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iv rode Cwmcarn more times than i can count done afan a few times and also Nant Yr Arian.
im thinking about popping out one weekend soon, so which centre is the best and why??
Brechfa or Afan but probably Brechfa
A few mates have said Coed y Brenin is one of the best they've done. The Marin is also very good, although there's a lot of fire road on it.
I ride Brechfa most of the time and prefer it to Afan.
Cwmcarn is great but limited trail choice. Nant is great, very quiet with a great cafe.
I rode Coed y Brenin for the first time in ages last week and I was quite impressed, really enjoyed the trails, nice variety and very weather proof.
Not ridden Climachx or Marin trail for ages, but I remember them both being good.
Brechfa or Penmachno on a good day for me.
On a slight hijack, does anyone know if all the funding that has paid for these brilliant trail centres in continuing, spreading to England (ha!) or going to dry up completely? I suspect it may be the latter 🙁
I'd probably say Coedy Brenin for best all round trail centre but Cwm Carn or Climax X for best downhill sections.
I really like Nant Yr Arian for the wilderness feel but its a bit out the way and cafe not as good as others.
Afan has a decent cafe, shame about the boring trails.
Nant Yr Arian has great trails and a stunning location, the DH boys love Brechfa (and it has good beginner trails too), but for my money Afan is brilliant, four cracking trails to suit all tastes and the best cafe and bike shop combo in Wales. There's also a new-ish 4X course (separate to the main trails and privately run).
Assuming Penhydd reopens one day - Afan is hard to beat. If you've got the legs, an all-of-afan ride is a wicked day out!
Mowgli, there are lots of new trails coming to South West England next year thanks to EU funding. After that, I'm not sure.
Yeah, although I was training for my debut 24 solo which I did this year in July...
Actually tell a lie, I always shortened Skyline and did July but it's academic given I've done my 24 solo now.
The Brechfa treble is also nice.
The key to the Afan one is to do it in an order where you have to finish to get back to the car. So Skyline or July, then start W2 from Whites, do Penhydd and then you have to finish W2 from the Wall. Halfway up the Penhydd climb you start to think "**** this" but by that point you've got to finish.
Afan has a decent cafe, shame about the boring trails.
[i]Really[/i]?
W2 at Afan is a brilliant ride, and it gets better the more I do it (and faster I go).
Depends what your after.
For all out wilderness and views then Penmachno, Marin and Nanty would get my vote.
However for a no brains blast, Llandegla.
I will get slated for saying that, by the 'riding gods' on here, but I leave with a smile on my gob every time I go.
You can add loads of extra miles to Cwmcarn and still park at the car park and finish with the downhill. Just have to do a bit of homework or utilise some local knowledge.
Have to agree with Chakaping.
W2 is such good Fun.It's got it all.Really makes you smile... apart from the climb up to windy point when you finish energy.lol
Objectively speaking I think it all depends on what you are looking for, I like Cwn Carn, and Afan, however they are both close to me (Afan 15/20 mins, Cwm Carn 30/40 mins) so easily doable if I only have limited time, that said j do like Afan as I can spend a fair few hours and do a couple of different trails. North Wales wise, Betys Coed is good for the Marin, get there first thing, do that and then Llandegla on the way back, as in my humble opinion the cafe at Llandegla is superb, but then the best Welsh trail centre cafe to me was the original one at Coed y Brenin, before they moved across the road to the new centre. Saying that though, I do also enjoy a post ride pint of Reverand James at Afan Lodge.
Dont know which is the best since I only rode the nothern ones but certainly Coed y Brenin is a good trail centre with long rides through great forests. Marin and Penmachno decent rides with few people on them and llandegla for a blast
Penmachno is the best trail but it's just that, a trail. In terms of centre I'd give afan the nod over CyB (Inc penhydd), just. Penmachno really is, as Alan Partridge would say, first class.
Nant yr Arian for me as it's the least trail centrey trail centre I've visited. Brenin was good up until about 2 years ago but last time I rode it, certain sections (morticia, gomez etc) had been sannitized to the point of now being utterly boring. Great all weather location though IMO.
Really fancy doing brechfa but it's a loong way.
think i might go and do W2, my mate went up north last week and said llandegla was really good
Sticking strictly to trail centres then the Marin trail for me. If we're talking trail centre with a few extra bits then the climach-x + other bits of the dyfi.
I might be a bit biased as I live 2 mins away but my vote goes to Coed y Brenin. I've ridden most welsh trail centres and have all have their plus and minus points.
Coed y brenin went seriously poor when they moved the centre but as soon as they got rid of the plonker trail ranger things improved.
They now have a ranger who actually rides and cares for the trails and knows how to build a decent section.
All the new bits are fantastic. If you haven't been for a while get down there- you'll love it.
Zero intrested in Afan But give LLandegla a go
I decided to take the day off tomorrow, I think W2 will get my vote.
Take the 'centre' out of the equation and one of my fav's is Gorlech Trail - Brechfa.
Step ups, jumps, berms, tabletops and super fast descents. The perfect HT trail.
My fav trail for variety is Cwmcarn Twrch trail.
The best facilities are Afan.
Everywhere we went was good, but it's Coed y Brenin that stuck in my head the most... But then I like rocks.
Yep go with Coed Y Brenin Loved the Abel run even more now they
have cut down the trees, feels more wicked.
No votes for Coed Trallwm......?
Coed Trallwm got dropped from the Real Ale Wobble this year.
Coed Y Brenin or Brechfa. Close to Brechfa you've got Cwm Rhaedr (sp?) too.
Penmachno blew me away
Coed y Brenin was a good crack and well worth the journey
Afan Is always fun
Brechfa on the other hand just didn't do it for me.