Cycling in Conwy

Conwy is full of history and exploring the town's narrow lanes, castle walls and valley by bike is a great alternative to just walking! YHA Conwy also has plenty of cycling facilities to keep you and your bike happy during your stay, including:
 - Secure bike shed for around 8-10 bikes plus storage in the hostel when arranged in advance
 
 - Maintenance station
 
 - Bike washing facilities including brushes and a low pressure washer
 
 - Bike tools and pump to borrow
 
 - Spare tubes and cables to buy
 
 - Outdoor bike parking
 
 - Information on bike hire and local rides.
 
 YHA Conwy is a good base to explore cycling of all types; family-friendly cycling, endurance cycling, mountain biking, and cycle-touring.
 
 For the family:
 - Cyclists can currently use Llandudno Promenade for cycling. It is a wide tarmacked path about a mile long, which is also very popular with pedestrians and dog-walkers, so only suitable for slow cyclists who don’t wish to be on the road. 
 
 - The toll road around the Great Orme is free for cyclists. This involves a steady climb to the far side of the peninsula, but shortly after the café you are rewarded with a long descent and a flat return to the Llandudno sea-front. 
 
 - The National Cycle Route 5 continues from the Great Orme on a cyclepath from west Llandudno to Conwy, Conwy Marina and Aberconwy beach, and then further along the coast to Penmaenmawr beach and beyond. You may need to walk along Conwy quay on busy days. 
 
 - Alternatively why not head east on the same National Route 5 and visit Colwyn Bay? This is a slightly hillier route with some on-road riding.
 
 Longer rides:
 - Follow National Cycle Route 5 all the way to Bangor Pier or the Menai Suspension Bridge. This can be an out-and-back route or combined with train travel between Bangor and Conwy.
 
 - A route between Conwy and Betws-y-Coed is relatively flat and quiet. You could challenge yourself by taking the contrastingly steep country lanes on the other side of the Conwy valley over the hills to make a loop of 25-35 miles.
 
 - Take the disused railway on National Route 8 from the outskirts of Bangor to provide traffic-free cycling to Caernarfon and then onto Porthmadog. 
 
 Mountain biking
 - The Gwydyr Forest just 10 miles south of the hostel is home to the classic Marin Trail and this 2-4 hour purpose-built challenging mountain bike loop.
 
 - The Penmachno trail is slightly further away, but within 20 miles from the hostel. Another great loop with a choice of two routes towards the top. 
 
 - Want ‘natural’ trails from the door? There is a challenging ride starting from YHA Rowen and finishing at YHA Conwy reaching Drum, 770m ASL at the northern end of the Carnedd mountain range. If you start and finish from YHA Conwy this is an all day ride of 4-8+ hours. A shorter option is to start at Abergwyngregyn, climbing and descending Drum, missing the section along the North Wales Path.
 
 
 Other tips
 - Pick up local cycle maps and maps of the wider National Cycle Network from the Sustrans website www.sustrans.org.uk. The hostel sells 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 OS maps of the local area.
 
 - You can take a bike up to the top of Snowdon mountain, but must be off the hillside 10am- 5pm in the summer months. A slog and why hog this already crowded hilltop?"