It was November 2006 that Tyrrell and I first rode the trails at Penmachno in Snowdonia. About 15 minutes drive from Betws-y-Coed the trail is far less well known or popular as the Marin Trail. Today I returned and for the first time rode the new-to-me Loop 2 section to put together a 27km route. The new section offers some great views and some superb singletrack including a very nice section in deciduous woodland which is rare in most of Northern England in my experience.
It’s also a mofo of a ride on a singlespeed. It’s the first time in years I’ve had a both quads cramp up on a climb, but it’s not the climbs that get you it’s the files of rocky and bumpy trails that just wear you down. It might only be 27km, but it feels like you’ve done double that at the end. Still, I passed a lot of people on full suspension bikes on the way around, but only on the Loop 1 section. I had Loop 2 all to myself and didn’t see a soul.
R O T H A R . C O M 
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