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Mrs was previously reasonable on a bike, but a few years ago had a non-bike related neck injury so hasn't done much of anything since then.
She is keen to get back on the bike
So tomorrow she wants to go to a trail centre, and Nant Yr Arian is only 40 minutes away.
Is the Pendam suitable for someone getting back in to it, trying to build fitness and confidence? I'm trying not to knock her confidence!
With there being no blue runs, are the reds at Nanty a but hard and tricky? Or are they perfectly rideable?
Just trying to gauge if they are hard reds or easy reds.
I say go for it. I've only done one of the loops but it was smooth, flowy and lots of fun. I'm pretty sure it was Pendam, as I don't recall any massive fire road climbs which are apparently a part of the the other trail.
It's been a few years since I went but I can't remember anything overly tricky. More about fitness with a big climb at the end from memory (think that was the longer trail that leaves the centre and goes off into the hills) I liked it for its untrailcentreyness.
More about fitness with a big climb at the end from memory (think that was the "black" that leaves the centre and goes off into the hills) I liked it for its untrailcentreyness.
That's the Syfydrin Trail. One of my faves. Nothing gnartacular, or particularly rad. Just some lovely country, some epic flowing sections (Mark of Zorro!) and a lovely finish down to the lake. Yes, the climb is long, but it's smooth and easy.
As a "beginner" trail centre destination, I'd highly recommend it.
Cheers guys, that's tomorrow sorted then 🙂
You'll both love it. Everything is smooth and flowy.. The only bad thing is the last climb.
There are one or two tiny rollable drops on the first singletrack section, from what I remember, and a little rubbly wide steep bit once you're out past the lake. Can't remember anything else particularly technical or difficult.
Summit has a ~2 mile steady fireroad slog up from the bottom of Mark of Zorro to the final sections of singletrack. Pendam misses out Zorro and the climb and uses all the singletrack nearest the centre, none of which is nasty or gnarly. Syfydrin has all the above and a looong "out there" old-school section over the hills.
One of our fave centres - really good fun swoopy singletrack, some of the best scenery around (you want to ride the first set of berms twice, once to rail second to admire the views), a centre with decent food, and if you're there around 3pm they feed the kites which fly in from miles around (reckon there were ~150 last time we were there 😯 ). Getting jealous just typing this 😕
Nant almost reduced my GF to tears / panic attack a few weeks ago when I tentatively tried to get her to ride it. A few choice lines were:
'People ride down this - [b]for fun[/b]?'
And... 'Why are we are riding off the side of [b]a cliff!!??[/b] 😯 '
This was on the first peachy singletrack section after the car park. She bailed very soon after that.
Just remember that your 'piece of cake' may well be a novice's absolute-pure-blinding-terror..
Well that was a roaring success 😆
She absolutely loved it, and it has done her confidence a load of good.
The two or three tricky looking sections at the start she went back and rode them again just to get more practice in!
We just did one lap of Pendam. Her neck was a bit sore by the end, and she struggled a bit through lack of fitness on the final fireroad climb, but she's back in the game. Which can only translate as more mtb for me 
She's just asked when can we go again and do the Summit trail. I assume Summit is more of the same ie nothing much more difficult?
my wife was broken at Nanty smashed collar bone so not to be underestimated, it's also where I discovered most other mtbers are a bunch of selfish shits so enjoy.
it's also where I discovered most other mtbers are a bunch of selfish shits so enjoy.
Most or some?
Most people I meet are fine.
TBH Nant seems to have a fair few newish happy MTBers.
Don't take the misses, Take someone you like.
haha just joking
She's just asked when can we go again and do the Summit trail. I assume Summit is more of the same ie nothing much more difficult?
If you like the early singletrack on Pendam then Mark of Zorro on Summit is an absolute hoot.
And you'll have to keep reminding yourself of that on the ~2 mile fire road climb back up from it to Drunken Druid. It's a steady gradient so as long as she gets a comfortable pace it shouldn't finish her off. They've put a small section of singletrack next to it to break up the monotony (Emmanuelle) but all it does is break my rhythm so I miss it out.
A fair bit of it is closed after half term, according to a thread today or yesterday, so you'd best get back soon to avoid disappointment. 😀