A ride across Cheshire and along the North Wales coast to Holyhead and back. This has to be my favourite Audax ride, with optional climbs of Halkyn Mountain and Sychnant Pass, counting towards the Peak Audax SR series.
A change for 2025 will be that parking at Poynton will be Pay and Display, although we won't know how much this will cost until nearer the time. We've used this car park for many years without any incidents, so we can hardly begrudge Cheshire East a contribution to their budgets.
We use some good quality cyclepaths. The Chester Greenway is traffic-free all the way from Mickle Trafford to Connah's Quay. Then we use the coastal path from Pensarn to Colwyn Bay via Rhyl again a surface suitable for making good Audax progress, but you will need to watch out for sand and gravel, as well as tourist and their children. Unbelievably the steepest climbs of the whole ride are encountered on this cycle path!
The route is mainly flat (for Wales), or at least it doesn't attract AAA points. On the way out, there are two small optional climbs of Halkyn Mountain after Flint, and of Sychnant Pass after Conwy. You will be well rewarded with fine views and the corresponding descent, but if you feel it neccessary to conserve your energy, the route sheet offers a coastal alternatives.
One of the cycling bridges at Pen-y-clip
(photo: Roy Spilsbury, CTC Cymru)
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Some serious flirting with the A55 takes place but it's possible to get all the way to Bangor without using the high speed dual carriageway, thanks to the 21st century cyclists bridges and Telford's 19th century road at Pen-y-ClipClip.
Bridges are a particular theme of this ride. You will encounter the Hartford Blue Bridge over the Weaver Navigation, while the Chester Greenway uses a fantastic new cyclists' bridge at Queensferry, as well as the shared railway bridge over the Dee at Hawarden. Special cyclists' facilities are in place near Saint Asaph and either side of the Pen-y-clip tunnels. And of course, you get to cycle over the historical significant bridges to Anglesey, first Stevenson's Britannia Bridge then Telford's Menai Bridge. Bringing you right up to date, you will encounter Dragon Bridge over the Clwyd at Rhyl and the cable-stayed Flintshire Bridge which is spectacular at night.
Keep right on the Abergwngregin cyclepath
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McDonalds in Abergele is still not open through the night, so you'll have to rely on a string of 24-hour petrol stations with their coffee machines to get you back to England and Chester M56 services.
An audaxer's bike outside a Welsh railway station
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The Church Hall at Poynton will be open at the finish from 2am until midday, so you'll have a chance for a rest before heading back home after your ride.
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