Coed-Y-Brenin changed much?

impished

Hi all,
I'm planning to go to Coed-y-Brenin l8r this year. I haven't been there since approx. 2001!!!
Has it changed much?

Will I still end up with jaw ache in the car park caused by the insane grin
Is it a bit better marked now? Last time I went there was a bit of building still going on and a few markers missing...

Looking forward to my next visit :twisted:

btw, what d'yall do? Camp or guesthouse?

ibbowmb

its changed loads mate.For a start the visitor centre/trailhead is now on the opposite side of the road and all the trails have been tweaked/renamed,i first went in 2004 and its changed since then!!Its a seriously good place to have a weekend of top quality riding!!

x-isle

I'm going next Thursday for 4 or 5 days, I'll be making a report!

impished

Oh, you're all making me SO jealous!!! I can't get my lazy mates off their couches!!! :roll:
The missus doesn't want me to go to Coed on me own. :roll: Maybe I'll have to lie, and tell her I'm meeting some m8ts there...

You got any Coed-Y-Brenin flickr's? 8)

x-isle

I've never been before, so it'll be an experience, and 4 days of riding should see me good!

impished

Have a good time X-isle 8)

It was f-fing great last time I went :P
Don't forget your camera & post some pics when you get back (or the key for your padlock! :roll: as I did :oops: )

Anonymous

Coeady has changed a TON. Last time I went, we did the Tarw Trail (mostly like the old Red Bull).

I have to admit, I'm not impressed with the newer sections of it, they don't appear to be designed by riders, if you can imagine what that means. Still enjoybale though.

I only live 45 minutes away, so I don't bother capming, although I have stayed in Dolgellau a few times, which is about 10-15 mins away by car.
Camping may be a good option this weekend, the weather doesn't look too bad, and sunday and monday look to be really good.

I have some pictures of Coedy I can put up on photobucket, if you want.

impished

Piccies please YEEHAAMCGEE :P

Anonymous

Ok. Here's a few. I've got more, but my riding buddy is in most of them. I'm not going to start putting pictures of other people up on the net without consent!
Excuse the bad photography, I'm still learning how to use my new camera!

Just looking at your photos, is that B-17 yours? is it a recent picture?

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x-isle

Woohoo! I can't wait!

impished

The B17 was my 1st real MTB... Lovingly photo'd about a month ago... got it 10 years ago!!! :shock: (after the Sarecen :oops: )
I've had loads'a great rides on it.... Was ggggggreat at Coed-Y-Brenin....
Blown the rear shock a couple of times :roll: ....

Only reason I bought a hardtail was all the comments about being lazy on a full-susser. And I have to agree, they do make you a bit lazy..... :? (oh, and the fact that I would have to buy new wheels, front & back for the disc brakes I so desperately wanted!!!)

Discopooh

I did the beast in November and died. Some of that double black diamond stuff is crazy. But top fun.

Did it on my old Marin,great to see soooo many there.

x-isle

Discopooh wrote:

I did the beast in November and died.

Which is why it isn't on my plans on a 4 day trip.

impished

no 2 ways about it..... Marin did some f-kin GREAT bikes back in the day..... :P

Anonymous

Marin STILL do some great bikes! Well, okay, John Whyte does some great bikes
Back in the day, Coedy seemed to be infested with the things! I'd go so far as to estimate that roughly 2/3 of all the bikes there were marin full-suss bikes.

Didn't you have disc brakes on the B-17? My wolfridge came with Diatech discs front and rear, which were rubbish, but Marin offered an uber cheap upgrade to hope hydraulics very soon after I got it. 50 quid or something stupid like that.
In fact, the front Diatech hub (in one of the Coedy pictures) was original, and has only been replaced a few weeks ago by a hope pro2 so I could upgrade to bigger discs.
I'm surprised that you still have the original forks, they're RSTs aren't they? My 2001 Jr Ts are now due for an overhaul/replacement. The Manitou X-vert forks that came with the bike only lasted 2 years! (and most of those 2 years were spent leaking)
My rear shock never blew up, but it did just kind of die, slowly, so it's been replaced by a fox DHX5
In fact, the mainframe is the ONLY surviving part of the bike! Bit it's such a nice frame!
I'm amazed that yours looks as though it's pretty much original spec!

Oh, and the bike I had before the marin was a Saracen hardtail too!

impished wrote:

The B17 was my 1st real MTB... Lovingly photo'd about a month ago... got it 10 years ago!!! :shock: (after the Sarecen :oops: )
I've had loads'a great rides on it.... Was ggggggreat at Coed-Y-Brenin....
Blown the rear shock a couple of times :roll: ....

Only reason I bought a hardtail was all the comments about being lazy on a full-susser. And I have to agree, they do make you a bit lazy..... :? (oh, and the fact that I would have to buy new wheels, front & back for the disc brakes I so desperately wanted!!!)

impished

The only things I changed were:-

Rear Mech --> XT Rear Wheel --> Mavic XC Brakes --> XT V's Tyres --> Bontrager Jones Pedals --> Cage (OUCH!!!!) & Shimano SPD's (OUCH!!!)

Apart from that.... all PURE Marin B17 :P

Both times the rear shock blew I was in the middle of a ride.... :shock: Everyone should try pogo-sticking round singletrack :roll: . GREAT fun Replaced free by the nice people at the Maidstone bike shop :P

Anonymous

My Manitous used to splurdge oil from the top caps into my eyes, or drip oil onto my brake disc.

My rear shock used to pack down and stay fully compressed occasionally, as if the rebound damping had locked, then randomly, and suddenly, release itself, undamped back to full length.
It was pretty frightening when it used to do that on the take off from a jump, or on a drop or something!

impished

Oil leaking from forks:shock: no such luck here :oops:
Original B17 had elastomer forks :roll: The elastomer stiffened up real bad after only a couple of years!!! :?
Imagine my suprise when I get my new Fury with proper forks!!!! Pluuuush

Anonymous

you went from a B-17 to a carrera fury?
Why not just spend the money on upgrading the B-17?

I thought the B-17 had triple clamp Manitou X-vert forks? Which model was that then?

impished

I'm talking bout the original B17 full-susser with RST elastomer forks :? , not the new HT B17...
I only went to Fury cos I wanted a hardtail aswell as full-susser...

When I can rustle-up (and convince the missus ) some funds :roll: , I will upgrade the B17. Too good a bike to just leave in the garage rusting away!!!! :P

Anonymous

damned right. It won't rust though, trust me, my wolf ridge was in the garage for the best part of 3 years, and it's fine.

impished

I know it'll never rust. I've owned it approx. 10 years 8) , probably cleaned it once!!!! :oops: Only ever had to change the sprockets once!!!! :P Rear-end still as smooth and big-hit'able as the 1st time I rode it. :P

Anonymous

well, I went to coed y brenin yesterday, and did the MBR route.
Absolutely excellent trails. Some of the best I've ever ridden in my life. Lots of really techy sections, mixed with some beautiful fast, flowing singletrack.
I would've taken my camera, but it looked like horrible weather when I left the house, so I didn't want to ruin my new digicam.
Turns out the weather was perfect when we got there though!

impished

Gald you had a good time there

I think I might start paying my m8s to get out on their bikes :roll:

x-isle

Wow, wow, wow!

In the end, I did the Tarw on the Saturday. Broke a spoke so had to go and fix that, so no more riding that day. Broke the spoke on Pins and Needles.

On the Saturday I went to Penmachno in the morning, then did the MBR in the afternoon. Phew, that was tough! Pink Heifer - AMAZING!

Full report with some picces (albeit from my phone) coming soon.

impished

I know the broken spoke was a gutting end to the days riding , but at least you can be proud in the knowledge that you must've been riding good'n hard :twisted:

Looking forward to the piccies & report :P

x-isle

Well, great thing was it didn't spoil the day, because, strangely enough, the wheel didn't buckle, so at least I finished the Tarw before fixing it.

anto164

Hmm, i went down there yesterday to check out where the place was. it was majorly chokka.took a while to find a car parking space, and also the trail centre is mint.

its a 2 hour drive there, (i live near liverpool) so i rekon it may be worth bringing a tent with me and camping near to the place, then riding all day, then go home in the evening.

x-isle

Sort of what I did.

Drove there on Thursday afternoon (I'm about 2hrs as well), camped Thursday, Rode Friday, camped Friday, rode Saturday, drove home.

If you are going that way and have some time, you MUST go to Penmachno, it's about 30mins North/East. Probably pass it on the way to Liverpool as it's near the A5.

anto164

im not sure which way that is. from coey y brenin, i go via dollegnau through to bala, then keep going forwards and find myself in llandegla, then through to queensferry..

i DO NOT know what roads i use.

impished

Think yourselves lucky :shock: , it's over 4 hours for me :roll:
That's a long drive when your mates are too lazy/under-the-thumb to tag along