North Wales tour

[calibanzwei]

Afternoon all,
I'm in the embryonic stages of planning a North Wales tour - coming from Warrington in the North West, the idea is to head to Chester/Wrexham and head into the setting sun until we hit Porthmadog/Pwllheli and then follow the NCN routes 8 and 5 back to Warrington...
...the latter half is the easy bit, but I need some advise on the run through the mountains to the coast - I'm guessing all the A-roads will be fairly hairy (non-driver here), but don't have any experience on them - any ideas?

Cheers all

EDIT: This is v1.0 - http://ridewithgps.com/routes/574030

 

[Zoof]

Afternoon all,
I'm in the embryonic stages of planning a North Wales tour - coming from Warrington in the North West, the idea is to head to Chester/Wrexham and head into the setting sun until we hit Porthmadog/Pwllheli and then follow the NCN routes 8 and 5 back to Warrington...
...the latter half is the easy bit, but I need some advise on the run through the mountains to the coast - I'm guessing all the A-roads will be fairly hairy (non-driver here), but don't have any experience on them - any ideas?

Cheers all

EDIT: This is v1.0 - http://ridewithgps.com/routes/574030

Hi calibanzwei you are fine to Chester; for better ride try the B5130 to the cafe at Holt.
Then A528 A539 to Ruabon
The A5 is busy: so at Ilangollen I take the old steam train to Carrog this cuts out two big hills;
then the old coach road the B5437
I then take the A494 to Bala and Dolgellau just my preference
and then up the coast road (light traffic)

You have to go to Aberdaron you can't miss that out.
Up the coast to Banger then R5 (north Wales) back to Chester.
If you need more info just ask

 

[calibanzwei]

Zoof, that's great - I wouldn't mind at least having a go at the hills (my bro should be heading through the Alps in 2-3 weeks time, this is my version ), and so will take the A542 north out of Ilangollen.

So from your directions I've made - http://ridewithgps.com/routes/576203

 

[Zoof]

Zoof, that's great - I wouldn't mind at least having a go at the hills (my bro should be heading through the Alps in 2-3 weeks time, this is my version ), and so will take the A542 north out of Ilangollen.

So from your directions I've made - http://ridewithgps.com/routes/576203

Good tour: got me Jealous now

Yes if you like hills, you and Wales will get on just fine.
I'm am assuming that you are on a road bike!

Lookout out for bad weather in the mountains before Caenafon.
And as you join the A487 if it's wet it's slippery so use the run-of-road, (like I had too)
The A55 Bangor to Conwy is a Motorway except in name only!
So use Route 5 (that goes alongside it and over it in parts) £22m spent on steel.
There’s a sign up now that says “No leisure cyclists” just intrepid travellers.
Use google street view, you can see the steel in all it's glory at the tunnels. http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&amp;tab=wl<br>

If you are camping let me know where; and I can tell you the doggy sites?

 

[calibanzwei]

The A55 Bangor to Conwy is a Motorway except in name only!
So use Route 5 (that goes alongside it and over it in parts) £22m spent on steel.

If you are camping let me know where; and I can tell you the doggy sites?

Yeah, been warned away from the A55 - NCN5 is pretty much parallel to it and the website doesn't recognise anything other than roads
I will be camping - was that dodgy sites or dogging sites? haha