Some bikers like to get to the very top
If you’re a biker, you’ll fully appreciate the thrill of biking up and down the mountain (though in reality you’re likely to be pushing your bike a fair bit on the way up!)
The bridleways on Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) are:
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- The Llanberis Path
- The Snowdon Ranger Path
The Llanberis Path is the most popular path for bikers – as it is for walkers – and the above two routes are often combined in the Llanberis – Ranger – Maesgwm round, which uses the Maesgwm valley path to return to Llanberis.
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- The Miners’ Track (ONLY as far as the old crushing mill by Llyn Llydaw, i.e. 2 miles)
- The Rhyd Ddu Path (although the upper part is not at all suitable for bikes)
As for how long it takes, elite riders can bike up from Llanberis in about an hour; however, the average rider is more likely to need a good couple of hours – you won’t be going at much more than walking pace. A fit rider can accomplish the return trip in 3-4 hours.
Note that, by law, pedestrians have priority on any bridleways, so cyclists must give way to walkers at all times (as prescribed by Sect. 30 of the Countryside Act 1968).
Restrictions 1 May – 30 September
Biking on crowded paths is no fun for anyone, and due to the busyness of the paths, the Snowdon Voluntary Cycling Agreement was set up many years ago between the mountain authorities and cycling organisations, whereby the paths are not available to cyclists between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. between 1st May and the 30th September.
However, during this period you may use the lower section of the Snowdon Ranger Path via Maesgwm to Llanberis, and also the lower Rhyd Ddu Path up to Pen ar Lôn.
You can read more about these restrictions on the S.N.P.A. website, and cyclinguk.org has more information about what you need to know about Snowdon on their website.
Signs – some more informative than this – are displayed at the bottom of all Snowdon’s bridleways.