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Starting a week on Monday, this is my current thinking;
Monday- Drive- Glasgow to Church Stretton, ride at Eastridge (probably only have 3 hours to play)
Tuesday- Ride Shropshire Hills? Drive to near Nant Yr Arian
Wednesday- Ride Nant Yr Arian- drive to Merthyr Tydfil
Thursday- Ride BPW
Fridy- Afan
Saturday- drive to Gisburn, ride, sleep
Sunday- Return to Glasgow for lunchtime..
Lake District was suggested but I think we will do that as a separate trip with it being only a few hours away. Antur Stinog is on my list but too tech for my buddy.
We are open to doing Glasgow- Merthyr on the Monday and doing things in reverse but just trying to keep the driving/riding/rest ratio right (or as good as it can get doing 900miles!) Neither of us have ridden any of the venues (apart from me x1 day at BPW)
Also at the moment turning up and riding is preferable than looking at a map all day- I know we will miss some natural gems but it gives us an excuse to go back. Open to pointers though!
Anyone? Seems 7 days is not long enough, spoiled for choice (although we do need to book accommodation!)
Sorry, not much use but for our annual welsh trips we drive from Ayrshire down to Snowdonia area (CyB, Marin, Corris, Antur, Snowdon, etc) in about 5 hours so we get a ride in on day one. Spend a few days riding then on last day ride something like Dyfi Forest and then 5 hours back up the road.
Saturday- drive to Gisburn, ride, sleep
Gisburn is quite a long diversion. Are you sure you don't fancy an afternoon ride out of Staveley or Grizedale? Will be heaps better.
Maybe stick to North Wales?
Glasgow to Snowdon is about 5 hours
You've got Antur for the bike park stuff and ByC, CyB Nant Yr Arian all in Snowdonia.
You can stop at the Lakes on the way up or down.
Do South wales another time, less time driving and more time riding!
Don't forget that once you reach North Preston the roads become chaotic. The M6 is a festering sore and you can never plan to travel down it and have confidence that your journey will go to as envisaged. South of Manchester it is largely a gridlock and nearing Birmingham it is better to find alternative roads to travel.
Infinite patience is required anywhere south of the M55.
Seems a hell of a lot of driving for a few trail centres.
Bear in mind that Nant Yr Arian is over an hour from CYB and nearly 2 hours from Betws-y-Coed (for Marin / Gwydir & Penmachno). Then lots more tedious driving to get to south Wales too.
Llandegla is nearer and I know a few who ride over the hills from Llangollen & back.
Why not try more in northern Snowdonia? Carneddau, Conwy mountain...
http://www.ridenorthwales.co.uk/mountain-bike-trails/
http://www.penmachnobiketrails.org.uk/trails.html
http://www.bikingconwy.ws/mountain-biking
Some good input so far, it is a lot of driving. But then again we did Glasgow-BPW-back last year over three days (ace, but not again!)
Aware roads are a total gamble, M6 was shut last year on the way down but past Birmingham on the way north was a breeze (apart from being on edge with the variable speed cameras)
I think Antur might be a bit full on for my mate hence why we haven't included it
Day 1 long mynd
Day 2,3,4,5 BPW
Day 6 7 lakes
Hame.
So I have bought the VB Lakes guidebook. We are still pretty keen on BPW but I will keep looking at things and get something firmed up at the weekend.
Tempted to do Grizedale-FOD-AFAN-BPW-Nant yr Arian-Shropshire Hills and home but still tweaking things!
Grizedale if it's the good bits you're doing, ie all the enduro stuff, parkamoor etc. If it's the trail centre, then it's a naw I'm afraid.
Going to the Lake district and riding a trail centre is like going to a beer festival and necking Tennents.
Yep, come on here for a GPX for Grizedale. Do not do The North Face route (except maybe the first climb).
Planning on doing some of the off-piste if we can find it- as I said, bought the guidebook, a map and looked at trailforks so hoping we can connect some of it up.
Never used GPX files, will have a look at Android apps for them
I don't think GPX files are necessary for the likes of that, Trailforks is excellent, just fire it up, wee blue dot shows you where you are in relation to the good bits.
I couldn't find parkamoor on it last night- unless its called something else on TF? Any particular off piste bits worth riding (without going too mad terrain wise, given my buddies ability!)
Tempted to do Grizedale-FOD-AFAN-BPW-Nant yr Arian-Shropshire Hills
NyA is the obvious massive diversion in that list.
Re. Shropshire, the Long Mynd may be an anti-climax, but Eastridge is excellent for a half-dayer if you sniff out the enduro trails. It's very well documented on TrailForks actually.
Shout me if you want Grizedale help.