Alfs Riding Community
There is so much spectacular cycling terrain on our doorstep, around North Wales and Chester. Alf Jones Cycles has been supporting the local cycling community since 1955 and we’re really excited to see how rapidly the sport is growing today. We also understand that it’s not always obvious how to get involved, especially if you are new to the sport or to the area. That’s why we provide this page, which promotes some great local cycling clubs and shares some info about places for you to ride.
Cycling Clubs
There are several active and friendly local cycling clubs which make up the grass roots heart of the cycling community in the North Wales and Chester area.
Alf Jones Cycles is proud to be affiliated with Marford & Gresford Velo Club and also recommend Wrexham Roads Club and especially the work they do with GoRide.
Marford & Gresford Velo Club
Marford & Gresford Velo Club was formed in 2011 by a small group of like-minded riders looking to organise recreational rides focused on fun, fitness and enjoyment. Nine years on, with an ever-growing membership and bespoke riding kit, the club is going from strength to strength.
MGVC rides usually cover 40 – 50 miles at a reasonable pace with one or two cafe stops. Everyone is welcome to turn up and join the MGVC ride from the shop. Click here for more info
Wrexham Fibrax Roads Club
Wrexham Fibrax Roads Club is an established, friendly club with male and female members of all ages, including novices, recreational riders and experienced racers.
The club runs time trials in the summer, the ‘Mountain Time Trial’ and ‘Horseshoe Pass Hill Climb’ classic open events, and circuit races at the Marsh Tracks facility near Rhyl. Some of the members are also responsible for delivering British Cycling’s local GoRide scheme helping younger riders get into cycling and learn skills and techniques whilst having some fun!
You can find details of the club and Go Ride here on BC’s website HERE
There are also regular club runs, training rides, and other activities for its members. Click here for more info.
Chester Fabulous Ladies Cycling Club
The ‘Fabulous Ladies’ are part of Chester CTC, and organise a ride one Saturday morning per month, typically covering between 12–20 miles at roughly 10–12 mph.
The ladies’ routes usually head to a variety of cafes to partake in cakes, tea and coffee, in good CTC tradition!
All ladies with a bike are welcome – Click here for more info.
Café Hoppers
The Café Hoppers meet every Tuesday and Saturday for relaxed, informal rides in the North Wales / Cheshire area.
The group is closely linked to the Chester & North Wales CTC and welcomes male and female riders of all abilities.
Typical rides include the Horseshoe Pass, the Cheshire plains or the Great Orme in Llandudno. Each ride makes at least one café stop and regroups regularly for riders who may not be as quick as others. Click here for more info.
Where to ride
There are loads of fantastic locations for road cycling, gravel biking and mountain biking right here on our doorstep, in and around North Wales.
A few of the best managed websites and venues are listed below to get you started. Pop in to see us if you’re planning a trip, and feel free to have a chat with any of our staff to get a local rider’s perspective…
Ride North Wales
Ride North Wales website is an excellent source of information for MTB centres in Wales, including Coed y Brenin, Betws y Coed and more. Click here for more info
MountainBikewales
MBWales website is also a great source of information about riding spots, trail centres and bikes parks throughout Wales. Click here for more info
One Planet Adventure
One Planet Adventure runs a great trail centre in Coed Llandegla, only 20 minutes from our shop, offering 44km of graded MTB trails for everyone from Green to Black, plus now fun running trails, an amazing on-site café and shop, plus bike hire. Click here for more info
Gwydir Forest
The 25 km Gwydyr Trail is a proper mountain bike trail in every sense of the term. Big climbs, big descents, brilliant singletrack and truly awesome scenery make this a trail to remember. Most, but not all, of the climbs are on forest roads and tracks giving you time to take in the views of the mountains of Snowdonia, and all of the descents are on the sweetest singletrack.
Coed-y-Brenin
As the UK’s first & largest dedicated mountain bike trail centre, Coed y Brenin not only has miles of exceptional singletrack for experienced and expert riders, but also great family and intermediate trails for all abilities, plus skills areas, onsite cafe and toilet/shower facilities. If you’re not a biker there’s loads of fun running trails, and even a running shop and Salomon test centre.
Foel Gasnach
FDHR is a mountain bike club situated in the forestry of Clocaenog, just outside of the town Ruthin, Denbighshire. Foel Gasnach DH park features 4 grader trails, it is a great venue for Down hill riders of all ages and ability with something to challenge everyone. FDHR is open to Members/Day pass Members only 7 days a week. All tracks are being constantly maintained and tuned, with some exciting developments in the pipeline.
One Giant Leap, Llangollen
One Giant Leap has been created to build and develop tracks that are accessible for all, regardless of ability. All our tracks are challenging but track 3 has been designed for fun for experts and beginners alike.
Dyfi Bike Park
If you know anything about Welsh Worldcup Donwhillers you would have heard of the Atherton family, (and also likely know about Dan’s passion for digging tracks!) and the latest Bike Park addition to arrive in North Wales, Dan Atherton’s 650 acre bike park set in the heart of the Dyfi Forest. Currently offering 4 black-graded “Big Mountain” trails, these really are for expert riders to push themselves and enter into the world of Atherton-level riding.
Revolution Bike Park
Revolution Bike Park is an uplift-assisted bike park nestled in over 120 acres of private woodland. Situated just over the Welsh border in beautiful Llangynog, in the Tanat Valley at the foot of the Berwyn Mountain range. From fast and flowy red trails, rocky and technical black trails to rooty and steep pro lines, you’ll find trails to challenge even the most experienced rider and with one of the most efficient uplifts around, you’ll get as much descent as you can handle in a day. A firm favourite with our guys here at Alfs!
The Marsh Tracks
The Marsh Tracks is a huge cycling facility near Rhyl, with road track, BMX track and MTB pump track. Click for more info
Penmachno MTB Trails
Penmachno MTB Trails feature 30km of rugged, exposed singletrack and forest trails, along with some fast, flowy man-made sections. There is no visitor centre, so remember to carry everything you need with you! Click here for more info
Antur Stiniog
Antur Stiniog is a gravity-oriented uplift-only trail centre in Blaenau Ffestiniog, offering bike hire, super-slick uplift services and an on-site café, shop, showers, bike maintenance and bike wash. Antur ‘Stiniog offers 14 fantastic downhill mtb trails, graded green to black and the best mountain bike uplift service in the UK, some even say in the world! Click here for more info
These guys are also the organisers behind the renowned annual Welsh Enduro Series , which we are proud to support and recommend entering, it’s such a fun race series, super slick organisation, at some incredibly stunning North Wales locations.