The skills area was opened at the Coed Llandegla mountain bike centre near Wrexham thanks to a grant from FC Wales’s Better Woodlands for Wales scheme.
The skills area has four separate sections so that riders of all abilities – from beginner to advanced.
Those new to the sport can learn and practise basic bike techniques, while more experienced riders can tackle the Free Ride area, featuring dirt and built jumps, drops and manmade stunts. The Pump Track teaches riders to maintain and gain speed with the minimum of pedalling and the Dual Slalom pits two riders in a head to head race along berms, jumps and bumps.
Dave Liddy, FC Wales Visitor Management adviser, said more and more people were discovering the excitement of mountain biking in the woodlands of Wales.
“Last year, more than 410,000 cyclists visited the world-class biking centres in Wales, bringing millions of pounds into the Welsh economy, but we’re keen to encourage those new to the sport to learn and practise bike techniques before they set off into the woods,” he said.
“Welsh woodlands offer fantastic opportunities for recreation and the mountain bike trails demonstrate how large, well-managed forests can provide timber and local jobs for a thriving industry as well as a great day out.”
In addition to the skills area, FC Wales has also given UPM Tilhill a grant towards an extra 10.5km of new track to provide even more exciting challenges for riders in Llandegla.
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Except the “dual slalom” has’nt been built yet.
No one told me I could have put this into my Better Woodland Wales scheme! Oh well, shall go in the next one.
Takes the p**s really a commercially owned forest (tilhill) and a commercial company gets public money to make more private profit. Surely this money should of gone to one the FC centres like the Marin or Coed Y Brenin.
Not bothered where the money comes from to be honest. It looks like fun.
Some heavyweight tosh talked here by Leon simple answer fella is no. This grant is specifically handed by the FC to private forests to enable diversification to improve the business profit base and sustainability of private woodlands, who do not benefit from regular bail outs by the tax payer.
Having had years of experience from grass roots to world championship and trail centre development of mountain biking one thing the forestry commission does not do well, and can be easily seen at Gwydyr, is gain sufficient economic traction with its facilities to ensure they are maintained and developed. Having reviewed the economic figures in terms of cash in and miles ridden and money out Llandegla has out performed any investment of any public forest in Wales and best of all if you choose to park your car out on the road you can ride in pay nowt ride all the trails and skills area for free.
Indeed I am currently seeking to get a funding package into Gwydyr and I get the distinct impression the FC’s apparent preference only to invest its own funds into forests supported by centres.
Surely one of the reasons Llandegla has done so well, particularly compared to Gwydyr, is the location – so near to the A483 and so close to Wrexham, the biggest town in North Wales, and Chester. Personally, I’ve always preferred Gwydyr forest as it feels more remote and less commercial, but living only 10 miles from Llandegla does mean I end up riding there more often.
Hving said all that I suppose Coed-y-Brenin isn’t exactly the easiest place to get to but always seems quite busy. It must be the exception that proves the rule.
i may be adding to that skills area soon too 🙂
Use the toilet like everyone else jedi…………
i hope its proper skinnys jedi.
I was of course not recommending parking on the road to avoid helping contribute to the maintenance of the trails. The local residents, who hate the centre and mountain bikers, love to complain to the council planning police about the use of the road as a car park and there have been a number of unexplained deep gouge marks down the side of cars parked on the road side made by sharp metal objects.