Destination: Mach Trails, Machynlleth, Wales
I’ve a real soft spot for Machynlleth as it provided much-needed hot showers and a launderette during the 2008 TransWales ‘rain-fest’. The riding is cross-country in the purist sense of the word so pack your climbing legs and enjoy.
How to get there
From south Wales and south-west England take the M4 to end (near Swansea), A48 to Carmarthen, A484 to Cardigan and A487 to Aberystwyth and Machynlleth. Alternatively take the A470 from Cardiff to Cemaes Road and then the A489 to
Machynlleth.
From the Midlands and north England take the M54 to end (near Shrewsbury), A458 to Dinas
Mawddwy then A470 to Cemaes Road and A489 to Machynlleth.
Sat Nav: SY20 8EB
Facilities
The trails all start and finish in Machynlleth where there is everything a cold, wet, tired, thirsty and hungry mountain biker could want.
Trails
Simply named Mach 1, 2 and 3, they’re graded blue, red and black respectively. The grading doesn’t really reflect technical difficulty but more-so distance and climbing. That said, the infamous ‘Chute’ on Mach 3 is a bit of slatey fun. Most of the riding is bridleways, forest roads, quiet lanes and grassy flanks and all the routes really give you a sense of getting out into the wilds.
Nearest bike shop
The Holey Trail, Machynlleth www.theholeytrail.co.uk
Other info
Although the routes are way-marked, you’ll need either a map, GPS or a local to successfully find your way round. Maps are available for £3 from the Holey Trail and GPX files are available to download on the Dyfi Valley Mountain Biking website.
Useful links
Location Map:
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