Wales – time to drive
Discussion
Tupwood said:
Crippo said:
I can show you some other great roads in Wales and the borders area
That would be great - can you DM me with your recommendations please. JmatthewB said:
What are the good roads like in North Wales on summer evenings? Say between 8pm-10pm. Do you mostly have them to yourself or can they get busy with day-trippers coming home?
If you're talking mid week then in my experience you can get a good run on just about any road - I go out on my motorbike mid week evenings and have had multiple great runs on all the well known roads.Last week I went all the way from Chester to the road in this vid, and back, and was hardly held up at all.
Krikkit said:
JmatthewB said:
What are the good roads like in North Wales on summer evenings? Say between 8pm-10pm. Do you mostly have them to yourself or can they get busy with day-trippers coming home?
If you're talking mid week then in my experience you can get a good run on just about any road - I go out on my motorbike mid week evenings and have had multiple great runs on all the well known roads.Last week I went all the way from Chester to the road in this vid, and back, and was hardly held up at all.
Weekends are likely a different matter but I tend not to venture out too much in summer for this reason.
Om said:
Krikkit said:
JmatthewB said:
What are the good roads like in North Wales on summer evenings? Say between 8pm-10pm. Do you mostly have them to yourself or can they get busy with day-trippers coming home?
If you're talking mid week then in my experience you can get a good run on just about any road - I go out on my motorbike mid week evenings and have had multiple great runs on all the well known roads.Last week I went all the way from Chester to the road in this vid, and back, and was hardly held up at all.
Weekends are likely a different matter but I tend not to venture out too much in summer for this reason.
I was thinking of heading on the M56 from Manchester then down towards Llangollen via the Horseshoe Pass, then down towards Bala across the B4391, then up towards the Evo Triangle via the A470 and then back towards England on the B5105. From my house it would be 5 hour round trip, so if I set off just after 6pm and be on the good roads between 7pm-10pm.
That said there is something more special about getting up at 4am and feeling like everyone else still in bed and you have the entire road network to yourself.
JmatthewB said:
Sounds promising.
I was thinking of heading on the M56 from Manchester then down towards Llangollen via the Horseshoe Pass, then down towards Bala across the B4391, then up towards the Evo Triangle via the A470 and then back towards England on the B5105. From my house it would be 5 hour round trip, so if I set off just after 6pm and be on the good roads between 7pm-10pm.
That said there is something more special about getting up at 4am and feeling like everyone else still in bed and you have the entire road network to yourself.
Yep that sounds like a very good set of routes, if I may I'd do it this way:I was thinking of heading on the M56 from Manchester then down towards Llangollen via the Horseshoe Pass, then down towards Bala across the B4391, then up towards the Evo Triangle via the A470 and then back towards England on the B5105. From my house it would be 5 hour round trip, so if I set off just after 6pm and be on the good roads between 7pm-10pm.
That said there is something more special about getting up at 4am and feeling like everyone else still in bed and you have the entire road network to yourself.
Mold -> Denbigh -> A543/544/548/470 to take you to Betsw-y-Coed -> A470 to Ffestinog -> B4391 to Bala -> A494 + A5 to Llangollen -> A542 over the Horseshoe -> A525 through the Nant-y-Garth to Ruthin -> A494 all the way back to the Queensferry and home.
The advantage of doing it this way is that the tighter roads come earlier in the route, that way you can take advantage of the light to make any overtaking easier. The roads later on in the loop are more open which makes overtaking in duskier conditions easier. There's a Shell and Morissons fuel station in Denbigh, then you're pretty much out until Llangollen which may/may not be open late these days (ETA: Shuts at 9pm).
That would be my "greatest hits" loop of North Wales that I've found so far, and genuinely brilliant roads.
Google route using token M56 spot as a kick-off: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Roadchef+Chester...
If you do decide to do it and fancy some company I'm 5 minutes from the M56/A494 change-over junction
Riley Blue said:
We're staying in Betws-y-Coed for a couple of nights in September so those are useful suggestions, thanks Krikkit.
Very welcome, Llangollen makes for a great day out if you've got nothing planned one day - walk down the canal and across the viaduct just up the way, trip on the steam railway then some food in the Corn Mill pub right on the river.Krikkit said:
Yep that sounds like a very good set of routes, if I may I'd do it this way:
Mold -> Denbigh -> A543/544/548/470 to take you to Betsw-y-Coed -> A470 to Ffestinog -> B4391 to Bala -> A494 + A5 to Llangollen -> A542 over the Horseshoe -> A525 through the Nant-y-Garth to Ruthin -> A494 all the way back to the Queensferry and home.
The advantage of doing it this way is that the tighter roads come earlier in the route, that way you can take advantage of the light to make any overtaking easier. The roads later on in the loop are more open which makes overtaking in duskier conditions easier. There's a Shell and Morissons fuel station in Denbigh, then you're pretty much out until Llangollen which may/may not be open late these days (ETA: Shuts at 9pm).
That would be my "greatest hits" loop of North Wales that I've found so far, and genuinely brilliant roads.
Google route using token M56 spot as a kick-off: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Roadchef+Chester...
If you do decide to do it and fancy some company I'm 5 minutes from the M56/A494 change-over junction
Cheers! Any reason you miss out the Evo triangle? Is it just average speed cameras now? I’d be in my GT86 so twistier roads are preferable.Mold -> Denbigh -> A543/544/548/470 to take you to Betsw-y-Coed -> A470 to Ffestinog -> B4391 to Bala -> A494 + A5 to Llangollen -> A542 over the Horseshoe -> A525 through the Nant-y-Garth to Ruthin -> A494 all the way back to the Queensferry and home.
The advantage of doing it this way is that the tighter roads come earlier in the route, that way you can take advantage of the light to make any overtaking easier. The roads later on in the loop are more open which makes overtaking in duskier conditions easier. There's a Shell and Morissons fuel station in Denbigh, then you're pretty much out until Llangollen which may/may not be open late these days (ETA: Shuts at 9pm).
That would be my "greatest hits" loop of North Wales that I've found so far, and genuinely brilliant roads.
Google route using token M56 spot as a kick-off: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Roadchef+Chester...
If you do decide to do it and fancy some company I'm 5 minutes from the M56/A494 change-over junction
JmatthewB said:
Cheers! Any reason you miss out the Evo triangle? Is it just average speed cameras now? I’d be in my GT86 so twistier roads are preferable.
2 sides of it are average cameras, and frankly they're not really the best roads in the area.Most of the roads on the list are pretty narrow, and definitely enjoyable in something like a GT86.
The wider ones are still mostly very enjoyable at sensible speed, with plenty of long sweepers that are good fun.
Tupwood said:
JmatthewB said:
Cheers! Any reason you miss out the Evo triangle? Is it just average speed cameras now? I’d be in my GT86 so twistier roads are preferable.
It's still a good section of road, and worth a drive if you're right there. 
Krikkit said:
I find worrying about averaging my speed across the fun bits very boring, I'm no speed demon but it's the nagging feeling as you go... It's still a great road for the views mind.
There is always that feeling you're being watched… and measured. My mind was switching between 'careful now' and 'fu*k it' so it did distract me from some of the less engaging parts of the road. The alternative is to treat it like a regularity trial - a constant 60 - but even that becomes monotonous. Drive it, enjoy it. Slow down on the straights.
That is a wonderful video- perfect weather and the ideal car. I have driven that route regularly since passing my test (1974!) which makes the video all the more interesting. I obviously need a more suitable car though.
I'd echo an earlier comment about being wary of sheep- actually perhaps worse in the evenings when they like to lie on warm tarmac which has been baking in the sun all day!
I'd echo an earlier comment about being wary of sheep- actually perhaps worse in the evenings when they like to lie on warm tarmac which has been baking in the sun all day!
Welshbeef said:
B4391 is a nice drove - but once over the cattle grids sheep are roaming
Sheep’s head down = ok
Sheep’s head up = no idea what it will do.
Be wary of this pass road in deepest Winter. If there is frost and a bit of snow on Bala it will be a hairy slippery slide drive & for those who know if you drive it you go up or come down (depending which way you attack it there is one section we’re the road is on the edge of the mountain with a minor fence/little wall. Get that wrong….. you’ll be flying just like those two youngsters did in the Alpes straight off the edge & it’s hundreds/thousands of feet drop. Sheep’s head down = ok
Sheep’s head up = no idea what it will do.
Welshbeef said:
Welshbeef said:
B4391 is a nice drove - but once over the cattle grids sheep are roaming
Sheep’s head down = ok
Sheep’s head up = no idea what it will do.
Be wary of this pass road in deepest Winter. If there is frost and a bit of snow on Bala it will be a hairy slippery slide drive & for those who know if you drive it you go up or come down (depending which way you attack it there is one section we’re the road is on the edge of the mountain with a minor fence/little wall. Get that wrong….. you’ll be flying just like those two youngsters did in the Alpes straight off the edge & it’s hundreds/thousands of feet drop. Sheep’s head down = ok
Sheep’s head up = no idea what it will do.
A few years ago up on the pass.
JmatthewB said:
Cheers! Any reason you miss out the Evo triangle? Is it just average speed cameras now? I’d be in my GT86 so twistier roads are preferable.
Came back at the weekend from taking my GT86 upto to Wales. I've driven the evo triangle before and after the average speed cameras and still enjoy it for the views and tight and twisty sections and just the odd straights you need to let off the throttle and enjoy the views for a moment before chucking it into another bend. Last year I discovered the A490 and B4391 from Welshpool to Cerrigydrudion and I made a note to use it on the route to Wales and back which only adds about 25mines to the trip. Even in the 86 there are enough sections for passing slower stuff mid day although to get the best out of it leave before 8am.
A5 West from Betsw-y-coed had some nice wide twisting roads between the mountains that was pretty enjoyable.
Pic from what i think is the b4391 and my 86. A great reminder that power corrupts and these are such a great car when you can wind them up and throw them round the twisty sections.
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