[Closed] Wales - where should I try?

The Beast at CyB is great, I'd highly recommend! Make sure you take tough tyres though.

Both are good and I'd be very happy at either. CyB is more technical and varied but quite man-made. NyA is more natural and wild and you feel "out there". I'd lean towards NyA for your trip.

CyB is brill. If you want "natural" xc-type stuff the look up Conwy and North Wales on flattyres - on a clear day the views are magnificent.

Depends what you like riding... beast is tough rocky and definitely a trail centre trail... NYA more old skool xc, proper wilderness feel moorland double tracks ....syfydrin is a good few hours,I love it😉

Now I'm more confused - they both sound great:)

I think I'll look at local B&Bs, see whats cheap and base my decision on that - I would say afer a day at Black Mountains natural might be a nice change but I don't think I've ever heard a bad thing said about CYB

Thanks for the replies

NyA is good and there has been a few bits added recently to make a blue that are fun at full chat, but the trail centre is pretty chilled as far as official trails go. The reaper had me cracking my shorts though, should not have done that solo of a late evening.

A bunc of us stayed here:
https://www.caegwynfarm.co.uk/
It was cheap, and catered really well for groups of mtbers. Drying room, bike storage (but obviously take your own chains etc) and decent breakfast.
Looked at me weird when I apologised for being covered in filth. I think they'd have been surprised if we weren't.
About 2 minds down the road from CyB!
Only down side was that there weren't may places to eat in the immediate vicinity. Fine though, fair bit about 15 mins drive away.

Now I’m more confused – they both sound great:)

Simple, stay an extra day and do both

You can get a good breakfast at CyB cafe but yep, Dolgellau for pubs. When they open.

nickjb
Member
Now I’m more confused – they both sound great:)

Simple, stay an extra day and do both

Erm - this is definitely crossig my mind

I'm a billy no mates for the weekend so will be on my own - misses isnt really upto Black Mountains level yet so got one of her friends staying over so staying away an extra night wouldn't be an issue

having visions of riding all day and relaxing on my own in the evening, drinking beer and contemplating life:)

What's the Black Mountains loop?

We're doing the Gap this weekend. Wonder if the Star in Talybont will be serving takeouts 🙂

What’s the Black Mountains loop?

Not a loop as such - its the uplift at Black Mountains Cycle Centre

https://blackmountainscyclecentre.com/

Ahh right, the bike park. I see that the uplift is working there but not BPW. Is that because they have an open vehicle?

Don’t underestimate how far away CyB and NyA are from Abergavenny. That’s quite a few hours of driving on small roads.

Natural riding near there you could do the Gap - or there’s a longer version of that I think.

Or you could go to the Forest of Dean - if you get a guide or use trail forks there is masses of off piste / unmarked stuff. A few weeks ago we found a brand new loan trail that someone had cut called black gold. Full of little berms, drops over fallen trees and it was brilliant. Never know what you’re going to find.

He's right, it takes ages to drive across Wales.

Not unpleasant though and you could go to Brechfa then up to NyA then CyB and finally Gwydir (the best one).

You did wanna make a week of it, didn't you?

Its a really nice drive, though. Up the Wye valley, over the Cambrian Mountains. And its only 1hr45 from Abergavenny to NyA, usually very little traffic. Much shorter drive from there than many other places, that's one of the reasons to go on this trip, add a couple of hours rather than an all day drive another time.

Brechfa is closed for felling

OK, go to Afan instead.

Better anyway.

😉

I personally probably wouldn’t bother driving further away to Afan / Brechfa when you’ve got to get back to Lancashire unless you’re going to make a few days of it.

I just haven’t rated Afan the 3 times I’ve been there, not sure why. Prefer Brechfa / Cwmcarn / Forest of Dean.

CYB was good but I think the choice of doing 2 blacks in a day made it really brutal in terms of climbing and being battered with rocks. Probably should have done a black and a red maybe. Great scenery though.

I’m not sure if the Elan Valley would put you less far North / West than CyB or NyA - would be more natural riding but a mate has been a few times and said it’s great.

Haven't been to Brechfa for over 10 years. Afan is pretty close so usually go there but after this lockdown I'm really going to try and get further afield.

I bloody love Nant yr Arian

Not quite Wales . . . but have you thought about the Long Mynd in Shropshire?
Saves wasting your free time driving around the Welsh countryside!

I’d echo whoever said about the travel time. I work up in Aberystwyth regularly and live 10 miles south of Abergavenny. A good run is 2 hours without being too enthusiastic. NyA is a great centre and one of my favourites, but I’d probably come back south and ride Cwmcarn and the natural stuff just outside; hop over the green stile at the top of Twrch, or go ride the FoD.

scandal42
Subscriber
I bloody love Nant yr Arian

Me too. Love CyB too mind. And Afan. And all the others. And all the seven staines. Haven't been to a trail centre i haven't loved!

Bloke is going back to lancashire, and whatever you say aboit south wales - I'd hit up North Wales - CyB or Nanty ahead of them.

(And that flattyres loop is great on your own on a sunny day)

It's why I moved here 🙂

Shropshire

Head north out of black mountain bike park, get on the A49, its an easy hour of driving to Ludlow on major roads.

In that area you have
-Hopton Woods - Super fun marked trail riding and a few harder DH lines
-Bringewood for trail and easy DH stuff, its ace but crap in the wet. Not much signed.
-Bucknell for trails, DH, and some big hits if you want them! Nothing/little signed.
-Mortimer - chilled out nice trail riding. Nothing signed.
-Long Mynd for actually fun natural riding - maps are available.

Pearce Cycles will point you in the right direction - they're ace, the shop is nice too. They also do uplift days in a lot of these places. Worth checking.

Possible to link a few of these together in a single ride.

A little further up the A49 you have eastridge and stipperstones - both good but not as good as the other stuff I listed.

When you're done crack on up the A49 and you'll hit the M56 north of brum which will save an hour.

Probably the easiest good places to hit on the way home from black mountains without spending hours winding around wales. And if you're looking to stay out, Ludlow is an amazing roman town, and the brewery is the perfect place to chill out with a post ride pint. I miss living in shropshire.

South of Nant Y is the Elan valley. Loads of epic proper old school xc. Start at at the visitors centre. Clive Powell bike shop in Rhyader.