Anthony Hunt’s excellent article (Riding High) on the growth of cycling in Wales, made special reference to south east region; in doing so he has inspired me to consider the state of the sport in my corner of the country. Over the past month or so during my staycation I have pedalled well over 1000 kilometres exclusively in Flintshire and Denbighshire; it has been little short of paradise.
On any given Friday during the summer months stand near the A55 and you will see hundreds of bicycles heading into Wales. All are mounted on motor cars destined, I imagine, for Snowdonia, Anglesey, or the Lleyn. They rarely stop in north east Wales, yet if they did they would discover a cycling paradise.
Apart from the A55 itself, and one or two busy trunk roads, there are hundreds of miles of quiet lanes to explore, with some challenging hill climbs. Cycle clubs from Merseyside and beyond certainly know the delights of cycling in this region as hundreds of wheelers head this way each Sunday. Indeed the annual Wild Wales cycle challenge organised by the Merseyside branch of the Cycle Touring Club draws hundreds of cyclists to Bala during the August Bank Holiday weekend.
There has been significant investment in cycling across the region. The coastal cycle path is well-advanced linking Chester via the Dee cycle track to the north Wales coastal towns. In Rhyl earlier this summer I witnessed the opening of the Marsh Tracks outdoor road cycling track. It is a 1.3km circuit that hosts numerous races for riders of all ages (http://www.marshtracks.co.uk/). In addition there is a high quality BMX track. All of this makes a fine memorial to those Rhyl riders that died in 2006 when Britain’s worst cycling accident took place only a mile or so from the newly built track.
Mountain biking is also well-catered for in north east Wales. The jewel in the crown for the fat tyre brigade is the Llandegla mountain bike centre (http://www.oneplanetadventure.com/). It has a number of graded tracks culminating in the feared black route; it is an extremely popular facility, and not just because the café at Llandegla makes world class bacon sandwiches. Away from Llandegla there are numerous mountain biking opportunities on the Clwydian hills; these are best covered in http://www.ridetheclwyds.com/ .
The investments made in cycling infra-structure are wholly welcome and reflects the ‘explosion’ in cycling that Anthony Hunt referred to in his article. However for me part of the joy gained from cycling is getting away from designated paths, planning my own routes, and appreciating the diversity of my home patch. In short, the freedom the ride wherever I wish.
I will describe a ride that encompasses the best the region has to offer the road cyclist. The ride starts and ends in my home town of Caerwys and includes three challenging hill climbs; it covers some 80 kilometres on relatively quiet roads. From Caerwys the rider navigates the narrow lanes through Babell and Lixwm, before crossing the A541 to Nannerch. It is from here that the first major hill climb begins: the road crosses the Clwydians from Nannerch to Llangwyfan. Cyclists from across the region and even north west England know the climb as ‘London Bridge’; I have never been able to find out why it is called this name. The climb from this direction is the easy way and the rider is soon recovers from the exertions of ‘London Bridge’ and is spinning along the Vale of Clwyd heading east towards Ruthin. The Vale of Clwyd with miles of quiet lanes and gently undulating terrain is perfect cycling country. After Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd a short section of the Mold to Ruthin road is required before re-joining the lanes towards Graigfachen and the next major hill climb. This, for me, is the most climb difficult on the ride. The climb is known as The Shelf. The name fits the hill: some steep sections then short plateaus to recover before changing down to the lowest gear on the bike for another lung busting ascent. Once the Shelf has been conquered the ride crosses the Llandegla moors descending through various lanes to the east of Nercwys to the town of Mold, the only urban part of the ride. Cake and coffee is plentiful in Mold. Once refreshed, the careful cyclist should avoid the Mold to Denbigh A541 road and instead plan the final leg of the ride over the Halkyn mountains and one more challenging hill climb. Leaving Mold, head towards Theatr Clwyd and through the village of Sychdyn and on to Northop. At the lights in Northop turn left on the old A55 passing the horticultural college and soon turn left onto Middle Mill Road. So begins the final climb of the ride, and this is my favourite. The foot of the climb is in pastoral Flintshire, but the top brings the rider onto mountain terrain scarred by centuries of lead mining. The remainder of this cycling odyssey is across the Halkyn hills down towards Brynford and the Franciscan friary at Pantasaph, before the easy last two or three miles back to Caerwys.
This description is not meant to be a detailed guide to a cycle ride, but rather an illustration of the type of cycling available to anyone wishing to explore this corner of our nation. A characteristic of this area is the way the scenery changes itself within only a few miles: the up-land farming of the Clwydian mountain range, the rich pastoral scenes of the Vale of Clwyd, the moorlands around Llandegla, and industrial heritage of the Halkyn mountains. The same diversity is true in cultural terms, with the southern section of the ride passing through still Welsh speaking communities, whereas the northern loop touches upon the anglicised settlements which geographically and culturally look towards the great city of Liverpool. The joy for me is that all of this can best be appreciated on the bicycle.
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