Cycling and Mountain Biking in North Wales

North Wales is home to a wide variety of cycling routes, from popular ones to little-known paths, from short jaunts to long distance endurance trails, from easy-going tracks to hard-core downhill courses. There really is a little something for every type of cyclist here.

North Wales is known for a great many different things. It is filled with natural wonders such as caves, caverns and mountains; beautiful areas like Bala Lake and Gwydir Forest; historical towns, castles and railways; and even bizarre and unusual attractions such as Bounce Below, Tree Top Adventures and the three different Zip Worlds.

When you say “North Wales” to someone, they probably imagine climbing the town walls of Conwy and its castle, eating a stick of rock at the end of Llandudno Pier, or perhaps climbing up Mount Snowdon and taking in the view from the snow-capped peak. “Cycling” is probably not the first thing that comes to mind.

However, we think it should be!

Family Friendly Routes
Lots of the routes in North Wales connect up with the major tourist attractions and places to stay, which means that a family cycling holiday is a great way to spend your week or two (or three or four!) in the region. Combine your sight-seeing with some relaxing bike rides – perfect!
The Mawddach Trail in particular is a great ride, taking you all the way from the historic market town of Dolgellau (and its numerous heritage railways) to the beautiful beach at Barmouth, with its picturesque harbour. The trip is just under 20 miles there and back, with no challenging sections, and is completely free of traffic. The landscape is idyllic the whole way, including the Cader Idris foothills and the Mawddach Estuary.

There’s also the Lôn Eifion Cycleway, which stretches from Caernarfon to Bryncir. This journey treats you with all the typical delights of North Wales in one go: the majesty of Caernarfon Castle, the steam trains of the Welsh Highland Railway, views over the peaks of Snowdonia and the bay of Caernarfon, and lovely historic villages. It’s a 24 mile return, with a nice café available for you to refuel in at the slate works, and you get to enjoy a gentle downhill glide on the second leg.

A Challenge for Mountain Bikers
On the other end of the scale, there are a number of mountain biking tracks available in North Wales – not surprising, considering how mountainous the region is. They vary wildly in difficulty, but Llandegla Red is rated “Hard” (or red). A total distance of ten miles, the track takes you through Coed Llandegla Forest, throwing some seriously technical challenges at you along the way. You’ll need a lot of stamina and balance, and more than a little courage: there are more than a few switchbacks and water crossings. And it’s steep, too. Good luck…

North Wales is a haven for any type of cyclist, even if you’ve not been on a bike in years. To get the most of it, hire a cottage and either bring your own bikes or head down to one of the many bike hire shops around the region. Click here for more information on where to stay.