Noob goin up snowdon question

SteveH28

Hi guys,
Havent been cycling in ages and just got a bike again. Im planning to cycle to work to lose weight and get fit.
Im also looking for new rides to do as a "ticklist" to do.
Im planning on cycling up Snowdon at some point, possibly the route from Llanberis.
Ive cycled the 11 mile red route at Llandegla and it took more or less 2 and half hours.
How long would it take someone like me to get up Snowdon? Does anyone know how far it is on the route from Llanberis? As i am aware of the 10am - 5pm restriction May through September.

Cheers,
Steve

funkybaj

I've done most of the Welsh trails, red and some black ... however biking UP Snowdon is a different challenge entirely. Not so much from a fitness point of view, although it is a fair slog, just that we found an awful lot of it is un-rideable, we probably managed to be on the bike less than 50% of the time.

Coming down however is the whole reason why people slog it up. We came down the Rangers path and then across Telegraph Valley back to Llanberis. Great fun and very rocky in places.

Dirtydog11

It's about 8km from Llanberis to the summit, your looking at 2 -3 hours to get to the top and about 20 minutes to get back down (Llanberis Path).

Best advice I can offer is to go late, we got to the summit about an hour before sunset which meant there were no walkers about, it probably takes them over an hour to get back down.

Check the weather before you go and pay attention to the wind speeds, something that is often overlooked. :oops:

Don't take risks (save that for Llandegla), if you fall and break something it's going to take a lot of manpower to get you back down.

The Llanberis path is wide and fast with the odd rock garden thrown in however you do need to keep your speed in check. On steep loose terrain it's all too easy to accelerate up to a speed you can't slow down from.

It's a completely different experience to trail center riding, you feel "out there", you'll love it.

stubs

Make sure your brake pads are in good condition, fit new ones if your not sure its a brake pad killer. Take extra tubes there are some nice squre egded rocks waiting to give you a puncture. Take extra layers and an emergency Bivvi bag If you get stuck or the weather changes you could be in trouble.

When you get to the top you will be blowing and sweaty, change your top for a fresh dry one, have a drink and some food sit and admire the scenery (or huddle out of the gale and sleet depending on forecast) and when your refreshed go but dont go mental and always ALWAYS give way to walkers get off the bike if you have to and dont even think about breaking the summer daytime curfew between 10 and 6 or we will all get banned.

compo

If you are walking up with the bikes, is it acceptable to start walking up at say 5, an hour or two before the curfew is lifted?

SteveH28

Just came across www.eryri-npa.gov.uk. The Llanberis trail is 9 miles (up and down), ascent of 975 metres. So should be doable for me lol!

Going to get hold of an OS map now and find details of the other trails. Maybe go up one and come down another.

danlikesbikes

Mate, it is worth it & to be honest as long as your sensible about your downhill speed it is well worth the climb to the top. I did it on my race XC bike (other bike had an issue the day before) & had a blast and beat some of my mates on better suited rides.

As others have said getting up does take time, mix of walk & ride. But when you get to the top is worth sitting down and getting some food and water into you & probably a change of base layer. Make sure you have a flask of something for when you get down as you will be smiling from ear to ear and will want to chat to your mates at the bottom.

Dirtydog11

compo wrote:

If you are walking up with the bikes, is it acceptable to start walking up at say 5, an hour or two before the curfew is lifted?

I'd say yes, pushing is walking so I can't see how anyone could object.

compo

This makes it more tempting then, not as much of a rush

stubs

compo wrote:

If you are walking up with the bikes, is it acceptable to start walking up at say 5, an hour or two before the curfew is lifted?

Strictly speaking its a bike curfew not a riding curfew but I imagine no one would mind if you were courteous and stood at side of path. Snowdon is a battleground between the walking club red sock mob and everyone else they think they own the bloody path and you can get some right old miseries. A couple of mates did it last september and some old red socked git wouldnt get out of way and started giving them a right mouthful saying they were destroying the path. Ehh its a bloody gravel road in places been a long while since it was a natural sheep track.

miss notax

A lot of the climb is rideable though (and quite fun) - I know I would be a peeved HAVING to push my bike over stuff I could ride over much more easily and quickly. I would say you're better off doing it all within in the permitted times, that way you are free to ride / walk as you see fit.

And agree with everyone who says go prepared - I think it's easy to get a bit blase about riding sometimes, and in reality although Snowdon has been sanitised a bit it's still a bloody big mountain where the weather can change quickly and you can get into a pickle if you're not prepared!

I rode down Rangers and I also wish I had taken some knee pads etc - guess it depends on what you're used to riding, but my brain definitely clocked that as a descent that would hurt if you came off