19th September 2024: Amlwch Special Ride (mod)

Having walked, run and cycled on Anglesey/Ynys Mon for about 30 years; I have always enjoyed visiting Amlwch because of its history and culture, it was an easy choice of where to go for our Special Ride (Steve Hughes advised he has family associated with the town). 

The island has many interesting places to visit, but it’s finding the right combination of car parking, café stops, lunch venue, not to arduous cycle routes with plenty of long distant views and ‘lightish’ traffic.

The routes I planned for the ride were a combination of parts of regular routes I use when I visit the island. The only unknown was the weather and we were fortunate of having a dry sunny day.

Of the 15 members who turned out and started together, there were five for the Mods ride. Andy Barber, Mike Dodds, George Walker, Dave Heath and myself. We took it steady and some enjoyed the blackberries that were plentiful. On the way out, we visited Parys Mountain to observe the results of the copper ore extraction and George advised that some was processed at Holywell. 

Photos by Mike G

The Amlwch harbour followed before going for lunch at the Dinorben Arms Hotel. They treated us very well and the food was excellent. There, Dave Heath was feeling unwell so he decided to give the afternoon a miss. Steve Tan sorted the transport home. Dave later advised that the Hotel made him very welcome and looked after his needs. 

The remaining four of us set of just after 2:00pm passing an unusual church in Amlwch, ‘Our Lady Star of the Sea and St Winefride’ in the style of an upturned boat, a Grade II listed reinforced concrete structure built in the 1930’s designed by Giuseppe Rinvolucri. As we climbed and went west the wind was in our favour. It was being noted that the road surfaces were generally of good quality and very little traffic.

After Llangaffo we visited Bodowyr, a Neolithic burial chamber with long distant views to be had across to the Eryri mountains. Slight wind against going towards Llanfair PG but we arrived safely just after 4:30 pm with the Briskers and Mods+ having gone.

My thanks go to Dave Heath for the advice and support he gave me and those of you who turned out, making my efforts worthwhile.

See route map and/or gpx file download

Mike Gilbert

    

19th September 2024 : Amlwch Special Ride ( Brisk )

What can one say! Steve Hu has said it all in his blog for this excellent ride around the “hinterland” of the Breadbasket of Wales but I’ll try to add little brisk colour to the ride experience

The weather was near perfect - wind on the nose on the way out and almost at the rear on the way back. The Famous Five consisting of Ivan, Nick, Ken, John M and myself set off with all the other riders, in a magnificent display of herding Welsh sheep up the main 20mph drag and then off sharply left into the interior of this lovely island.

It took a while for the brisk group to fully form and charge ahead on bascially the same route out as the Mods but with an added loop before rejoining the common routing at Pentraeth. We then rode several "Grand Old Duke of York” sections of ups and downs before peaking at Parys Mountain. I’ve often seen this from the sea but hadn’t appreciated its colour and extensive workings from the landward side. 

Swooping down from its 417ft summit, we head for the coast before a diversion into the port area of Amlwch. From the sea side, its entrance looks very forbidding but it was good to see quite a few fishing boats bobbing at anchor in the inner port.

The Dinorben Arms was very grand - not sure that we should have taken our shoes off - yet the welcome was warm and the plates of food enormous! John M was trialling his eco-powered Super Specialized road bike, and I for one was jealous of John effortlessly powering up those hills on the 31 mile rollercoaster back to Llanfair PG. So we set off again on a similar and longer but more westerly route than the Mods, and not quite so hilly route to base arriving about 1500.

So a big thank you to Mike G for planning this outing and organising the weather to behave itself. Thankfully there were no incidents or accidents, and even the A55 ran freely back to Chester.

See route map and/or gpx file download

CA

Photos CA and JM

19th September 2024: Amlwch Special Ride (mod+)

World traveller Orienteer’er and Civil Engineer extraordinaire Mike G could not have been happier when fifteen cheerful CER hopefuls turned up for this Mike’s second organised ride of 2024. The crew descended on the Edinburgh Woollen Mill complex where coffees and breakfasts were enjoyed. It was great to welcome Mel, Kevin’s partner for the ride. 

As many of our avid readers to this blog (like me) know little of the roads of Yns Mon I will skip the blow blow by blow road directions, trusting the attached gpx file show the route. With fifteen riders we had enough for three and arguably as you will see later four groups. Mel, Steve T, Kevin, Alan and Steve H formed the mod+ group. Anglesey is probably more notorious for its sandy beaches and secluded coves, however the roads that circumnavigate the east are very busy A roads. Thus Mike had devised a route to travel down the spine of the island on lovely quiet roads. 

These quiet roads had a surprise in that the profile resulted in an elevation gain of 2800 feet over just 47 miles. This was delivered by lots of short sharp climbs. On one of these climbs Steve T’s chain became detached, resulting in the mod+ group stretching out. At this time fast lads were also just overhauling us at warp speed.  Kevin hadn’t released there were two routes and took Mel on a peloton chasing exercise to tag onto the tail of the fast group. Later they would make their own way to the lunch stop hence four groups on the road. 

Mike’s route took us high up to Parys mountain and the swooped us into Amlwch. A quick navigation error by the writer was quickly negated by years of holidaying on Anglesey and coupled with cries of “I know where I'm going” led us the wrong way up a one way system and up to the Dinorben Arms. 

The staff of the pub were lovely and soon settled us in with refreshments for all fifteen riders as they came in in disparate groups. It was clear our erstwhile secretary Dave H had “peaked” too early on the climbs and wanted an extended stay in the pub to recuperate. His man Steve T volunteered to bring his chariot “ Berlingo Passion edition” to the pub. 

Thus the return leg resolved to four groups, Alan and Steve T direct to LLanfair Pg, Mel Kevin and myself on Mike's original route, plus the now “rowdy fast lads” having furnished themselves of “guru Cymraeg”. Lastly the mods, who were still awaiting their food when we left!

The route home involved less climbing and crossed the magnificent plain of Anglesey. Of particular note was a mile long Roman Road which then crossed the River Cefni which Mel correctly spotted had been canalised in 1824 and so looks like a wide canal running east to west and is apparently home to a variety of wetland birds and a RSPB reserve. 

Arriving back at LLanfair Pg the fast lads were just leaving and we reflected that between our five rider group , we had four different mileages, as diversions and differing routes had taken their toll. 

So on a day blessed by Welsh Sunshine we have to thank Mike G for a grand day out, and trust our secretary Dave recovers quickly for next week's ride. 

See route map and/or gpx file download

Steve Hu