Which is your favourite Welsh trail centre/base???

handsome devil

Having now ridden all of the reds at most of the main trail centres/bases in Wales (Afan, Brechfa, Cwmcarn, Cwm Rhaeadr, Nant Yr Arian, Coed Y Brenin, Penmachno and Coed Llandegla) I was just curious as to what is everyones favourite?

After much deliberation :roll: , I think Nant Yr Arian is mine. Both Summit & Pendam trails are excellent but it`s the feel of the place in general I really like. Not too busy, great cafe, cheap(ish) car park, well maintained trails and hundreds of Red Kites...whats not to like?!!

The Summit trail really is a fantastic ride. Mark of Zorro section a particular highlight while The Leg Burner a tad brutal on the old legs!!

So there it is, that`s my opinion anyway

What`s yours??

balmybaldwin

Not been to Nant yet, but I would have to say so far my favorite is Brechfa (Gorlech/Raven trails) The trails are great and flow really well from section to section, and so what if theres no Cafe... just means the trails are quieter.

In particular I like the fact that it doesn't have named sections that are all a bit disjointed from each other, and it hasn't got those awful anti motorbike gates that ruin places like Afan.

I did like coed y brenin, but it did feel in many places too manufactured - obviously they are nearly all man made, but the random rocks (a lot of them don't seem to be local rock either) made into burms etc were a bit much for me.

apple eater

I agree with the above as far as Brechfa / Gorlech being the ones i like best. I went to afan and did the wall and thought it was way to much climb for a depressing anti climatic ending. Put me off going back for other trails.

Llandegla is good, i've been once and would definitely go back if i was passing or up that way again.

I'm enjoying BPW at the moment. It's very close to me which means i can ride more than once a fortnight.

Hopefully i will get a few more distant rides next year.

jonsiuk

Got to say Coed y Brenin for me, maybe it's because I live 15mins away, haha.
Been to Nant yr Arian, thought the trails were great.

welshkev

apple eater wrote:

I agree with the above as far as Brechfa / Gorlech being the ones i like best. I went to afan and did the wall and thought it was way to much climb for a depressing anti climatic ending. Put me off going back for other trails.

Llandegla is good, i've been once and would definitely go back if i was passing or up that way again.

I'm enjoying BPW at the moment. It's very close to me which means i can ride more than once a fortnight.

you what? the wall has some of the best singletrack anywhere that I've ridden! and you prefer llandegla?!? llandegla is a good fun trail but there's nothing testing there.

I agree though that brechfa is really good, but a bit too much fireroad climbing. nant yr arian is great as even though it's a trail centre when you get out on the moors it doesn't feel like it.

Briggo

welshkev wrote:

you what? the wall has some of the best singletrack anywhere that I've ridden! and you prefer llandegla?!? llandegla is a good fun trail but there's nothing testing there.

You have actually ridden Y Wal haven't you? It has to be one of the dullest rides I've done by far. Whites is better imo but I was never wow'd by Afan.

Coed Y Brenin, had a few good upgrades recently with the skills area/adam and eve section on MBR. It's done very well with sections like one after the other Adam's family sections on Dragon/Beast run or the awesome False Teeth.

Llandegla is great for general fast paced berm fun.

But I'd have to say my favourite man made ride/base for Wales is Penmachno, some superb technical fast paced sections and you really do feel like you're in the middle of nowhere.

welshkev

It obviously Cary's between people. See I hate whites - well hated, as I haven't ridden it since they've made the changed so I'll hold judgement.

But how can anyone say the wall is dull?

As I've said millions of times before, horses for courses

Briggo

welshkev wrote:

It obviously Cary's between people. See I hate whites - well hated, as I haven't ridden it since they've made the changed so I'll hold judgement.

But how can anyone say the wall is dull?

As I've said millions of times before, horses for courses

The only good bit was zig zag at the end, the rest was slow non technical singletrack. It either has to be fast or technical to get the blood pumping.

Stevo_666

I've not done many but liked Brechfa, didn't like Afan (Whites), like Cwmcarn and love BPW.

I'm getting lazy mind and prefer something with an uplift. Whites put me off because of thise sodding anti motocross barriers every few hundred yards which were a right pain in the butt, esp on the climb.

handsome devil

Some interesting opinions! Agreed Brechfa is a very good trail although suffers more than most in the wet (as does Cwm Rhaeadr)! However, I cannot agree that Whites & Wall are "boring and non-technical" - utter rubbish although I do realise "one mans meat is anothers poison".

However I will agree with Briggo regarding Penmachno - technical almost the whole 18 miles and definitely has a wilderness feel to it. While not one of my faves, it is up there.

I do rate Afan though - probably a close second to Nant. Probably more to do with being my first Welsh trip a few years back now. Stayed at Afan Lodge and rode The Wall the following morning and Whites in the afternoon. I nearly died but had a great day! Prefer Whites due to more variation than the Wall but will say both trails are excellent.

Dragons Back at Coed Y Brenin also good but way too much fireroad climbing (and some descending to a point). Twrch at Cwmcarn good but a tad over-rated if I`m honest.

Obviously all my humble opinion but enjoying the debate non-the-less!!

The Northern Monkey

Briggo wrote:

welshkev wrote:

It obviously Cary's between people. See I hate whites - well hated, as I haven't ridden it since they've made the changed so I'll hold judgement.

But how can anyone say the wall is dull?

As I've said millions of times before, horses for courses

The only good bit was zig zag at the end, the rest was slow non technical singletrack. It either has to be fast or technical to get the blood pumping.

Depends how much effort you're willing to put in to enjoy the trail.. the wall is brilliant!

Thewaylander

The Northern Monkey wrote:

Briggo wrote:

welshkev wrote:

It obviously Cary's between people. See I hate whites - well hated, as I haven't ridden it since they've made the changed so I'll hold judgement.

But how can anyone say the wall is dull?

As I've said millions of times before, horses for courses

The only good bit was zig zag at the end, the rest was slow non technical singletrack. It either has to be fast or technical to get the blood pumping.

Depends how much effort you're willing to put in to enjoy the trail.. the wall is brilliant!

Yup Y wal is a great trail. totally classic.

cooldad

Gorlech is mine. The up might be longish, but it's very scenic, and the down is just fun, especially the way everything gets bigger. Those last few berms always make me smile.
Always nice and quiet as well. No cafe/civilisation is a bonus.

dusk

I haven't done all the main Welsh centres but Nant Yr Arian is fantastic, Syfydrin is great fun if you fancy a longer route, it's just the red plus a lap across the moors with some good natural trails.

Climachx has a great final descent too though the rest is average

Big_Wheels

Each to their own, of course, but the great news is there's so much trail (and centre) development going on in Wales you'll have to ride them all again to make sure your favourite is still, in deed, your favourite!

(I'm another fan of Y Wal BTW) : )

welshkev

right, me and northern monkey rode y wal last sunday. I haven't ridden it for a while.

it's fecking awesome! ok, there's a bit of fire road but the singletrack is superb.

whoever doesn't like it is dead inside

dynebaruk

Another massive fan of Afan here - both The Wall and Whites. I ride them twice a week and love it every time - one midweek night ride and one weekend day time ride.

Cwmcarn - the climb was ok, due to the technicality of it, but the descent was dull and boring.
Coed-y-Brenin - loved it, especially MBR.
Brechfa - great.
Bike Park Wales - pretty good, although certain parts were unrideable when I went due to the rain and the number of riders there turning the ground into the thickest mud imaginable.

For me, nothing beats Afan...

If you don't love it then I can only assume you're riding it wrong

Briggo

welshkev wrote:

whoever doesn't like it is dead inside

So's your face! innit

rockmonkeysc

welshkev wrote:

right, me and northern monkey rode y wal last sunday. I haven't ridden it for a while.

it's ******* awesome! ok, there's a bit of fire road but the singletrack is superb.

whoever doesn't like it is dead inside

Im not much of a trail cantre rider but y wal is probably my least favourite trail. Twrch is pretty rubbish as well. Brechfa is the best I have ridden.

The Northern Monkey

Interested to know why you don't like the wall?

paulneenan76

I was a first timer at Afan this year and went with a group of regular riders who new what to miss out and what to loop more than once. It was bloomin awesome. The Wall climb was nuts (the first techy climb) but the fire road after was painful. The anti motorbike gates are annoying but better than meeting a twat on a quad!!

The black run was interesting, and all the singletrack trails offered something different. I loved it.

I did get a bit fatigued on the 3rd day but put that down to dry conditions and riding hardtail.

Paul

Nick Cod

Afan - Whites / Y Wall and also Penhydd when it was open. All good fun but of the three Whites Level was my fave

Cwmcarn - Twirch - Loads of fun, love the final decent

Nant-yr-Arian - Syfydrin - long, challenging but good mix of trail. Real sence of out in the middle of nowhere

Brechfa - despite no cafe still loved this. I heard talk of a bus / cafe here at one stage. Think it was the guy who use to run the drop in centre at Afan a few years back??!!??!

Coed-y-Brenin - Rode here ages ago, remember it being quite rocky but a good trail. Couldn't tell you exactly which route I rode, too long ago