Places in Wales for doorstep riding and beer!

theboykidney
theboykidney Posts: 95
edited June 2013 in Holidays
Been doing a bit of digging to try to find the magic location that ticks all the boxes....

5 guys, 2.5 days, doorstep riding, good evening beering...

Is Dolgellau the place for this? or am I dreaming of a mythical place that doesn't exist?

Anywhere in Wales considered, but Coed y Brenin seems to be the place to be. If I had to throw one criteria out the window, door step riding I suppose. Evening fun comes high up there!

cheers!

Comments

  • thistle_
    thistle_ Posts: 7,218
    I don't think there's loads of MTB on the doorstep in Dolgellau itself but you're only 10 miles from Coed y Brenin which is where most of the waymarked trails are.

    Cadair Idris is next to Dolgellau, but the route up starts on the other side. There's routes to get around to there but it's a bit of a trek. If you fancy something easier on your last day you could go for a spin down to the beach at Barmouth - Sustrans cycle path virtually the whole way.

    Betws y Coed, Dolwyddelan or Penmachno are good places for doorstep riding. Betws y Coed has more pubs/cafes/chippys/shops if you like that sort of thing and you can start the Marin trial from there. Penmachno is the opposite, pretty quiet and is on the doorstep of Penmachno trail (surprisingly). Dolwyddelan is half way between, in distance and facilities.

    Llangollen might be another place to consider. Llandegla forest is within riding distance and you've got the Ceiriog Valley and the Berwyns on the other side of the valley. No waymarked trails there, just follow the map.
  • delaxm
    delaxm Posts: 180
    Aberdare?
    We stayed there last year, Afan is within riding distance & loads of natural stuff to the south & east.
  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    delaxm wrote:
    Aberdare?
    We stayed there last year, Afan is within riding distance & loads of natural stuff to the south & east.

    Aberdare? wtf would you choose to go there? :wink:
  • concorde
    concorde Posts: 1,008
    delaxm wrote:
    Aberdare?
    We stayed there last year, Afan is within riding distance & loads of natural stuff to the south & east.

    You'd need a tour guide though. Staying the the valleys you'd def have the best time if you knew somebody in the know. Afan is over one mountain, easily gotten to. Then the natural routes we know is something else. Riding the trail centres is def not the best of South Wales...
  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    theboykidney wrote:
    Been doing a bit of digging to try to find the magic location that ticks all the boxes....

    5 guys, 2.5 days, doorstep riding, good evening beering...

    Is Dolgellau the place for this? or am I dreaming of a mythical place that doesn't exist?

    Anywhere in Wales considered, but Coed y Brenin seems to be the place to be. If I had to throw one criteria out the window, door step riding I suppose. Evening fun comes high up there!

    cheers!

    the problem you have is that all these places are not near any big towns. bettws y coed gets pretty busy in the evenings in the hotel/pub (the eagle?) they have bands and stuff on. 10 mins to penmachno or the marin trail. about a 30 min drive to coed y brenin.
  • concorde
    concorde Posts: 1,008
    welshkev wrote:
    theboykidney wrote:
    Been doing a bit of digging to try to find the magic location that ticks all the boxes....

    5 guys, 2.5 days, doorstep riding, good evening beering...

    Is Dolgellau the place for this? or am I dreaming of a mythical place that doesn't exist?

    Anywhere in Wales considered, but Coed y Brenin seems to be the place to be. If I had to throw one criteria out the window, door step riding I suppose. Evening fun comes high up there!

    cheers!

    the problem you have is that all these places are not near any big towns. bettws y coed gets pretty busy in the evenings in the hotel/pub (the eagle?) they have bands and stuff on. 10 mins to penmachno or the marin trail. about a 30 min drive to coed y brenin.

    True but are big towns really needed for a good night out? I bet they'd have a wicked laugh if they joined a mountain bike club for the weekend in a valley like Aberdare. Rode Afan and Blaengarw in one day, natural stuff another (Smilog, Afan masts) then a night out in the local pubs, harder to organise but if you knew someone it'd be the way I'd want to do it.
  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    Concorde wrote:
    welshkev wrote:
    theboykidney wrote:
    Been doing a bit of digging to try to find the magic location that ticks all the boxes....

    5 guys, 2.5 days, doorstep riding, good evening beering...

    Is Dolgellau the place for this? or am I dreaming of a mythical place that doesn't exist?

    Anywhere in Wales considered, but Coed y Brenin seems to be the place to be. If I had to throw one criteria out the window, door step riding I suppose. Evening fun comes high up there!

    cheers!

    the problem you have is that all these places are not near any big towns. bettws y coed gets pretty busy in the evenings in the hotel/pub (the eagle?) they have bands and stuff on. 10 mins to penmachno or the marin trail. about a 30 min drive to coed y brenin.

    True but are big towns really needed for a good night out? I bet they'd have a wicked laugh if they joined a mountain bike club for the weekend in a valley like Aberdare. Rode Afan and Blaengarw in one day, natural stuff another (Smilog, Afan masts) then a night out in the local pubs, harder to organise but if you knew someone it'd be the way I'd want to do it.

    yes that's definitely true. I know that the club guys I ride with ( 2 different clubs) all enjoy a beer afterwards and it can be a good laugh :D
  • concorde
    concorde Posts: 1,008
    Could be like an inter club ride thing. Return the favour and show the other group some stuff back up their way at a later date. Not for everyone, don't get me wrong, but it quite appeals to me the more I think about it.

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