cycling in Snowdonia

martjans said:

We're a dutch couple and we're planning to cycle for 3 weeks in England and
Wales, starting in Harwich. We intend to use Sustrans routes when possible
(but don't want to use very rough tracks...). We've noticed that Lôn Las
Cymru contours Snowdonia along the coasts. We like cycling in the mountains
very much, but the OS Road map shows only A-type roads in Snowdonia. And we
*don't* like cycling on busy roads. How dangerous is it, to cycle on the
A-roads in Snowdonia, for example the Llanberis Pass? (Because we're fully
equipped, i.e. including tent and cooking gear, we will be quite slow).

Thanks, martjans

Have a look at the OS 1:50000 maps - the whole country is viewable for
free here:

http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/getamap/

Forgot to mention: the Llanberis Pass road is too narrow, steep and
winding for cars to go fast enough to be dangerous. The mountain
scenery in the Pass is stunning, so try and include it in your route if
possible.

"Señor Chris" <[email hidden]> schreef in bericht
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Forgot to mention: the Llanberis Pass road is too narrow, steep and
winding for cars to go fast enough to be dangerous. The mountain scenery
in the Pass is stunning, so try and include it in your route if possible.

Hi,

Thanks for your quick reaction. I am using this link for planning my route:
http://leisure.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/leisure/products.jsp. (and a 2004
version of Memory Map 1:50k, and the maps from Sustrans).
There I can even zoom in to a 1:25k level. But what I meant was, that
practically all of the B- and minor roads seam to end in the mountains, so
the only way to enjoy Snowdonia seams to be by using the A-roads. But if you
say the Llanberis Pass (via the A486...) is not dangerous, we will certainly
include it! And probably Nant Gwynant, depending on our chosen route. By the
way, I already visited Snowdonia in 1985, backpacking, on campsites in
Brynrefail and Beddgelert.

martjans

"martjans" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

We're a dutch couple and we're planning to cycle for 3 weeks in England
and Wales, starting in Harwich. We intend to use Sustrans routes when
possible (but don't want to use very rough tracks...). We've noticed that
Lôn Las Cymru contours Snowdonia along the coasts. We like cycling in the
mountains very much, but the OS Road map shows only A-type roads in
Snowdonia. And we *don't* like cycling on busy roads. How dangerous is it,
to cycle on the A-roads in Snowdonia, for example the Llanberis Pass?
(Because we're fully equipped, i.e. including tent and cooking gear, we
will be quite slow).

Thanks, martjans

As you say, Lon Las misses most of Snowdonia, but is a lovely route.
Most of the A roads in Snowdonia are OK - maybe avoid the green 'A' roads -
the pink ones are OK
Llanberis Pass is fine.

Of course, if you want proper steep hills, go to the Lake District - Hard
Knott and Wry Noses Passes are the 'best' ones.
Yorkshire Dales are also very good - Yorkshire Dales Cycle Way is a pleasant
route from Skipton.

Peter

martjans said:

But what I meant was, that
practically all of the B- and minor roads seam to end in the mountains, so
the only way to enjoy Snowdonia seams to be by using the A-roads.

The A-roads are OK - in fact you are probably better off sticking to
them because of the gradients on the minor roads, especially if you are
carrying camping gear.

Most of the heavy traffic goes around Snowdonia rather than through it,
so I'd avoid the A55, A487 and A470. Although it is a primary route
(green), the A5 is pleasant riding and has great scenery.

martjans said:

How dangerous is it, to cycle on the
A-roads in Snowdonia, for example the Llanberis Pass? (Because we're fully
equipped, i.e. including tent and cooking gear, we will be quite slow).

Thanks, martjans

Hi there.

I lived in the are for a few years and whilst it is true that The
Llanberis pass itself isn't too bad being narrow and twisty, the same
can't be said of some other roads in the area. For example, the A4086
from the top of the pass toward Capel Curig can be a bit of a race
track, as can the whole of the A5. However the A498 from Lyn Gwynnat
climbing up to Pen-Y-Pass is lovely.

If riding up from the south I would recommend leaving the Lôn Las
route along the old railway line at Penygroes as much of the rest of it
runs close to a busy new road and the section on to Bangor is
disjointed and can be hard to follow. The official NCN route into
Bangor is a joke being far hillier and longer than just riding in on
the main road, and just as busy.

After following the B4418 turn south and descend to Beddgelert, then
turn north on the A498, turning left at Pen-Y-Pass to reach the top of
the pass and then descend to Llanberis. (Whilst in Llanberis make sure
to visit the old quarries and the slate mining museum. Oh and visit the
famous 'Pete's Eat's' cafe in the village itself)). Leave Llanberis via
the old railway starting at the south-western end of the lake. Take
care on the climb up the A4244. (If you are camping there is a very
quite camp site at Tros-Y-Waen farm just off the minor road turning
towards Pentir). To move on to Bangor continue the minor road through
Pentir. Don't miss a visit to the University Terrace overlooking the
town and Bangor Pier. Outside of Bangor a visit to Penrhyn Castle will
show where the money from the Bethesda slate quarries was spent. You
might also like to read up on the famous 3 year lock out between 1900
and 1903 when Lord Penryhn tried to starve the independently-minded
quarry men into accepting his 'factory' work practices. (The best
account of this is R. Merfyn Jones's 'The North Wales Quarrymen,
1874-1922'😉. Also do a search on the history of the slate industry
which so defined the area. For example, see

http://www.llechicymru.info/index.english.htm and

http://www.penmorfa.com/Slate/

Going the way i describe also means that you climb the narrow roads and
descend on the wider ones, which I find much more pleasant than when
you are climbing wide 'fast' road with drivers roaring past going 50
Mph faster than you are.

There are a few minor roads in the area but all tend to be much hillier
than the main routes along the valleys (25% plus) and so would be a
real struggle fully laden.

Enjoy your trip!

Señor Chris said:

Most of the heavy traffic goes around Snowdonia
rather than through it, so I'd avoid the A55, A487 and
A470. Although it is a primary route (green), the A5 is
pleasant riding and has great scenery.

It was the A5 that scared us a bit, because the map on the Sustrans website
indicates, that Sustrans nr. 5 is suspended between Llanfairfechan and
Conwy, and the A55 there doesn't seam to be an option for cycling.

martjans

pppeterrr said:

As you say, Lon Las misses most of Snowdonia, but is a lovely route.
Most of the A roads in Snowdonia are OK - maybe avoid the green 'A'
roads - the pink ones are OK
Llanberis Pass is fine.

Of course, if you want proper steep hills, go to the Lake District - Hard
Knott and Wry Noses Passes are the 'best' ones.
Yorkshire Dales are also very good - Yorkshire Dales Cycle Way is a
pleasant route from Skipton.

Peter

It's cycling in the mountains we like, not especially very steep
gradients... We can manage (shortish) gradients up to 13-15%, but the slopes
in the passes you mention might be "a bit" to steep for us.
At first we intended to include the Lake District and follow the
Coast-to-Coast Cycle Route from Sustrans to take a ferry back to the
Netherlands, but that might be to much for 3 weeks.

martjans

<[email hidden]> schreef in bericht
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi there.

Quoted message said:

I lived in the are for a few years and whilst it is true that
The Llanberis pass itself isn't too bad being narrow and twisty, the same
can't be said of some other roads in the area. For example, the A4086
from the top of the pass toward Capel Curig can be a bit of a race
track, as can the whole of the A5. However the A498 from Lyn Gwynnat
climbing up to Pen-Y-Pass is lovely.

Quoted message said:

If riding up from the south I would recommend leaving the Lôn Las
route along the old railway line at Penygroes as much of the rest of it
runs close to a busy new road and the section on to Bangor is
disjointed and can be hard to follow. The official NCN route into
Bangor is a joke being far hillier and longer than just riding in on
the main road, and just as busy.

Because Sustrans states that Route nr. 5 along the coast is suspended
between Llanfairfechan and Conwy, we will probably take the A5 from Capel
Curig to Betws-y-Coed (Señor Chris was indicating, that this won't be too
busy) and find our own route from there to Chester.

Your suggestion, to follow Lôn Las to Penygroes looks to be good. But I
think we might take minor roads from there to Waunfawr and Llanrug, to pick
up the minor road south of the A4086 to Llanberis and then climb Llanberis
Pass. The route you suggest seams to be good scenery, but a bit of a detour
from Penrhyndeudraeth. Depending on what time we will have left by then, we
might take a shortcut via the A4085 and A498 straight to Beddgelert, or
mayby take the minor road that climbs up along Nanmor to Nantgwynant.

Anyhow, it will be very nice to compose a route, and it'll be good to be
back in Snowdonia.

Quoted message said:

Enjoy your trip!

Thanks, I'm sure we will!

martjans

martjans said:

Because Sustrans states that Route nr. 5 along the coast is suspended
between Llanfairfechan and Conwy, we will probably take the A5 from Capel
Curig to Betws-y-Coed (Señor Chris was indicating, that this won't be too
busy) and find our own route from there to Chester.

The A5 in the direction you mention isn't too bad as it is mostly
downhill. However the reverse route is really scary, especially as it
climbs up out of Betws-y-Coed past the Swallow Falls. The road here has
2 uphill lanes and drivers really go for it, and there are some bends
along here which mean that at the speed drivers go at there they risk
hitting any cyclist who was just around the bend ahead of them,
especially, as in my experience is usually the case, someone is also
overtaking in the outside lane at 80 Mph or so!

The lack of a route between Llanfairfechan and Conwy is not really a
problem as the old road over the Sachnat Pass is much more scenic, and
you can access it via some very quiet back lanes from Bangor to Aber.
The 'offical' route runs alongside the A55 'motorway' and when I last
did it was no fun at all.

<[email hidden]> schreef in bericht
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The lack of a route between Llanfairfechan and Conwy is not really a
problem as the old road over the Sachnat Pass is much more scenic, and
you can access it via some very quiet back lanes from Bangor to Aber.
The 'offical' route runs alongside the A55 'motorway' and when I last
did it was no fun at all.

I suppose you mean "Sychnant Pass"? Already thought that might be nicer. But
Sustrans manily warn about the section between Llanfairfechan and
Penmainpool. About a track, to be used south of the A55, they say: "Good
track, but inaccessible".

Quoted message said:

martjans said:

Because Sustrans states that Route nr. 5 along the coast is suspended
between Llanfairfechan and Conwy, we will probably take the A5 from Capel
Curig to Betws-y-Coed (Señor Chris was indicating, that this won't be too
busy) and find our own route from there to Chester.

The A5 in the direction you mention isn't too bad as it is mostly
downhill.

There is also a flat, minor road alternative by the river for part of
the route starting at Pont Cyfyng.

If that is the only part of the A5 you plan to use, you won't have a
problem although the best scenery is between Capel and Bethesda.

martjans said:

I suppose you mean "Sychnant Pass"? Already thought that might be nicer. But
Sustrans manily warn about the section between Llanfairfechan and
Penmainpool. About a track, to be used south of the A55, they say: "Good
track, but inaccessible".

Yes it's "Sychnant Pass" but otherwise the advice given by [email hidden] is
excellent.

Have you seen http://www.cyclingnorthwales.co.uk - recommended.
The A55 should be avoided, see http://www.cyclingnorthwales.co.uk/pages/cyclg_penyclip.htm
if you need to be convinced.

Alan
--
----------------------
Alan Crawshaw Tel: 01248 383248
Database Administrator Fax: 01248 383826
University of Wales Bangor
Adeilad Deiniol/Deiniol Building
Ffordd Deiniol/Deiniol Road
Bangor
Gwynedd
LL57 2UX

A.C.P.Crawshaw said:

Yes it's "Sychnant Pass" but otherwise the advice given by [email hidden] is
excellent.

Apoligies for that but I don't have a map with the name of the pass on
it and I couldn't remember the correct spelling. Weak excuse I know!
Looking at that page on the A55 'cycle route' reminded me just how bad
it really is.

martjans' of Tiscali bv said:

Señor Chris said:

Most of the heavy traffic goes around Snowdonia
rather than through it, so I'd avoid the A55, A487 and
A470. Although it is a primary route (green), the A5 is
pleasant riding and has great scenery.

It was the A5 that scared us a bit, because the map on the Sustrans website
indicates, that Sustrans nr. 5 is suspended between Llanfairfechan and
Conwy, and the A55 there doesn't seam to be an option for cycling.

Do not plan to go along the coast between Conwy and Llanfairfechan. The
route is not suspended, it is blocked by a huge headland. I foolishly did in
2004, and this is what I wrote about it at the time:

2pm A cafe in Llanfairfechan Aaaargh!! That felt like the most
dangerous thing I've ever done on a bicycle. At the west end of Penmaenmawr
bay there is a headland where the railway disappears into one tunnel and
the westbound side of the dual carriageway into another. The road eastbound
has been hacked out of the rock. As bikes (and pedestrians) aren't allowed
in the tunnel I thought there would be a shared use path alongside the
road, with a safety barrier, like leaving Conwy. In fact the path for bikes
(and animals!) goes between the two parts of the road, so you have to cross
the road on foot. After cycling up and over the part of the headland that
contains the tunnel, I knew I'd have to sprint across the road again. But
what I didn't expect was to then have to cycle down half a mile of the
road, being pursued and overtaken by the traffic from the tunnel doing 70
mph and more. At least it was downhill so I engaged top gear and went flat
out, praying that for a side turning before the end of the hill. After
about half a mile there's a bus pull in with foot access from a side road.
My legs are all wobbly so I'm having a stiff pot of tea to calm my nerves.

More information and scary pictures here:
http://www.cyclingnorthwales.co.uk/pages/cyclg_penyclip.htm
--
Steph Peters
Chorlton Wanderers Cycling Group
Monthly slow and easy rides from South Manchester
http://www.sandbenders.demon.co.uk/cycling/chwan.htm