Best trail at Coed-y-Brenin?
Comments
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Beast - long and got a bit of everything.0
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+1 for The Beast0
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Cool, it'll be that one that I do first then :-)
No doubt I'll be shook to hell and back on my 120 hartail aye?0 -
The Beast is really multiple routes combined with some additional stuff.
Only course it doesn't cover the majority of is TarW which I don't think it cover anything apart from start location (from a Red/Black perspective).
Nothing to worry about on a HT it's been modernised in many places so it's not that rough just the odd rock garden with the MBR route (part of the beast) and TarW being the rockiest (e.g. Pins & Needles.. called that for a reason but its easy just slower on a HT).
Awesome riding there with some classic older style stuff mixed with the modern. Interesting to note that these courses used to be red graded (MBR/TarW).. now they are black... ;P0 -
If you do the beast or dragons back, be sure to do the shortcut to miss the miles of gradual uphill fireroad..
Mbr is great too.
Tarw is poo.
Imo.0 -
I like Tarw it's a bit more technical with some old school rougher stuff than the smooth toboggan runs of modern courses. Nice to have the variety as most modern Black/Reds aren't technical at all anymore. Different breed of rider these days who prefer the roller coaster style of perceived skill/risk. Don't get me wrong I do like the 4X style stuff but I don't want everything totally manicured courses. So many people talk about poor flow on courses when what they mean is it got tech stuff on it. Nice to have the mix imo with some tech challenge sections.
So many courses are being modernised and it's all getting too easy... hence why old reds are now classed blacks.0 -
Rocketmagnet wrote:The Beast is really multiple routes combined with some additional stuff.
Only course it doesn't cover the majority of is TarW which I don't think it cover anything apart from start location (from a Red/Black perspective).
Nothing to worry about on a HT it's been modernised in many places so it's not that rough just the odd rock garden with the MBR route (part of the beast) and TarW being the rockiest (e.g. Pins & Needles.. called that for a reason but its easy just slower on a HT).
Awesome riding there with some classic older style stuff mixed with the modern. Interesting to note that these courses used to be red graded (MBR/TarW).. now they are black... ;P
Cool, cheers. Plan is to ride The Beast and then Tarw after it.
:-)0 -
I spent a couple of days there a few weeks back. Did Tarw and Minortaur on day 1, then Beast and Cyflym Coch on day 2, all on a 120mm HT. There was nothing I couldn't cope with, but I did feel like I'd been beaten up by the end of it; one puncture. Tarw was a bit of a drag in places, but there's some good sections, and if you do the Beast then it's the only trail where you won't have already covered some parts already. Take the shortcut DodgeT mentions, and don't do loop 3 of the Minortaur (the other 2 are good fun though.)0
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Rocketmagnet wrote:I like Tarw it's a bit more technical with some old school rougher stuff than the smooth toboggan runs of modern courses. Nice to have the variety as most modern Black/Reds aren't technical at all anymore. Different breed of rider these days who prefer the roller coaster style of perceived skill/risk. Don't get me wrong I do like the 4X style stuff but I don't want everything totally manicured courses. So many people talk about poor flow on courses when what they mean is it got tech stuff on it. Nice to have the mix imo with some tech challenge sections.
So many courses are being modernised and it's all getting too easy... hence why old reds are now classed blacks.
I was getting at the lack of techy stuff, as I remember tarw, first mile or so is good and the last couple of miles are good, the 7 or so miles in the middle are mainly fireroad up and down, with only a very very few fun bits like pins and needles.
Beast/mbr etc are far far rougher than tarw.0 -
Cheers all, only there for the 1 day so will fit a couple in. Off to Degla on the Sunday then for some more fun and probably finish with watching some of the BDS at Llangollen.0
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Just do the beast then at a steady pace, sure you'll enjoy it. If you've got energy left when your done, a quick blast round mbr will finish you off nicely.0
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That's a good days riding there, your looking at 58.4 km for the Beast (38.2) and Tarw (20.2). It's not a hideous amount of climbing (1450m) but still a fair bit. I'd be tempted to cut out the long fire road section over Moel Hafowden and nip up the road to the start of Gomez but then you've not really done the beast ;P. I think I've done Dragons back followed by Tarw and that's similar. Dragons Back is the same as the Beast minus a fair bit of the MBR route.
DodgeT: The Beast incorporates all of the MBR route anyway hence the suggestion for Tarw as none of it is part of the Beast.
As for Tarw .. yes its got a long fire road climb but Heart of Darkness & Snap Crackle and pop are old school technical and good fun for it IMO, you get a flavour of how the man made courses started out back in the day. Old courses used to avoid single track climbing, the thinking being that people preferred the downhill and simply wanted the easiest way to gain altitude.. hence fire road climbs.
You'll have some serious fun, they are fantastic courses with a great selection of riding to be had.0 -
Bit mixed up there RM, beast is 38km, not miles. Same with Tarw, thats 20km. The beast, if you do the shortcut (which I believe is a couple of miles) comes out at about 21miles. Giving that 38km = 23 ish miles, thats about right.
Interestingly, dragons back which is shown as 31km, came out at 21ish miles with the same shortcut too. There was 2 groups of us who half did dragons back and the other half the beast on the same day, same shortcut and the distance was within 1 mile of each other.
Your still not getting the point with my comments on Tarw, I dont mind fireroad climpbs to be rewarded with techy descents, but most of tarw is fireroad up AND down!
I also know that MBR takes in stuff that has already been done on the beast, but bang for mile, I don't think you can beat it. Some of the best sections of coed y brenin all packed in a short loop, perfect for finishing off if you still have the energy. Just cause you've done it once, doesn't mean its wrong to do it again.
All personal preference of course, but i'd do any of the other trails there without a second thought, other than Tarw, which if you haven't gathered yet, I think is rubbish. Other's (you obviously) like it, thats fine.
It's all riding and its all good
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Nope I'm not mixed up as all my units are all Km, which I set initially once assuming unit consistency unless stated otherwise ....
Beast + Tarw = 58.4 Km (38.2 + 20.2)
Beast = 38.2 Km
Tarw = 20.2 Km
So I didn't use miles at all.... though I did assume people would understand i'd set the units.. so fair point.
Yep the odd section of fire road the wrong way but not that much IIRC, TBH I think people should just ride the man made
stuff and not complain about it, I know for a fact that many courses are being "downgraded" and smoothed out due to complainers (I've discussed it with a couple of trail designers/maintainers and they are forced to modify if people complain enough about a feature/section), people complain when it's rough and rooty so we get 4X stuff replacing it. Wont be long before everything is modern "fire road single track" the rate it's going, the rocks and roots are systematically being removed from many courses now.. and that's a shame. Some of the rougher sections on Tarw are really good taken at speed with multiple lines to choose from and despite the "weaker" section I think they are worth the effort.
People IMO treat mountain bike centres like theme park rides, so many without first learning the skills try and ride beyond their limits (Clearly not you DodgeT i'm taking about the constant erosion of technical Red trails to cater for these people), how many people do you come across pushing over technical stuff and complaining it's got no flow etc.
I've personally lost count of the number of punctures I've fixed or minor mechanicals of people without even basic gear.. Black routes tend to be a safe haven currently as the grading keeps them off and hence safe from dumbing down.
Was up Whinlatter the other day and two blokes were complaining to me that there were fist size rocks on the trail and why the centre had not cleared them off the track? also they had done the south side and whined the slate and loose stones were a too slippy in places... /sigh..... hence why I get frustrated DodgeT when even experienced riders reinforce this view even though your not talking about the technical side and just the fire road stuff you just tarred it all with the "poo" brush suggesting it was all rubbish.0 -
oops, I was having a blonde moment.0
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More confused now than I was to begin with, think I'll find a pub up there instead! lol0
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If I had 1 day I'd do Minortaur (loops 1&2) as a quick warm up and it is fun.
Then MBR was my favourite trail (a bit of old and a bit of new) and then across the road to to Tarw to finish off where it all began.
Now you've got me dreaming about going back......0
