Coed y Brenin weekend blues

Cyflym coch is also nice and flowy without a lot of tech.

The addams family stuff is quite rocky and the stuff up around cain and able is more techy.

The section called Pink heifer is great fun,  and big doug but that needs a road ride to get back if you are not carrying on round the trail

Coed y Benin... any sections of the red trails ... and not technical

All of them

Coed y Benin... any sections of the red trails that are flowy

Not so much

Been a long while since I've been to be fair, seem to recall the Adams family ones being quite flowy but the only techy bit of the whole [official route] was ducking under the road on the end of the loop. Black wasn't much different in terms of tech/flow just more exposure and further out.

The (then) new blue was nice and flowy mind.

The only real features on the reds at CYB that required care, particularly when damp, are the rooty bit under the bridge at the end, and the little slippery stream crossing on Pink Heifer and maybe the top of Lurch if you're a bit tentative?

Cyfylm Coch would be a good idea, but do the first section of Minotawr to miss out Pinderosa at the start, and go straight into Dreamtime?

There's nothing too taxing on any of it, if you don't fancy a section, just get off and walk it, but I'm sure you'll be fine.

The only real features on the reds at CYB that required care, particularly when damp, are the rooty bit under the bridge at the end, and the little slippery stream crossing on Pink Heifer and maybe the top of Lurch if you’re a bit tentative?

While I agree with that wholeheartedly from what I'm reading in the OP's post he might be feel differently.

Cyflym Coch is definitely the easy red as others have said and @martinhutch advice re skipping a bit of Pinderosa is a good call if you (OP) find it a bit intimidating.

I put some comments on another CYB thread about making a big red loop missing some dreary bits).  I've done that with my kids (11 and 13 at the time).

First time I ever went (20 odd years ago) I walked odd bits but it's still better to walk the odd little bit to enjoy some of the other flowy bits.

Personally, i'd probably avoid taking somebody who's not technically competent on just about everything bar the Minotaur at CYB. It's very easy to misjudge people's capabilities and send them way out of their depth just because we look at sections as being easy. While each route has some relatively easy sections, you'd be hard pressed to link them without using sections that would be viewed as difficult, maybe even lethal by somebody without the technical competence that we take for granted.

Agree with @coatesy.

Cyflym Coch starts off harder (they have qualifier sections early on) so if you can get through the beginning couple of sections there's nothing that'll kill you 🙂

was wondering what the parking is like at the weekend, is there normally space there or should I forget about weekends and take a day off in the week instead?

Last few times I've been it's been very quite.

Too quiet

<p style="text-align: left;">We were there May BH weekend and it was quiet on the trails and loads of space in the carpark.</p>
I rode Minortaur with my kids and nieces and nephews, then Cyflym Coch. TBH I found CC a bit boring. Nothing memorably technical or interesting. We went to Llandegla on the Monday and rode the Red, and that was a bit underwhelming too. It just seemed like a rough trundle, with nothing stimulating either. I fear my local riding is spoiling me...

Thanks for the advice everyone.  I'm only really starting out so my skills are pretty poor, I'll get  the blue trail  done and then might give the Cyflym Coch trail a go if I can see where to join it after missing the first climb 🙂  Glad to hear it's not too busy there,  really looking forward to trying some new trails.

Cyflym Coch trail a go if I can see where to join it after missing the first climb 🙂 Glad to hear it’s not too busy there, really looking forward to trying some new trails.

Dead easy to find. The trail maps are online so print one off for the Minortaur and Cyflym Coch and you should be able to match up the marker post numbers.

If you do do Cyflym Coch towards the end rejoin the Minortaur for "Heroes Return" the Singletrack back to the visitor centre is so much more pleasant than the fire road and less steep for the sake of a couple of hairpins.

 I’m only really starting out so my skills are pretty poor

Both those trails are pretty much rollable (no jumping required).  Cyflym Coch is generally a bit rougher and steeper in places. It also has a stream crossing on Pink Heifer that I would say is one of the most awkward bits (just the approach angle and dip in/out) but you could easily jump off and push that few feet of trail.   That is about 55 seconds into this randomly selected from You Tube video of that trail section which (ignore the pace) would give you an idea of surface.

<p style="text-align: left;">If you do go watching videos just remember that most people who post them have some practice/speed and it's not necessary to go that quick. My PB on that section (per Strava) is about 9 minutes Vs 6 on the video.</p>

I’m only really starting out so my skills are pretty poor, I’ll get the blue trail done and then might give the Cyflym Coch trail a go if I can see where to join it after missing the first climb

There is also a separate skills area with tiny loops and rollable features that give you an idea what to expect out on the graded trails.

Yeah, cyb's skills area is maybe the best I've ever seen.

I went to Coed y Brenin yesterday, got to say I really enjoyed it. I did the blue trails a couple of times and finished off a a lap of Cyflym Coch (I skipped the first climb though). Cyflym Coch was good and although more technical than I'm used to managed it fine. The pink heifer section has closed though so looking forward to it opening again and going back there to do the full loop.

Thanks for the advice everyone 🙂