Enjoy the amazing motorcycling roads of North Wales

North Wales has some of Britain’s most spectacular scenery, providing an epic backdrop to any ride. Our one-day trip around the quiet town of Llangollen mixes popular biking roads — like the A4212 around Lake Celyn and the A542 over Horseshoe Pass — with quieter back roads through this beautiful landscape. Mileages are fairly modest between stops, so it’s ideal for a late-season bimble, making the most of the autumn sunshine.

STAGE ONE

Llangollen to Lake Vyrnwy: 45 miles
From Llangollen, take the A5 all the way to Oswestry. As the A5 crosses roundabouts to bypass the town, take the B5069 into Oswestry. Follow the one-way system round the town centre and turn left opposite the Morrisons petrol station, on the B4580 to Llansilin. Turn right at the end of the road to stay on the B4580 out of Oswestry. Keep going straight until reaching the B4396 and turn right to Penybontfawr. In the middle of Penybontfawr, turn left immediately after the small bridge, to stay on the B4396 to Lake Vyrnwy. Turn right by the petrol pumps in Abertridwr to reach Lake Vyrnwy. For a shorter ride, you can take the next left, over the dam, but we’d go straight and follow the road to do a complete lap of the lake.

Morning coffee: Artisans. A RiDE favourite, this welcoming coffee shop has a nice line in stuff-the-diet, treat-yourself home-made cakes.

STAGE TWO

Lake Vyrnwy to Blaenau Festiniog: 45 miles
From Artisans, cross the dam and turn left along the shore of Lake Vyrnwy again. At the end of the lake, turn right (at the large T-junction) on the minor road to Rhos-y-Gwaliau and Bala. Turn left when this road meets the B4391 and continue into Bala. Go straight across the staggered crossroads in town to take the A4212 to Trawsfynydd. After 10 miles, turn right on the B4391 to Ffestiniog. At the A470, turn left towards Dolgellau and then, at the next junction, turn right on the A487 to Porthmadog. At the bottom of the hill turn right on the A496 to Blaenau Ffestiniog. After a mile, the road forks: take the left-hand turn to stay on this road.

Lunch: Lakeside Cafe Coming into Blaenau, look for the left turn signed for the power station. Follow the road to find the excellent Lakeside Cafe: good views, great grub.

STAGE THREE

Blaenau Ffestiniog to Denbigh: 40 miles
Return to the A496 and continue into Blaenau Ffestiniog. At the roundabout turn left on the A470 to Betws-y-Coed. When the road meets the A5, turn left then take the first right on the A470 to Llandudno. In Llanrwst, turn right on the high street on the A548 to Abergele. After 12 miles, turn right on the A544 to Llansannan. When it meets the A543 in Bylchu, turn left to Denbigh.

Afternoon tea: Glass Onion Café Tucked away in the pedestrianised centre of Denbigh is this gem.

STAGE FOUR

Denbigh to Llangollen: 35 miles
Leave Denbigh on the A543 towards Mold. When it meets the A541, turn right to Mold and take the first right, for the B5429 signed for Llanbedr DC. In Llanbedr-Dyffyn-Clwyd, turn left on the A494 to Mold. After three miles, turn right on the B5430 to Llanarmon-yn-Ial. When it meets the A5104, turn right to Corwen. Go straight over the staggered crossroads then, at the roundabout, turn left on the A542 over Horseshoe Pass to return to Llangollen.

STAY

Cambrian House: Comfortable, bike-friendly B&B in the heart of Llangollen with decent parking and friendly staff.

SEE

Zip World If the riding doesn’t get enough adrenaline pumping, why not try this triple-zip-line thrill ride in the amazing postindustrial landscape of Blaenau? Allow plenty of time (and £50 a head) for a mind-blowing experience.

Route summary

Start/finish: Llangollen
Distance: 165 miles
Riding time: 5.5 hours
Download the GPX file

Please note: This page contains the motorcycle touring routes for The RiDE Guide To Great Britain which was published in October 2017. These website pages are not regularly updated, so please check all critical information before you travel. All route files are in .gpx format. Garmin and BMW users can download the main file, which contains all the routes. TomTom users can either download the individual routes or use the MyRouteApp (depending on the age of your device).