[Closed] Llandegla, Coed y Brenin, Bala and nearby MTB

By Llandegla, do you mean the train centre? If so, the red and black is good fun but i'd never describe them as either steep or tech. But a good blast all the same.

Aye the contours seem to indicate I'll not find much steep, but if fun is easy to find by using the main red/black routes then that's great 😀

Red / Black is just a case of parking up, following the signs, really well signed. The blacks just loop off the red. I think the red + black is about 15 miles, 1800ft.

penmanchno and Antur Stiniog are options about half an hour away

Follow the "black" at degla. Take you 2-2.5 hours. Most fun of the loops by a mile but not tech.

Brenin Beast is fun. There's the ChlimachX trails near Machntlleth which are pedally but last down is ace. Cadair Idris is nearby for good natural fun (don't miss the left turn off the fireroad on the way back down).

Where you staying? I'd be tempted with penmachno or marin/gwydir instead of degla - only 45 minutes further in.

Llandegla is on my way to Bala with minimal detour (Newcastle - Bala). If it was much more I'd have to sack off the idea of getting a ride in at all.

Monday could be anywhere but one of the group might want a hire bike rather than a borrowed hardtail...

I'm at Llandegla tomorrow (on me todd) - it's more XC than anything else, with a few good descents/jumps if you can jump (I can't). Blacks aren't difficult but there are a few nasty climbs in the middle, one I haven't cleared yet after the sharp right where there is a railing fence - I usually lose traction on the rocky slippy section (or not a chance if muddy).

Gwydir is great fun, very varied, and TBH, you are glad of some of the fire road climbs as it allows a little bit of a recovery. Even better fun with a few mates. If on your own, take supplies as it's a good walk from civilisation.

It sounds like you are after a description of the best Llandegla off piste? There really isn't any, you can head off across the moors towards the Horseshoe pass, but that's XC too.

do Degla but chuck a loop of worlds end in with it to give it a 'proper' MTB feel 🙂

one I haven’t cleared yet after the sharp right where there is a railing fence

Known as the three pound hill after a bribe/ incentive I promised my son if he cleaned it on his Islabike. He never did on that bike but he managed it easily the first trip on his next bike. An excellent illustration of the clear advantages 26" wheels have over 24" even when the bike ways four kilograms more.

Foel Gasnach is the nearest steep stuff I can think of.

I rode Llandegla on Monday after a year or so away. I had a great time. Black then blue.

I’ve got a lot fitter over the last year or so and the place made a lot more sense than previous visits; I spent a lot of time with my wheels off the ground. It’s not a tech fest and for black read “pale red” but it is super fun.

Foel Gasnach is good, potential for uplift aswell if there is space but it’s not a hard pedal up, you’d need to join the club though

+1 Go to Gwydir instead of Degla.

I rode that and CyB on Sun/Mon. Both are always enjoyable. Some awesome off-piste at Gwydir but you'd probably need showing it.

Thanks Folks

I'll ride Gwydir next time I'm in the area.

'deglas was a bit dull. I only had a little over an hour so rode the black out, skipped the jump line and picked up the blue to get back. I could be critical over the trail, yes the black is a bit tame foe that label, but it just doesn't use the terrain to get any steep sections of descent. Still, it was better than not riding.

Some cracking on-trail stuff at CyB, we did the fist half of the Beast, followed our noses down a fun little off piste we spotted then retreated back to camp to drink off the hangovers.

Good fun. I went to Coedy Brenin for the first time in about 5 years last week. Rode the Blue, the one that looks like a squirrel and the Beast. For my money the old Marin wins hands down on the tail centre front. Great part of the world though.

‘deglas was a bit dull. I only had a little over an hour so rode the black out, skipped the jump line and picked up the blue to get back.

I think it's a tad unfair to criticise the black if you were only there an hour or so! Compared to other trail centers it's not actually black difficulty wise, certainly closer to red, but returning on the blue means you missed vast swathes of the best it has to offer. The common black/red/blue climb at the start takes about 20 minutes. Think of it as a 15 mile BMX track and it makes much more sense.

Penmachno is worth a visit in the summer when it's dry. Loads of tech there, especially if you do both loops; will challenge your riding brain - the climbs are as tech as the descents.

Hidden gem if you ask me - ignore complaints of it not draining well!

I did north wales over the weekend - did Tawr Du and MBR at CYB (thought it was brutally rocky in places), an uplift day at Antur Stiniog then Snowdon up from Llanberis and back down the Ranger Path and Telegraph.

Antur was the highlight for me as I like small jumps and flat out berms. I enjoyed Snowdon more than I thought - hard cycle/ push up but it was fun on the way down. Mixture of slow rock crawling down drops and loads of boulders and a few steep sections, then some flat out fast sections jumping water bars that run across the track.

Off to North Wales with my wife and the mini rippers on Friday for just over a week.

Staying just up the Road from Coed-y-Brenin

Plan is to alternate MTB days with Mountain Climbing days.  Plan to get the boys progressing from Cyfflim Coch onto Tarw Du and MBR.

Off to MTB Meetup with my eldest on Friday, will do a lap of Penmachno or Gwydyr on the way past then the weekend at Llandegla!

Cannot....wait!