Beast @ Brenin Tips

DCR00

Morning all

Am slowly ticking off trail centres and am looking for my next one

After referring to my “50 Best Trail centres” guide, I'm planning on doing the Beast at Brenin on the 9th Sept

It’s a good 10km more than I have done previously, but I pretty fit and I'm taking the whole day, so should be a good ride

Can any regular riders give me any tips ?

Its graded as Black, but what I'm finding is that the “Black” classification varies massively between centres i.e. yesterday I did the “Black” at Llandegla and that was pretty tame compared to the “Red” at Cannock...

So how “Black” is Brenin ?

lostboysaint

It's not massively black at all. It's really a red in terms of technicality (and even then only the rocky climb and traverse early on (the name escapes me) and the rocky section in amongst the Adams family bit. Other than that it's just distance that makes it hard work.

Take quite a bit to eat and drink, although the cafe mid-way is excellent.

Anonymous

Physically it WILL batter you completely. There's something about Coed y Brenin that makes the going much tougher than the length of the trails suggests.

tsenior

if you are fine with the armoured section right at the start, technically it will be ok.

i only remember one really tough climb on it.....but by the end i was knackered!

angry_bird

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Physically it WILL batter you completely. There's something about Coed y Brenin that makes the going much tougher than the length of the trails suggests.

This.

As trails go it certainly wasn't the most technically difficult I've ridden, but it is hard going, I was absolutley knackered after it, although in fairness I'd done the Dyfi Enduro the day before

Thewaylander

Yarp what yee says,

It's the whole rocky trails hitting you, ifyour not used to its tireing. but have no feel the Welsh councils is slowly covering all rocks and roots with sand at my local trails

Anonymous

Yep, they're doing the same at Coedy too

lostboysaint

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Yep, they're doing the same at Coedy too

You're kidding? Why? It's a f**king MTB centre FFS, not some kind of sanitised "mini-fire-road" ride.

Anonymous

It was
So far, it's only the false teeth section, and "Abel" (I think, I always get that one confused), but it does seem to be their ongoing plan.

Thewaylander

Lodas been done at Afan and Cwm starting to not bother with trail centers now to be honest lol

lostboysaint

That's dreadful. I mean I could understand a few brake bumps and maybe shallowing a few berms where the erosion is caused by masses of traffic but to "smooth out" roots and rocks, which are all part of the trail, seems a bit "H&S gone mad"!!

Anonymous

The funny thing is, I was talking a few months ago to Sian and Dafydd, who started the Coed y Brenin center, and they were of the opinion that there are no trail centres delivering a hardcore enough experience in the UK right now.
They mentioned how CYB was set up when people were riding rigids, and now the bikes have moved on so much, the trails should too.
Shame that nobody has the balls to do so.

Thewaylander

FOD Dh's are getting better :P looser rockier and with bigger jumps thrown in but then they are DH trails so could be the reson. Never bothered with the XC trails here.

And i agree with them Yee, Most trail centers are pretty timid

lostboysaint

yeehaamcgee wrote:

The funny thing is, I was talking a few months ago to Sian and Dafydd, who started Coed y Brenin, and they were of th eopinion that there are no trail centres delivering a hardcore enough experience in the UK right now.
They mentioned how CYB was set up when people were riding rigids, and now the bikes have moved on so much, the trails should to.
Shame that nobody has the balls to do so.

When we rode it last (March) four of our group rode it on hardtails, a number of us on 100mm travel bikes and only a few on the "recommended" 140mm+ suspension. It was hardly "super-tech" at the time. But, as you rightly pointed out, the riding is very tiring so the distances feel a lot further. It was a good balance. To sanitise it would mean that it's far too attainable to everyone, not aspirational enough or provide a decent level of experience and, in effect, just become a glorified road ride. Shame.

Anonymous

Thewaylander wrote:

FOD Dh's are getting better :P looser rockier and with bigger jumps thrown in but then they are DH trails so could be the reson. Never bothered with the XC trails here.

And i agree with them Yee, Most trail centers are pretty timid

DH courses generally have an entirely different mentality.

I understand that I'm a seasoned rider, that's been doing stupid things on bikes for two decades or more, but I still reckon a "black" section should make me, and other experienced riders think twice.
As it is, it's pretty safe to blindly race into a black section without checking it first.

Anonymous

lostboysaint wrote:

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Yep, they're doing the same at Coedy too

You're kidding? Why? It's a f**king MTB centre FFS, not some kind of sanitised "mini-fire-road" ride.

I haven't got sound here at the moment, but this video shows the kind of sections that are being built at Coedy
http://vimeo.com/28341384

fun, yes, but it's not really what the place gained it's reputation for.

DCR00

yeehaamcgee wrote:

reckon a "black" section should make me, and other experienced riders think twice.

this is what im looking for really - a challenge

maybe even something that makes me get off and walk down the first time, but go back and try it again

Llandegla didnt really have any sections like that at all. Maybe i should have tried the jump sections...

maybe i need to go looking for more natural trails as opposed to trail centres

tsenior

DCR00, you will always get trickier riding on trails which are not designed to be ridden, the downside being alot of them cannot be ridden

its very satisfying when you finaly get up/over/down an obstical which you had prevously pushed/carried/crashed numerous times.

but if you have limited time exploring then a hour long push-up to get back to some ridable trails is a massive PITA

maybe pick one area, say dark peak, or one of the N wales ranges which has good information on several routes and get to know it well over a year, rather than going to a differnt area every weekend.

i must have done the 45 min loop in the woods at the back of my house a hundred times and there are still several sections which test me and one i just cant do

DCR00

tsenior wrote:

DCR00, you will always get trickier riding on trails which are not designed to be ridden, the downside being alot of them cannot be ridden

its very satisfying when you finaly get up/over/down an obstical which you had prevously pushed/carried/crashed numerous times.

but if you have limited time exploring then a hour long push-up to get back to some ridable trails is a massive PITA

maybe pick one area, say dark peak, or one of the N wales ranges which has good information on several routes and get to know it well over a year, rather than going to a differnt area every weekend.

i must have done the 45 min loop in the woods at the back of my house a hundred times and there are still several sections which test me and one i just cant do

you make a very compelling argument

fact is that i found Cannock a bit of a challenge, and i came off a few times and there were sections i didnt ride, so i think ill go back and do that route again

thanks for helping me make my mind up

Briggo

yeehaamcgee wrote:

I haven't got sound here at the moment, but this video shows the kind of sections that are being built at Coedy
http://vimeo.com/28341384

What ... the ... f*ck???