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Good morning all
I will be Heading up to North Wales next week for a few days with my five-year-old son.
He is fairly confident on his bike and I’m keen to take him to a trail centre that has a small non-technical section.
Where would be the best place to head?
I think the only one that has trails beyond small skills areas is Coed Y Brenin.
The blue route is good fun at speed for adults, but isn't technical at all.
Could be a little steep in places for a 5 yr old but probably as good as your going to get in the area.
Llandegla has a green family route. Not sure I've ever ridden it, but I think it basically loops round the reservoir without going up the long drag. You have to do that on the blue, which is great if you have a trailer bike.
edit - here you go. Some actual information, rather than stuff I just made up out of my head!
http://www.mbwales.com/listings/llandegla-green/
Coed Y Brenin Minotaur trail is perfect for a 5-year old. It comes in 3 sections and you can cut back to the cafe after each of them if needed, all in it's about 8km. It's all ridable with wheels on the ground and nothing scary; but it's a fun & exciting trail, proper riding. There is a sequence of berms that needs care not to shoot off the top of but you get good sight of it. Save a few Haribos for the final fire road climb back up to the cafe, that's the payback for the rest of it being slightly downhill.
I should have added that I first took my daughter on it when she was almost 5 and on a 16" Isla bike. We took a good 2-3 hours over it, stopped for snacks a lot, looked out for the minotaur sculptures and walked up that last hill on the promise of cake.
I’d second the Minotaur trail at cyb, smooth and fun for a 5 yr old! Did it with my 12 yr old last week and he loved it too...
Fab cyb it is
Cheers all 👍
As above, minortaur.
Degla green is shit.
Coedy is the only one in the UK with a decent trail designed (and maintained so it's suitable) for kids from the many I've been to.
If anyone knows of anything else I'd be interested
it really is just CyB or Llandegla, and CyB is way better.
Neither the Marin or Penmachno are suitable.
anyone knows of anything else I’d be interested
Haldon, near Exeter.
Generally very mediocre but has the undeniablecbenefit of an excellent easy sinuous blue route for little kids. Twisty turny loveliness.
Excellent timing, taking reluctant riding 15 and 11 year olds that way next week - they are fine when they are riding, getting them riding is the tricky bit.
Hicks Lodge blue route is good for young kids - rumour has it some trail maintenance earlier in the year got messed up by weather, not been for 6 months or so. 4-5 miles, not much climbing, plenty of twisty berms and rollers, great café.
If anyone knows of anything else I’d be interested
Whinlatter. A bit hillier, but a great little blue.
The Mawddach Trail would be nice for a 5 year old, biking, going over the sea and beaches.
https://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/route/mawddach-trail-dolgellau
I did Llandegla blue with my 5 yr old. He found the climb at the start hard though.
Whinlatter. A bit hillier, but a great little blue.
Jnr FD found the blue too scary, I'm guessing because its more on the side of a hill than Llandegla.