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Hi all,
Looking for a nice easy roll up a hill on the MTB - thinking a landrover track that's rideable all the way up to the summit (or at least 95%). Anywhere in North Wales works, bonus points if it's towards the west (staying near Harlech). Something like the Yr Wyddfa Llanberis track (to halfway), but ideally less busy given it's half term week so the usual suspects will be hoaching and I don't want to annoy any walkers/break the voluntary agreement (will probably be riding during the day).
Will be towing wife and kids, hence the "easy" requirement. No gnar!
Cheers
Ride round Llyn Brenig ? - not up a mountain but a good family ride.
Stwlan Dam, private road, cracking views up the hairpin ribbons?
https://www.strava.com/segments/1398283
Or is that too steep and not gnar enough? 😆
Will be towing wife and kids, hence the “easy” requirement. No gnar!
Thats difficult though, by their nature hills are tough to climb up. Are the Mrs and Kids walking or biking too?
Cadair Idris would be my call - Its landrover most of the way. But I wouldnt say it was a walk in the park
The Mawddach Trail is much more family friendly, a nice pub on route and Barmouth Bridge and Beach at one end.
Drum is probs the best shout but a long climb for a family.
Could try the foot hills of Cadar Idris or national cycle path 8 is behind Harlech. Could even ride up to the Roman steps.
Barmouth to Dolgellau on the cycle path is pretty special and technically up hill if you go upstream:)
Maybe it's not what your after, but isn't Coed Y Brenin perfect for this sort of day out? Easy graded trails, fun swoopy (but totally safe) bits, cafe for coffee and cake at the end, and a poke around a pretty well-stocked bike shop. Every-one's a happy camper.
Cheers for the replies! Kid 1 will be on a macride, kid 2 will be in a rucksack. Wife is unlikely to join for a hill, but might be interested in some of the more sedate options (Mawddach looks primo!).
I had forgotten about Coed-y-Brenin, ha! That might be the winner for a spin out with the kids in an evening.
kid 2 will be in a rucksack.
On a bike?? Seriously, I'd reconsider taking a small tot in a rucksack on a bike, what happens if you fall off?
Please don't take a child in a rucksack on a bike.
Maybe get a bike seat for them? Siesta hamax did me well for a few years.
Or get a trailer?
Don’t put a child in a rucksack !
Have a nice ride out with the family on the Mawddach Trail, train spotting, ice scream, sandcastles etc
I wouldn’t start in Dolgellau, there is plenty of parking near The George III , and then it’s not too far coming back
Could you hire a trailer ?
Just want to say thanks for this thread. I'm going to Porthmadog with my 7yr old next week. We going to tackle llandegla blue on the way, coed y brenin minortaur later in the week and now we might do the mawddach as well. I got a lot of towing to do 👌😎
Ha! Classic STW.
Not that it's necessary, but to put you at ease:
Don't worry about my kids being in a rucksack - been doing it since they could walk, they (and I) love it. Have done plenty of MTB rides in this configuration - Peaks, Angus Glens, various trail centre blue routes - never had an issue. If I fall off, the one that's attached to the bike by their feet on the bike-specific macride seat will be in a far worse way than the one in the rucksack. We take all reasonable precautions (helmets, trail/line choice, I'm also a competent BC MTB L2 leader), so while I'd never encourage others to copy, I'm personally fine with the risks.
I got rid of the trailer after I clipped it on a kerbstone riding alongside the canal and it flipped with kiddo 1 inside - thankfully she was wearing a helmet and hardly even woke up, but ever since then I've much preferred to have them within the bike's envelope. Bonus is that having one on the front and another on the back balances the bike quite nicely!
Not that it’s necessary, but to put you at ease:
Nope. Not at all.
Don’t worry about my kids being in a rucksack – been doing it since they could walk, they (and I) love it. Have done plenty of MTB rides in this configuration – Peaks, Angus Glens, various trail centre blue routes – never had an issue. If I fall off, the one that’s attached to the bike by their feet on the bike-specific macride seat will be in a far worse way than the one in the rucksack. We take all reasonable precautions (helmets, trail/line choice, I’m also a competent BC MTB L2 leader), so while I’d never encourage others to copy, I’m personally fine with the risks.
Nuts.
I’m also a competent BC MTB L2 leader
Ah yes. I remember the bit in the syllabus where it recommends putting the squishy kid's head further from the axis of rotation and thus in a zone with far higher impact speeds than they would otherwise be subjected to....
🤔
I clipped it on a kerbstone riding alongside the canal and it flipped with kiddo 1 inside
So let me get this straight, you're incapable of towing a purpose built cycle trailer along a canal towpath; but you think that you're up to carrying a kid in a rucksack on a proper mountainbike ride?🤣
Crikey!
I agree that crashing with a macride isn't going to end well for the kid....
How old are they? I'm impressed at the weight you must be pedalling and carrying on your back....
@matt_oab 4yo and 2.5yo lumps now - definitely a sit and winch on the hills with the extra 30kg haha! Should be my last summer of suffering though, the big one is getting pretty confident on the balance bike now so next year I'll probably introduce pedals and brakes and send her off on her own (where she'll likely injure herself almost every ride, ironically given the way this thread has pivoted)
Appreciate everyone has different attitudes towards risk, hence my disclaimer that I wouldn't encourage others to follow suit. This is an entirely personal choice having tried a lot of kid-carrying options (and combinations of options!). I maintain that in pretty much any crash situation, the kid attached to the macride is in for a much worse time than the kid in the rucksack.
Yes @thegeneralist - having tried both options, I can confirm that kid in rucksack is an awful lot easier to recalibrate the brain to than having an extra wide wheelbase 4ft behind you with an additional degree of freedom. Just avoid low overhanging trees! Funnily enough as you know the L2/L3 MTB leader courses don't cover child carrying - I mentioned this qualification as a marker of the fact I'm well aware of the risks associated with MTB and have a lot of experience riding bikes.
I am going to stop wearing a seatbelt as I have never been in a car crash.
For some reason that disclaimer about hire vans has just come into my mind...
Please note that any damage above the level of the cab is subject to an additional excess
Don't be cycling under any trees now 😉