off to coed y brenin this weekend.....
Discussion
longish range forecast form met office indicates a severe case of "man the f**k up" is required....
A mild and mostly strong to gale force south to southwesterly airstream is expected across the U.K. on Friday, with rain also spreading to most parts, this heaviest and most persistent in the northwest. Conditions look like continuing very unsettled throughout the weekend, too, with heavy rain or showers in most areas, accompanied at times by gales, severe gales, and perhaps even storm force winds in the northwest. Temperatures are expected to be generally near or a little above normal, especially in the south, and perhaps rather cold at times in the north, with snow possible over the Scottish mountains. There is considerable uncertainty through the remainder of the period, but it is most likely to remain quite unsettled, especially in northern and western areas.
A mild and mostly strong to gale force south to southwesterly airstream is expected across the U.K. on Friday, with rain also spreading to most parts, this heaviest and most persistent in the northwest. Conditions look like continuing very unsettled throughout the weekend, too, with heavy rain or showers in most areas, accompanied at times by gales, severe gales, and perhaps even storm force winds in the northwest. Temperatures are expected to be generally near or a little above normal, especially in the south, and perhaps rather cold at times in the north, with snow possible over the Scottish mountains. There is considerable uncertainty through the remainder of the period, but it is most likely to remain quite unsettled, especially in northern and western areas.
Will be there in 2 weeks time. At this time of year I take all the cycling kit I have. Spare everything.
Some pics here from March this year.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23318875@N02/sets/721...
G
Some pics here from March this year.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23318875@N02/sets/721...
G
I was up there last weekend and two things are pretty obvious:
- It is rarely muddy, most of the trails are rocky so can be ridden without worrying about mud tyres
- It's relatively sheltered - the trails mainly run through the forests so you don't get too exposed to bad weather. However there are a few parts where you'll notice it if it's blowy.
Just enjoy, it's a great trail centre.
- It is rarely muddy, most of the trails are rocky so can be ridden without worrying about mud tyres
- It's relatively sheltered - the trails mainly run through the forests so you don't get too exposed to bad weather. However there are a few parts where you'll notice it if it's blowy.
Just enjoy, it's a great trail centre.
Seal skinz waterproof socks.
Seriously. Wet body, head, arms, legs, backside, all are fine.
But nothing puts the s
tter on an otherwise epic ride than cold, wet shrivelling feet in tightly fitted SPD shoes.
Enjoy though - make sure you do the 'beast' or whatever its called, the long one.
Stunning, stunning singletrack.
The original, and i have to say in some ways still the best trail centre.
Seriously. Wet body, head, arms, legs, backside, all are fine.
But nothing puts the s
tter on an otherwise epic ride than cold, wet shrivelling feet in tightly fitted SPD shoes.Enjoy though - make sure you do the 'beast' or whatever its called, the long one.
Stunning, stunning singletrack.
The original, and i have to say in some ways still the best trail centre.
g_stacey said:
Will be there in 2 weeks time. At this time of year I take all the cycling kit I have. Spare everything.
Some pics here from March this year.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23318875@N02/sets/721...
G
Cool photo's G - mind sharing where you stayed, looks very nice? Did it have a bike store?Some pics here from March this year.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23318875@N02/sets/721...
G
Funky,
Cottage details here: http://www.parcnet.com/ then click on Cottages, scroll down to Maesgwm Cottage and Maesgwm Barn. We stayed in the Barn, but have both places this time. I think £240 per cottage, Thursday night to Monday morn. Right on the Orange marked trail (Yr Afon?) so no need to drive anywhere. There is a bike store, actually a shed for the Pig food! but seems safe enough, youre off a track with no other houses around you for miles. We always take serious locks with us on our trips. Took a lot of searching to find this place. Have ridden Afan for the last 4-5 years, know a good place there too, http://www.brynteghouse.com/rosecottage.html small'ish but right on the trails again, so didn't venture up to North Wales often. Will try and squeeze in rides maybe at, Llandegla, Betws-Y- Coed or Penmacno this trip. Snowden is on the cards as well! Plus a few night rides.
Pablo, let us know how you get on and where you rode.
G
Cottage details here: http://www.parcnet.com/ then click on Cottages, scroll down to Maesgwm Cottage and Maesgwm Barn. We stayed in the Barn, but have both places this time. I think £240 per cottage, Thursday night to Monday morn. Right on the Orange marked trail (Yr Afon?) so no need to drive anywhere. There is a bike store, actually a shed for the Pig food! but seems safe enough, youre off a track with no other houses around you for miles. We always take serious locks with us on our trips. Took a lot of searching to find this place. Have ridden Afan for the last 4-5 years, know a good place there too, http://www.brynteghouse.com/rosecottage.html small'ish but right on the trails again, so didn't venture up to North Wales often. Will try and squeeze in rides maybe at, Llandegla, Betws-Y- Coed or Penmacno this trip. Snowden is on the cards as well! Plus a few night rides.
Pablo, let us know how you get on and where you rode.
G
Been to Afan and Coed this year. Much preffered Afan. Coed was very basic in comparison. You could see where the trail builders had done the basics at Coed then expanded and improved at Afan.
Still a good place to cycle though. Weather was crap when we were there, but it made not a jot of difference
Still a good place to cycle though. Weather was crap when we were there, but it made not a jot of difference
afan is great but there are some sections of singletrack at CyB which were awesome and suit my bike and riding style perfectly. the beast is a proper days riding and the "adamms family" sections are sublime, very fast and sweeping. i find afan too technical and difficult to really get some speed together.
weather still looks interesting, met office prediction is changing hourly. if it rains too heavily between now and sat am, we might even head over to plas menai and steal a laser dinghy for a few hours!
weather still looks interesting, met office prediction is changing hourly. if it rains too heavily between now and sat am, we might even head over to plas menai and steal a laser dinghy for a few hours!
Cli-machX is fantastic. Not in terms of views, or scenery, or facilities, or any of the other stuff at the big trail centres.
You just leave the car park and go up, up, up, up, up, till you get to the top. Kick your heels - and head down. Rocky, rooty, jumps, drops, narrow chutes through tress, some massive berms. Its rather technical and you'll have to be competent to enjoy it.
Flipping ACE.
You can do 3 laps in a day easy.
You just leave the car park and go up, up, up, up, up, till you get to the top. Kick your heels - and head down. Rocky, rooty, jumps, drops, narrow chutes through tress, some massive berms. Its rather technical and you'll have to be competent to enjoy it.
Flipping ACE.
You can do 3 laps in a day easy.
in a word, wet.
first up, there were loads of people around, there was a good atmosphere and some proper gucci kit. medium travel/xc bikes were the order of the day, lots of spesh enduros/stumpys, lots of marin quads, a few orange fives and only one other commie....oh and my mate on his new white RC405! b*stard!
all the rain last week had me a bit worried, especially on the way up the A5 on friday night with gales and driving rain making progress difficult. bar the sections of rock on "cain" and "abel", and "slated" it was all easily rideable and at a good pace, a credit to the trail builders as lack of drainage wasnt an issue... almost everyone was running panaracer fire xc pros and we didnt encounter anyone who had suffered a puncture, we were running about 45psi and that seemed to be working well.
a word of warning, the cafe halfway round will be closed for the first three weeks in january! for those who dont know about it, there is a nice shortcut just after the cafe that takes out the big fireroad climb/descent, its a tarmac climb, short and hard but brings you out at the start of the "morticia" section and when daylight hours are a premium, its well worth taking. have a look at the trial map but its easy to spot. first left out of the cafe (ignoring the black beast signs) and then second right. "uncle fester" and "the begining of the end" were riding really well despitre tired legs, "gomez" was very dark as its dense forest and it was about 1500, just enough traction to make it interesting and "pink heifer" is still the best piece of single track in wales bar none....
can also recommed the whitewater adventure place at llangollen if you want something different as we stopped for some rafting action on the way home!....
get out there!.
first up, there were loads of people around, there was a good atmosphere and some proper gucci kit. medium travel/xc bikes were the order of the day, lots of spesh enduros/stumpys, lots of marin quads, a few orange fives and only one other commie....oh and my mate on his new white RC405! b*stard!
all the rain last week had me a bit worried, especially on the way up the A5 on friday night with gales and driving rain making progress difficult. bar the sections of rock on "cain" and "abel", and "slated" it was all easily rideable and at a good pace, a credit to the trail builders as lack of drainage wasnt an issue... almost everyone was running panaracer fire xc pros and we didnt encounter anyone who had suffered a puncture, we were running about 45psi and that seemed to be working well.
a word of warning, the cafe halfway round will be closed for the first three weeks in january! for those who dont know about it, there is a nice shortcut just after the cafe that takes out the big fireroad climb/descent, its a tarmac climb, short and hard but brings you out at the start of the "morticia" section and when daylight hours are a premium, its well worth taking. have a look at the trial map but its easy to spot. first left out of the cafe (ignoring the black beast signs) and then second right. "uncle fester" and "the begining of the end" were riding really well despitre tired legs, "gomez" was very dark as its dense forest and it was about 1500, just enough traction to make it interesting and "pink heifer" is still the best piece of single track in wales bar none....
can also recommed the whitewater adventure place at llangollen if you want something different as we stopped for some rafting action on the way home!....
get out there!.
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