Biking Networking: Betws-Y-Coed

Disclaimer

Cycling is a dangerous activity which can result in serious injury or death. All cyclists are responsible for their own safety and must decide for themselves if they are a competent cyclist for the event they attend, cyclists must assess the level of risk for themselves before and during any event, and must not put other people at risk. No assessment of a cyclist's competence is made by the ride leader. Individuals must be able to assess obstacles and decide whether they have the skill to safely ride them. If an individual isn't sure whether they have sufficient skill to ride any section of the ride then they should walk it to avoid injury. All cyclists must wear a helmet and take responsibility for disclosing any relevant medical conditions, allergies and emergency contact details to the ride leader before each event.

Tuesday, 2 December 2008

Betws-Y-Coed - Penmachno update

Thanks for coming along at the weekend - I hope you enjoyed it, and for those who rode on the Sunday....we made it back alive without using Mountain Rescue - hurrah! [...it was epic....] Here are a few photos and a couple of videos. I think Dean (in red, below) is still on a high after the last section of the Marin trail

The Penmachno riders are just grateful to have survived the night...!

Check out the last photo...in the dark after crossing fields, climbing over fences and knocking on doors to ask directions...! Its not that we were lost in the dark.....we just didn't know where we had come from, where we were or which way to go!

[12.08 Update: I went back to finish Penmachno on 1 December with "the Professor" and a couple of local riders - it was icy but we finished. On our previous attempt, we had made it all the way round apart from a 500 m climb and a technical 2km final descent section. p.s. The Professor's bog has now been surfaced, much to his disgust! . John.]

A special thank you to Glenwood B&B in Betws-Y-Coed where we stayed. They were fantastic hosts, cooked a huge breakfast, and also very kindly returned Alice's hire bike to the shop on Monday morning... (our Epic ride finished way after the hire shop had closed and we had no mobile reception on the trail). Thanks also to the the bike hire shop Ultimate Outdoors for their patience (sadly, I think they are the only bike shop left in Betws-Y-Coed).

Penmachno MTB circuit information:

Please note that we have now discovered that if you do loop 1 you can then either return to the car park or continue round loop 2. If you combine loop 1 and loop 2, the circuit is 30km, and returns you to the car park. The last 2 descent sections of loop 2 are the most technical, fast tight singletrack with rocky drop-offs (6inch to 1 foot), switchbacks, and steep sections. Great fun, but much tougher than the rest of it. The whole circuit is a lot more undulating and contouring than Marin, and hence slower. I reckon an average rider would need 4-5 hours including a bit of chatting and waiting.