but instead of using ski lifts, using the train. Maybe prebook train journeys up there with the bikes being allowed on board. Currently they dont allow bikes or pushchairs, I am not fit (lazy) to push the bike up to the top to ride down, but Id love to ride the llanberis track from the top. Anyone share this wish?

Anonymous

auq wrote:

I know this may sound a bit soft, but I wonder if there was any possibility of trying to achieve what they do in Canada and other places, but instead of using ski lifts, using the train. Maybe prebook train journeys up there with the bikes being allowed on board. Currently they dont allow bikes or pushchairs, I am not fit (lazy) to push the bike up to the top to ride down, but Id love to ride the llanberis track from the top. Anyone share this wish?

I've asked a few times. They're not even thoroughly accomodating to locals on the train, so it's a long shot.

What they did offer me was to take my bike up on the very fist train that takes the cafe staff and stocks up, but I'd have to walk and pick up the bike when I get to the top. And even that was one of those "well, look, how's about this..." deals.

I reckon it's because they don't generally want to over popularise it with bikers - the place is crawling with people, like ants on an anthill as it is. It keeps the mountain rescue teams pretty busy already too :?

welshkev

yeehaamcgee wrote:

auq wrote:

I reckon it's because they don't generally want to over popularise it with bikers - the place is crawling with people, like ants on an anthill as it is. It keeps the mountain rescue teams pretty busy already too :?

i know, last time i walked it it was raining and pretty cold and there was dick heads/ettes in shorts t shirts, flip flops and bikini tops FFS, it was july and nice at the bottom but come prepared.....idiots :roll:

ddraver

welshkev wrote:

i asked this question before as my mate has a hardtail and people said it's perfectly doable on a hardtail with 100mm travel so should be fine for you

+1 - Done it a few times as such! I walked up many times too and seen very few "big bikes" up there, most are HT's or shirt travel FS's

You wanna do the route in this months MBR - Up Llanberis path, down the rangers until the curfew sign then up the "bridleway" into Telegraph Valley back to Llanberis

tlw1

welshkev wrote:

yeehaamcgee wrote:

auq wrote:

I reckon it's because they don't generally want to over popularise it with bikers - the place is crawling with people, like ants on an anthill as it is. It keeps the mountain rescue teams pretty busy already too :?

i know, last time i walked it it was raining and pretty cold and there was dick heads/ettes in shorts t shirts, flip flops and bikini tops FFS, it was july and nice at the bottom but come prepared.....idiots :roll:

wasn't a nice "pair" then?

Anonymous

I used to get annoyed about how they're always promoting "Come see Snowdon" kind of stuff, then moaning about all the excess traffic on the mountain, when they could alleviate the traffic by encouraging people to tackle the other mountains in the range.

Then it dawned on me... If you herd them all into the same place, then it's easier to find them when they go missing

auq

i walked this in October and it was pretty nice at the bottom, but by heck it was cold at teh top. Fantastic views from the top , also at the 2nd train station where the track goes over you ( bridge) you can look left and you get a sense of how high you are. Id love to to this on a bike coming down.

DodgeT

Re the train up, I asked a couple of months ago if you could go up with your bike and all I got was no because there wont be any room, so I asked what if the train wasnt busy, for the reply, there wont be room... Shame as it would be ideal.

Anonymous

The train is never "not busy" during tourist months!

DodgeT

It wanst very busy I assure you, early morning, midweek in mid october.

Anonymous

I don't generally count October as a tourist month.
And... Is the train even running then?

DodgeT

Neither do I.
It was that day, cause I was talking to the woman in the station.

Just have to do it the hard way, when its a bit warmer

Anonymous

Hmm. I thought it had stopped running by that time of year. Maybe they were doing maintenance on the tracks or something :?

auq

it would be a fantastic idea to maybe hook up another trailer type thingy to the back of the train's last carriage and have the roof rack type bike supports for say 10 bikes side by side then take the train up, even if you had to pay extra. During the "ban " season, then it would have to be the last train which gets to teh top about 5pm.
Maybe an email to them to pose the question?
I'll see if they respond...............................

auq

have emailed them.
waych this space hopefully

tsenior

Then it dawned on me... If you herd them all into the same place, then it's easier to find them when they go missing

and you get a bit of solitude elsewhere!

not sure about a train uplift on snowdon...would be very popular: if there were a dedicated bike trail down then would be great but all the routes are mixed use, so even with the ban having lots of fast riders (ie fatties on big, heavy DH bikes ) could casue some conflict..

Anonymous

Which is exactly why the ban was put in place.

rockmonkeysc

Is there any online guide to routes on the other hills in the area? I'm guessing there could be some good xc riding around the Glyders

daccordimark

auq wrote:

it would be a fantastic idea to maybe hook up another trailer type thingy to the back of the train's last carriage and have the roof rack type bike supports for say 10 bikes side by side then take the train up, even if you had to pay extra. During the "ban " season, then it would have to be the last train which gets to teh top about 5pm.
Maybe an email to them to pose the question?
I'll see if they respond...............................

Just ride up it!

Trouble with people these days is they want everything for nothing.... mutter, mutter,

welshkev

daccordimark wrote:

auq wrote:

it would be a fantastic idea to maybe hook up another trailer type thingy to the back of the train's last carriage and have the roof rack type bike supports for say 10 bikes side by side then take the train up, even if you had to pay extra. During the "ban " season, then it would have to be the last train which gets to teh top about 5pm.
Maybe an email to them to pose the question?
I'll see if they respond...............................

Just ride up it!

Trouble with people these days is they want everything for nothing.... mutter, mutter,

exactly, the youth of today :roll:

you'll feel like you earnt the descent more if make your own way up

tsenior

think yeeha knows some off piste routes stuff near elider fawr that takes in the slate quarries, wouldent try the tops of glyder fawr/fach...maybe if you like trials

there is a great route out of capel curig:

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