North Wales biker route ?
Discussion
full of tossers in sporty versions of road cars
look at an os map anything that is coloured brown or yellow
at this time of year, the main roads/towns are full of the retired looking for tea rooms
you could try the b4391 out of bala down the tant valley and into the welsh marches - may be depends what you want
seriously the trunk roads and the major a roads are busy and the talivan(ban) get up early i've seen them at 6.30am driving to speed trapping locations on Sundays
look at an os map anything that is coloured brown or yellow
at this time of year, the main roads/towns are full of the retired looking for tea rooms
you could try the b4391 out of bala down the tant valley and into the welsh marches - may be depends what you want
seriously the trunk roads and the major a roads are busy and the talivan(ban) get up early i've seen them at 6.30am driving to speed trapping locations on Sundays
Edited by terry tibbs on Friday 1st July 10:45
Betws-y-coed, up to capel curig, go up to llanberis (past snowdon), cut up onto A4244, then scoot up into Anglesey and over to Benllech area for a ice cream or fish and chips, turn back round and then come back down on the A5 back to Betws-y-coed taking in Tryfan and glyder mountain ranges.
You then have a choice with playing around on the A5, or going south via the A470. A5 leads to the EVO triangle (google).
Depends on where you live, depends on your angle of attack. Long day out either way - it is also quite a commercial route so will be traffic, and police in certain sections. As someone stated it will be full of the older generation this time of year.
You then have a choice with playing around on the A5, or going south via the A470. A5 leads to the EVO triangle (google).
Depends on where you live, depends on your angle of attack. Long day out either way - it is also quite a commercial route so will be traffic, and police in certain sections. As someone stated it will be full of the older generation this time of year.
Start out from Ruthin along A494/A5 to Betws-y-Coed, Capel Curig to A4086/A498 leading to Beddgelert. Then down to Porthmadog. Follow A487 back east, down A470 then east again on A4212 past Capel Celyn. Stop off at Bala by the lake before making way back up A494 to Ruthin. Good mixture of fast roads and twisties to keep you on your toes.
Every time we go off on ride-outs round North Wales, Ruthin tends to be the starting point for us. The route above passes quite a few picturesque lakes with some rugged mountains for excellent bike/landscape photo's.
Every time we go off on ride-outs round North Wales, Ruthin tends to be the starting point for us. The route above passes quite a few picturesque lakes with some rugged mountains for excellent bike/landscape photo's.
bypass towards Wales from M56, off towards Hawarden at Queensferry, right at monument to A55 junction, straight over to Dobshill and over two roundabouts, right at third and stay to the end. take left/right to cross over to Pontybodkin, you might want to ride this route more than once, carry on for few miles, straight over lights over moors at Llandegla. Over next lights, left at roundabout at top, road takes you to the Ponderosa. Have a look around, turn round, straight over roundabout, and left at end, road to Ruthin via Nant y Garth, into Ruthin, stay on main road and left at roundabout, and 1/2 left at Texaco, over mini roundabout towards Cerrigydrudion, stay on the road until in village, turn right just after old fuel station but before hotel in front of you, signed Llyn Brenig. You will want to do this road both ways perhaps. This is one leg of the Evo Triangle, and the only good one really, in my humble opinion of course. Plod is here sometimes on the straight part in the forest area. At the end turn right not left to the usual other Evo leg. Carry on until you suddenly see houses at the bottom of the hill on the left, and go left here. You're not far away from Denbigh so you could go straight on and go to Sam's café at A&D motorcycles, but we're gong left ha, stay on here to the end, signed Llansannan or similar, this takes some time to get used to but some nice curves here, just watch for loose gravel as they surface dress this. Several miles later at the end, turn left. Stay on this road to Llanrwst. Great technical road in my opinion, when you see the view at the top, take care downhill after the first few rights, as the left will have you the wrong side of the road! All the way to the end, turn right and left over the very narrow bridge. 1/2 mile later turn left, stay on this road which brings you out in the centre of Betws Y Coed.Turn left for fuel at Waterloo bridge Shell. Many will go back and carry on to Capel Curig as stated, Beddgelert is a nice route, and Eric Jones Café, expensive but an after lunch stop really for home made cake haha. But I would go right out of Shell, over Wateloo bridge. Right again signed Ffestinnog, (spelling is close enough). Lovely road taking you over the Crimean pass, do this a few times if you wish, wathe the bridge warning, it's a 'z' turn, other than that it is known as 'the racetrack' by some apparently, but not a heavy plod road. One of the talked about big zip wires is along here by the slate slag heaps you'll see. At the roundabout, turn right. Follow to the end, and right again for 2 miles to the A470. I turn left here and use the best A470 uphill turns, but at the top go left again. You'll see the overhead incident camaras but I don't know the road name, it's obvious, and goes back to Ffestinog where you came from, except, turn right before the railway bridge! This road goes over festinog moor, go all the way to the end. You could go left at the Café to Isbyty Ifan and on to the A5 then right to Llangollen etc, but don't. Carry on to the end, which is the A4212 mentioned above, where you will join for the best bit, turn left and follow into Bala. This can be a fast road, and not that busy really.
At the end in Bala, there is the town on the right, and the lake beyond on the left. You can carry on towards Aberystwyth which is a good road, but policed just out of town, mostly towards town I understand. Go left. You can also go straight on towards Lake Vernwy, nice long road, still, go left though, and follow to the end. This ends at the A5. Turn right, past (or into The Rhug Estate café), onto the lights and left. Stay on this road until at the roundabout. This is the roundabout you were at after leaving the Ponderosa. Go get a coffee and reflect on what could have been one of the best riding days.
Go home safely.
Sorry about spelling of Welsh names, sometimes I get it right, ho hum.
)
At the end in Bala, there is the town on the right, and the lake beyond on the left. You can carry on towards Aberystwyth which is a good road, but policed just out of town, mostly towards town I understand. Go left. You can also go straight on towards Lake Vernwy, nice long road, still, go left though, and follow to the end. This ends at the A5. Turn right, past (or into The Rhug Estate café), onto the lights and left. Stay on this road until at the roundabout. This is the roundabout you were at after leaving the Ponderosa. Go get a coffee and reflect on what could have been one of the best riding days.
Go home safely.
Sorry about spelling of Welsh names, sometimes I get it right, ho hum.
)
I pinched this from somewhere a few years ago. Its a good run out in some stunning countryside. I've taken a few de tours from this since and found some great roads. Pretty much all the roads around there are good.
Stay off the main roads as much as possible especially the A5.
You are better off going in the week outside of school holidays.
Some days its crawling with police and camera vans - They hide behind stuff etc be careful.
Petrol stations are far and few between and not always open so always make sure you have plenty.
Stay off the main roads as much as possible especially the A5.
You are better off going in the week outside of school holidays.
Some days its crawling with police and camera vans - They hide behind stuff etc be careful.
Petrol stations are far and few between and not always open so always make sure you have plenty.
Edited by theshrew on Friday 1st July 22:28
smithyithy said:
As mentioned above about fuel, plan your stops well.
I got caught out on my first big ride around Wales when I couldn't find a petrol station and had no signal on my phone to check Maps. Had to stay the night in some dodgy pub B&B hoping my bike was still there in the morning
Are you sure you hadn't taken a wrong turn and ended up in Liverpool?I got caught out on my first big ride around Wales when I couldn't find a petrol station and had no signal on my phone to check Maps. Had to stay the night in some dodgy pub B&B hoping my bike was still there in the morning
welsh blackbird said:
Are you sure you hadn't taken a wrong turn and ended up in Liverpool?
It was in the middle of nowhere. Bike was running on fumes, no signal on my phone, unlit roads, visor plastered with bugs..Tried a Travelodge (or similar, I forget) beforehand but was told they were full (car park was pretty much empty...)
Continued on and walked into this local pub, there was about half a dozen people in there - staff and customers, all drunk. Managed to get a room, we won't talk about the room. They let me park my bike under the fire escape stairs so it was sort of hidden..
It was all a bit 'local'. Didn't sleep at all, put my head down about midnight, got up at about 6am, kitted up, left the room key on the bar and thankfully the bike was fine. Found a petrol station about a mile down the road, waited outside until they opened, brimmed the tank and planned the route back on an AA map they had.
On the plus side, the ride back was probably the best ride I've ever had. Coming past Lake Bala with the sun still rising over the hills and shining on the water, crisp air, nobody else on the road.. Incredible.
Did I mention this was a Monday morning? I had to ride straight from there, to work. Walked into the office bang on time, myself and the bike absolutely caked in dead bugs. They let me go home and get freshened up.
It was a right adventure
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