Mid-Wales Trail Advice

EH_Rob

Hiya,

Off to Wales next week for a few days, staying fairly near Machynlleth. I am going to have 3 days to go riding. One day going to Coed-Y-Brenin (I've never been), one day on the Stiniog uplift (never been). Third day I'm not sure what to do. Was kind of keen to go and explore the Dyfi Forest area. I know the Mach trails are in there, plus its a UKGE venue so guessing there's a bunch of other stuff too. That's the type of riding I'm after ideally.

A few questions for anyone who knows the area:

Coed Y Brenin - best route or combination of routes? We'll have a full day and are competent riders.
Something for the third day? Is my suggestion reasonable? Is there somewhere I could get a map of the Dyfi Forest? Or is there somewhere else nearby?

Any help appreciated, cheers.

Maro

I visited Coed Y Brenin (also my first time) recently, we found that The Beast trail takes in parts of most others, its graded black but this time of year it's more like a long red, there are some really fun bits. It's actually worth riding the blue trail, Minotour, it's not long at all and just fun whizzing through the fast berms and pumping over bits. The skills area has a pump track too, I spent a little while playing on that.

Nant Y Arian is towards the west coast and is a great place to ride, Summit trail is good, as is the long red graded trail, Skyffdrin (sp?), which takes in the Summit and other trails. It's the only place I've ridden with a visitors center but also feels like you're exploring the countryside.

Where are you travelling from? The Pearce Cycles red loop at Hopton Castle is worth a ride if you are passing through the south Shropshire area, takes up to an hour and a half to ride, be sure to warm up on the short skills loop first, the trail begins and ends with a decent.

I'm also keen to hear of other good places in mid Wales

EH_Rob

Thanks chaps. I live in Edinburgh but will be travelling over to Wales from Yorkshire.

If anyone has any thoughts on where I could get further info about trails in the Dyfi forest/valley that'd be great.

iwilldoit

As your in Mach give the Climach x ( http://www.dyfimountainbiking.org.uk/climachx/ ) a go, also Mach 1.2 &3 trails more natural trails, or wonder around the Dyfi forest there are shed loads of trails there, as others have said Nant Yr Arian is nice.

I live around 20 miles from Mach and there is a lot of riding around the area so you don't have to do all trail centres.

Ferrals

Depending on when you are going next week,on the Sunday (10th) the welsh champs is at CyB, having never been there I have no idea if it will affect anything for you, the arena is at the old visitors centre and I think it doesn't use the main trails but I guess it might mean the carpark is a bit busier than normal

iwilldoit

Ferrals wrote:

Depending on when you are going next week,on the Sunday (10th) the welsh champs is at CyB, having never been there I have no idea if it will affect anything for you, the arena is at the old visitors centre and I think it doesn't use the main trails but I guess it might mean the carpark is a bit busier than normal

Usually doesn't effect the trails, or it didn't when I did the Antifreeze, the main car park is always busy, but as it's over the other side of the road shouldn't be a problem that's where my son's races usually are.

EH_Rob

Thanks for the heads up, we're actually going to be riding Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday next week so no problem there.

Are the Dyfi Forest trails that aren't waymarked relatively easy to find? Just a case of following your nose? Where would I be best parking?

iwilldoit

If you go to the Climach X there is a car park there and the ClimachX is marked, a lot of the trails are off shoots and not marked.
Mach 1,2 & 3 are supposed to be marked but the one I tried was very poorly marked.

Ferrals

iwilldoit wrote:

Usually doesn't effect the trails, or it didn't when I did the Antifreeze, the main car park is always busy, but as it's over the other side of the road shouldn't be a problem that's where my son's races usually are.

How far is it from the carpark to the other side? Coming up for the Sunday, should I bring a rucksack to put stuff (jacket, food, tools etc) in and take over or is it just a couple of mins so I can leave everything in the car?

iwilldoit

It's longer than a couple of minutes it's around 1 1/2 miles according to multimap dependent on where the start is , are you doing the race ? when my son has had races over the old side there has been parking over there.

timpop

I think the final section of Cli-machx is closed at the moment so it's not worth doing it. It's the longest section of singletrack and really fun to ride. Something to do another time. Go into the bike shop in Mach for more info on the other riding around the area. They are very helpful and friendly in there.
The Beast is a good choice at Coed-Y-Brenin. If you're feeling energetic you can extend it nicely by doing the first couple sections of Dragons Back (Dream Time is super fun and fast), then left over the bridge to do Pink Hiefer again before heading back for the final section again or to cruise along Minor Taur.
I'm in the area a couple times a year, it's a great place to be. I know a nice peaceful spot to stay near Dolgellau if you ever go back for a week. Have fun.

Ferrals

iwilldoit wrote:

It's longer than a couple of minutes it's around 1 1/2 miles according to multimap dependent on where the start is , are you doing the race ? when my son has had races over the old side there has been parking over there.

Yeah doing the race, but i think it says carparking will be in a specific bit of the new visitors centre. Will bring a rucksack

iwilldoit

timpop wrote:

I think the final section of Cli-machx is closed at the moment so it's not worth doing it. It's the longest section of singletrack and really fun to ride. Something to do another time. Go into the bike shop in Mach for more info on the other riding around the area. They are very helpful and friendly in there.
The Beast is a good choice at Coed-Y-Brenin. If you're feeling energetic you can extend it nicely by doing the first couple sections of Dragons Back (Dream Time is super fun and fast), then left over the bridge to do Pink Hiefer again before heading back for the final section again or to cruise along Minor Taur.
I'm in the area a couple times a year, it's a great place to be. I know a nice peaceful spot to stay near Dolgellau if you ever go back for a week. Have fun.

If your talking about the Holey Trail bike shop it shut up shop and no longer there.

iwilldoit

Ferrals wrote:

iwilldoit wrote:

It's longer than a couple of minutes it's around 1 1/2 miles according to multimap dependent on where the start is , are you doing the race ? when my son has had races over the old side there has been parking over there.

Yeah doing the race, but i think it says carparking will be in a specific bit of the new visitors centre. Will bring a rucksack

Hi Ferrals.

Take your pads as well if it's anything like the enduro I did there it's quite rough and rocky, mind they might make a different sort of course for the XC race, but most of CYB is rocky best of luck and enjoy it.

Ferrals

Pads would be a pain in the race, but i'll bring them for practise on the sat to make sure I don't do anything silly! I imagine (hope?) it will be less extreme than an enduro course though. The videos of xc races there I've seen look technical but not pad worthy.

iwilldoit

Ferrals wrote:

Pads would be a pain in the race, but i'll bring them for practise on the sat to make sure I don't do anything silly! I imagine (hope?) it will be less extreme than an enduro course though. The videos of xc races there I've seen look technical but not pad worthy.

Just watched this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WOFkYzGTR8 and I recognise quite a bit of from my sons races, quite rooty, he's had to go into the under 12's now but he's only just turned 10 so they make them go on a longer route and it did stretch his legs earlier this month, yes not a rough as the track they sent me round and at 52 I tend to be padded up quite a lot don't like pain any more

timpop

iwilldoit wrote:

timpop wrote:

I think the final section of Cli-machx is closed at the moment so it's not worth doing it. It's the longest section of singletrack and really fun to ride. Something to do another time. Go into the bike shop in Mach for more info on the other riding around the area. They are very helpful and friendly in there.
The Beast is a good choice at Coed-Y-Brenin. If you're feeling energetic you can extend it nicely by doing the first couple sections of Dragons Back (Dream Time is super fun and fast), then left over the bridge to do Pink Hiefer again before heading back for the final section again or to cruise along Minor Taur.
I'm in the area a couple times a year, it's a great place to be. I know a nice peaceful spot to stay near Dolgellau if you ever go back for a week. Have fun.

If your talking about the Holey Trail bike shop it shut up shop and no longer there.

I didn't know that thanks. It was a good shop. Thankfully their other two are still open.