haven’t been in any welsh trail centres.. planning to ride on a weekday.. is there something i need to be worry about?

🙄

You’ll need to pay for the car park (£2-4), you’ll have a great ride, they’ll be lots of other folk there but you probably won’t see many out on the trails unless you’re really quick or have a problem – then someone will catch you up and probably offer to help. Oh, and there’s a little diversion at very end if you do the Minatour (family) route as they’re putting an extension on the visitors centre.

It’s all good there, especially at this time of year 🙂

No…do it on my own whenever I go to Wales with the wife. Print off the different routes before you go and keep them with you. You can also tailor the different sections too so you spend less time on the fire roads. Personally I find the mbr route a great warm up, before doing the beast or Dragon’s back

I did a mix up route out there which if you look at the maps does the MBR then cut through to the other Cafe, miss the pointless slog up & down a fireroad and pick up the adams family descents. You can also pic and mix other bits to suit distance etc.

Usual rules apply for riding alone, take a phone (it may or may not work), take spares and multi tool and don’t expect to be found for a while if you crash big 🙂

Do it. Just keep a bit in reserve.

1. Keep your riding within 90 percent of your limits, give someone ETA’s and give them a printed map of your route.

2. Take a first aid kit with you.

3. Take your phone with you, although it may not get reception.

4. Take spare clothing in your bag in case you get stuck somewhere, people throughout the world have been known to die a few hundred meters from cafes due to exposure. A lightweight bivy if you have one is a bonus.

5. Take plenty of water and energy food.

6. Wear a jacket that is high viz if you can so that people can spot you lying in bushes.

7. If you come off and hurt yourself badly, damage your helmet or bonk due to a lack of sugar do not attempt to use an escape route than involves riding technical trails….use a fireroad, blue trail or specific escape routes where possible. Only use technical routes if you really really feel that it is necessary or if you can get back home quicker by walking down them. Riding a techy trail after any of these three events is a recipe for disaster.

Keep those things in mind and have a fun time!

Also if it’s going to be wet (most likely) and you’re a rookie rider I would perhaps invest in as tackier tire as possible for the front without compromising your ability to ride the bike all day. Not a mud tyre, CYB is mostly rock and roots but definitely something soft. Continental Black Chilli compound or a Maxxis Super Tacky of some sort.

If your a rookie or unused to rooty rocky trails it will make your day a lot more relaxed. If you cant afford it though, no worries just ride safe.

lordi he’s just bimbling around CYB not trying to find the source of the Amazon

wolfenstein just follow the signs & don’t be daft, you’ll be fine

CYB is fun

Bwaarp,you’d need a trailer to carry all that crap..
I go there regularly & ride on my own,twice last month & rode all 3 trails Saturday..Dress appropriately – Saturday was warm,but the wind was very cold(& usually is) at the top of Dragon’s back/Beast trail.

I’ve ridden the Beast a couple of time on my own and didn’t die. The worst that happened was that the cafe owner halfway round told me off for being on my own.

Everything at C-y-B is rollable so just stay sensible and you should be fine. It’s rocky so a tumble can hurt, if all else fails follow the spaceships back to the visitor centre on easy trails.

So that explains the gigantic camelbaks…

GB

Some peoples idea of risk makes me laugh. But no one has yet mentioned a helmet, so perhaps things are lightening up a bit 🙂

It’s a busy trail centre. There’ll be someone coming past fairly regularly if you do get into trouble. Which you probably won’t.

Just take it steady on anything you are unsure of; knee pads aren’t a bad idea as it is rocky. Last time I went with a mate who hadn’t done much riding on anything other than woodland trails, and he came off fairly early on in the day whacking his knee. He was fine to continue, but with hindsight I think pads for him would have been sensible.

Just take some snacks and a layer or two. Depends on your fitness level, but we always find layers come off once you get away from the visitor centre & start climbing, but you might find you need them later on.

Have Fun!!

Yep as with a lot of stuff I dont have multiple camel backs for different days. I just take the one that I have that covers full day riding.

For uk riding a jacket spare jersey food water tube pump and multi tool isnt that much to carry. Throw in a first aid kit and thats still not that much. Guess it depends how far you want to walk while cold and wet.

thanks all for taking time replying this thread.. i didn’t die today.. 😀 …but skip the last bit of “dragons back” after the bridge as i ran out of water .. i thought 1.5-2 litre is enough ..should have heed “bwaarp” no.5 list.. was actually counting on the cafe in the middle of the trail (trail marker 118)to top-up my water carrier but they are close 🙁 …. and whos idea putting millions of sharp rocks on the trails 👿

.. for those who reply.. hope you enjoy this (taken today)

For uk riding a jacket spare jersey food water tube pump and multi tool isnt that much to carry. Throw in a first aid kit and thats still not that much. Guess it depends how far you want to walk while cold and wet.

This. It’s not much effort to carry a spare jacket and base layer – maybe it’s the hiking/climbing side of me coming out but I never do any rides without them.

But hey.

“busy trail center” doesn’t cut it, I’ve ridden past guys who were unconscious by the side of the trail and later found out from riding buddies.

Looks like you had a great day, should really say the cafe is shut mid week. Looks like proper winter out there still.

I though we mentioned the sharp rocks 🙂

oh! the snowy bit i’ve taken on the way.. can’t resist to stop and snap 😀 ..trail is all dry at all, happy as larry there… i thought just some sharp rocks 🙄 ..i did carry all bwaarp suggestions, its just the water i come short 🙁

😀

Was there Saturday(& yesterday ;)) & the only snow was at the top of Beast/Dragons Back trail