[Closed] Coed Y Brenin

We did cyb last year and despite some unfavourable advice about it, we did the beast trail and thought it was great.
There is a bit of a fire road loop that adds only distance and no fun that can be missed, making it a good run.
Easy ups, fire road and smooth path, with good descents and singketrack.
Recommended.
Better than llandegla IMO

I Drive straight past Llandegla to get to CYB, I hate the Place,

The old Red Bull trail was pretty dull the last time i rode it, That was in Autumn 2014 though and i'm not sure but i think it's been re worked this year, First rode it in 2001 i think? the last bit is still the best for me, The rocky descent just before on the slabs is still fun, As i rode it i remembered thinking how slow and stuttery it was on my old GT hard tail. If it's as was i'd leave it, even for Old Times sake it's not worth it.

We usually go for Weekends, Start off with the Beast including the dreaded fire road loop after the Cafe.
2nd day Minotaur nice and early before the kids get on it so you can go a bit faster and warm up followed by MBR.
3rd day Penmachno, or as was the other year The old red bull. or a mixture of both Beast & MBR.

It's just better, Except the Cafe, Thats not better than Llandegla anymore BUT it used to be when it was the other side of the road.

Why do the MBR day after the beast? Did it all the day before?

I really enjoy Tarw Du. Its pretty rocky. Bit wild. Bit old school. Kinda like a rockier Penmachno. Last time I did it it was super sunny and saw LOTS of deer. Was great.

Weather is meant to be pretty sweet this weekend. Trails should be dry.

Penmachno has had a load of work done recently from the local guys (thanks!) so running well at the moment.

I really like Tarw. I've usually got the hardtail for a wales trip and it just seems to work really well together, love the rocks. And it's got a lovely worn in feel to it. I'd usually do the Beast if I had time, it's just a lovely day out but they're all good really. People get hung up on distance travelled/effort expended and I get that they're not the best "value" in those terms so if that's something that bugs you, maybe bear it in mind. I like it as an absolute rather than relative to the amount of pedalling, if that makes sense?

Oh, go and play in the skills area, it's sort of barking mad 😆 "What are we going to do with all these rocks?" And the very start and finish of the beast make a good little loop, I do love that last bit.

(possibly controversial) I think the first loop of the blue is also worth doing, if you want to add a bit of extra riding. But the rest is kind of shit.

Chris, we usually ride in a group of 4, 5 or 6, and as none of us can agree on which one we always do both as it pacifies all sides, the main reason I want to do it the second day is because I enjoy it so much and get to ride some of the good bits again,

It's a bit like riding in the Alps, when we get we talk about the bits we enjoyed and try and get the good runs in again the day after as a bit of a loosener, a bit like Poundstretcher we ride that 6 times out of 12 days last year, just trying to hit the lines that some one put on the rocks, 😯

The tarw trail is too much fire road climbing for my liking, and then a bit of fire road descending, the bits that are supposed to be the best or worth riding have too much of a man made feel to them and not in a good way in a kind of would have been better left alone way, if I rode it on a hard tail the. I would probably enjoy it just like I did years ago but for the amount of slog it's just a bit dull.

hmm I think its as I possibly remember it then.

Am taking a 160mm Jekyll to spend a bit of time suspension tinkering and a mate is on a Transition Patrol so well over biked for a bit of fire descending.

Not into long 'epics' more of an extended bmx track style trail.
I think we'll go 'degla.

Good luck, I rode degla in the half term last October, after the long boring climb I had some absolute muppet with his wife and kids bollocking me and telling me to slow down on the red first descent towards a wooden gate, some bloke on a fat bike riding up a boardwalk I still don't know if I should have been riding down it or up it and then the same family were pushing their bikes along a Swoopy bit and all I could do to not crash into them was bail out,

We had a good week there last year. We rode most trails then linked the best bits together on the last day. Rigid, hardtail, SS. My hands hurt.......but v impressive and the shop were brill when my brakes fell to bits, unbent my disc, so I could keep riding and would only take money for a few bolts, nice guys.....

For me, the best single day of riding at CyB is MBR, then Tarw Du, then Temptiwr if I feel like it (just because I love the Dream Time section of it). I find this combination to be a good selection of standard trail-centre fodder, smoother jumpier stuff, and more natural techy stuff.

Wouldn't have thought Llandegla was the best place for suspension tinkering - there's hardly any bumps!

Xyeti, last time I went to llandegla there we quite a few diversions and that switchback bit through the trees was running in reverse, as a climb that led to a section of Boardwalk. It's not brilliantly signed so that could have been the cause of the coming together?
As for the long climb, that's a matter of preference, I see it as a nice steady warm up and way to gain height. After that one, the remainder of the trail is good.

I thought the same thing about Llandegla but didn't say anything in case there was a BMX section that i'd missed, I'd have thought some of the droppy bits at CYB and dropping into false teeth and then out and down would be a nice spot to session with fettling suspension, trying to set up a 160mm trail bike on a BMX track, you will be round that all day.

Rockhopper, there were a few diversions, it was really foggy so didn't get the best from the climb from a viewpoint perspective, the whole route was badly signposted, it didn't help that there had been a race there on the Sun and as it was a Mon the signs for the race were still up so I think some me included were following this?

I'd take cyb over llandegla any day. Don't get me wrong, I like deggla and have ridden it many times, but there's just more to do at cyb and the trails are more interesting

If you want something of a similar length to deggla, do the mbr or dragons back trails (mbr would be my preference) Ignore the old red bull trail as it feels very old & dull these days

Ignore the old red bull trail as it feels very old & dull these days

really? was there only a few weeks ago, and the Red Bull bits were as ace as I remember them being, had a blast!

I'd take CYB over 'Degla too.

I don'd mind 'Degla and prefer it on my hardtail these days. The black has some pretty good sections to it but it shoots it's load way to fast and the red just seems like a slog back to the car park. I think I'm the only person who hates B Line too.

CYB is brill - I tend to ride the Beast (cutting out the fire road loop after the second cafe). The early rocky sections are fun too. It seems to hold up well in the wet too (aside from False Teeth).

by bmx style trail I meant pumping/jumping, pinball rock gardens, fast bermy, downhill stuff ie fun. I think of 'degla as a giant bmx track!

I dont want to be slogging away for hours on boring featureless 30km+ 'xc' trails. Head down, arse up watching a heart rate monitor style riding.

Do the Beast first and the Tarw as an encore, then you won't mind the fire road downhill so much.

Worth riding it anyway IMO.

its got to be CYB. the MBR is my favourite trail centre trail.

If I had a day there I'd probably do MBR plus the adams family bits tagged on and then cross over road and do Tarw Du; I love rocky horror show as its really fast singletrack and you can session snap, crackle and pop over and over if you want as its no effort to climb to the top of that section.

by bmx style trail I meant pumping/jumping, pinball rock gardens, fast bermy, downhill stuff ie fun. I think of 'degla as a giant bmx track!

Really? There are pretty much no rocks that I can remember at 'Degla other than two small sections at the start of one black section. There are quite a few jumpy bits bit once you're past B Line it just feels like a slog on some horrid climbs on the red with some passable flat bits.

Couldn't agree more with above post about Llandegla. Which is why I'm going to CYB on Saturday after riding Nant Yr Arian and ClimachX tomorrow.

You could set up your suspension on the new 'Foundry' section next to the car park, which is basically a load of drops/berms/rocks to play on and repeat, some easy, some a little harder. You've also got sections like Glide right next to the parking which can help you set up for rockier/rootier bits.

Then enjoy MBR flat out, with the Addam's family stuff added in if you've got the legs to ride up to the start of it.

Painey, im extremely jealous

CYB all day long - They're both a similar distance from me, CYB I ride monthly,but I haven't ridden Degla for over a year & have no plans to in the future..

I know most people go for the Beast as it's the longest trail, but MBR & Tarw Du are a better combo for similar mileage IMO... For a full on proper day of riding,then Beast(full loop), Tarw & finish with MBR, makes for a good solid few hours of riding..

Coed y Brenin would be my choice too if I was making a trip of it and had to choose.

I'm local to Llandegla (25 min drive or 1 hour 1500ft back-road ride with a longer fully off-road option) but CyB (1 hour drive) is my favourite TC. I think some of the Degla comments are a bit harsh. It does attract a lot of beginner riders who, like I was a few years ago are hopefully using it to get fitter, take some skills courses and get into the sport which can only be a good thing long term.

Like anywhere the fitter you are the better it is. Llandegla is definitely more fun than some of you are making out. I think the fact that the 3 mile climb is the only fire road section and once that sub 20 minutes climb is done the rest is pretty decent track (the Black) and if you can jump or want to learn to it's certainly got it's fair share of take-offs. I don't know how they could get rid of the punchy climbs later in the lap because the downs go so deep into the woods but they're more interesting climbs than fire road.

I love CyB but it's main problem is that you get dumped onto brain numbingly boring fire roads that even go downhill (a big no no in my book) as soon as you get your flow going until you find the shortcuts (non of which are signposted). I have, with some trial and error, made a route with MBR, Adams Family and Tarw Du with only mandatory climbs and one unavoidable fire road slog from Snap, Crackle, Pop to Rocky Horror but apart from that it's a cracking ride. Finish it off with a loop of the Blue if you've got anything left.

I can't think of anything more boring than following the endless fire roads and even tarmac sections up and down on the Beast at CyB.

I'll take Penmachno loop 2 any day over the CyB Beast.

Ignore the old red bull trail as it feels very old & dull these days
really? was there only a few weeks ago, and the Red Bull bits were as ace as I remember them being, had a blast!

I guess it's horses for courses, but the last time I did it (a be it a couple of years ago) it just felt like a big fire road loop with short single track sections off it. iirc some of the decent is on firer road as well - why would you do that!!

Personally, I definitely wouldn't choose it above the other trails cyb has to offer

I'll take Penmachno loop 2 any day over the CyB Beast.

God no. I hated that place when I went last summer.

I cut the top loop off the Beast and go straight up the road to the start of Adams famil. That bit does indeed suck. I do t particularly like fire road climbs but there are some really good sections where it redeems itself in my opinion. Some of the sections are good at 'Degla too but after B Line, there's nowt to look forward to.

Xyeti, last time I went to llandegla there we quite a few diversions and that switchback bit through the trees was running in reverse, as a climb that led to a section of Boardwalk

seemed to be the case last time we were there, a diverted climb that looked and felt from all the ruts like a descent, that brought you out onto boardwalk on a relatively recently cleared area, that could also have dropped you onto a section of black that was closed?

God no. I hated that place when I went last summer.

I rode Loop 2 for the first time last summer after having raced on Loop 1 the previous November and had an absolutely brilliant ride. Singletrack heaven for miles. Loved it. Once I'd done Loop 2 I was warmed up and ready to hit the last two Enduro Stages I'd raced on Loop 1... superb place.

I cut the top loop off the Beast and go straight up the road to the start of Adams famil. That bit does indeed suck.

I used to do that steep road shortcut but my latest goes from MBR to Adams Family and pops out at the top of that road. I think Adams Family is one of the very best TC descents and I look forward to it every time I can get to CyB.

Some of the sections are good at 'Degla too but after B Line, there's nowt to look forward to.

Final Assault is a good finish section - those three table jumps and then two very quick final descents are good fun. I suspect boardwark to bombhole + cardiac climb finishes people off and they have nowt left for Final Assault. At least it's all better than fire roads and tarmac though.

I'm just really grateful there are so many varied places that appeal to all different styles and abilities of riders and that's without including going on adventures and exploring a mountain. I love mixing it up and I'm as happy to ride a Blue or Black trail at a TC as I am including a DH run at Llangollen and a stretch of canal towpath in my rides. Trail Centres are good for fun and real mountain rides can be just as amazing but you have to work harder to get to the fun.

Being on two wheels out in the fresh air. Can't wait for the weekend now.