Alright guys,

The girlfriend and her sister seem up for trying out some proper trails on the Bank Holiday weekend. Both are total novices when it comes to mountain biking. After showing them the video of Antur Stiniog they seemed keen, but not so sure they know what they’re getting themselves into! Would it be suitable for them?

Any other possible recommendations of where to go?

why not one of the easier routes at Llandegla? maybe the blue?

Brechfa is lovely. Glorious countryside around, and some nice cruisy trails.

Do not take noobz to Antur! Last time I was there, saw a group of total beginners. All on rental bikes. All in their Altura commuting gear. There was blood. There were bandages.

Another vote for Brechfa.

Antur Stiniog is not suitable for novices. Brechfa green trail is about the best novice trail imaginable.

Ha I thought as much CaptainF! Its hard because for the Brother in Law and myself we want to go somewhere like Antur or BPW but think the best course of action will be to compromise else they might not want to give it another go.

Just checked out Brechfa, looks perfect for what we need, thanks for all the reccomendations. Will have to save Antur/BPW for when we can ditch the girls!

Coed y brenin. Loads of good stuff for all levels.

Llandegla, its prolly the best bang for buck experience, all things considered … IMO again, Lol

Will have to save Antur/BPW for when we can ditch the girls!

How about saving it for when they realise how much fun it is?

#casualsexism 😉

If they find Brechfa too tame, the red at Cwm Rhaeder near Llandovery is pretty smooth running, rollable and not intimidatingly narrow.
Also short enough and fun enough for an extra flat-out lap.

Isn’t there a new one specially set up for couples? 😉

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDR5nXSLq-0[/video]

Brechfa is great, just back from a week thee with the family. Loved the black the big grins made all the pedalling well worth it. Not sure I’d vote for it over Afan though for beginners.

Both have lots to offer. Afan has better bike shops and cafe stops and maybe more trail marked runs. Might be easier to access too depending on where you are coming from.

Either will be great.

CYB also has options too of course.

I wouldn’t take bpw out of the equation, there’s something for every level of rider there.

Take her to Bangor.

IGMC…..

I’d have thought the blues at BPW would be perfect. You get all the fun of going down without the pain of going up! When I’ve gone out with new people before the fitness has been the biggest issue – often found they can’t really enjoy the downs because the ups have taken too much out of them*.

*This includes my 1st time when I nearly puked

They’ve done a great job with that MBWales film. Makes me want to get in the car now.

CYB is a good starting point for mixed ability. Minotaur will be more than enough for a novice, and you can nip around MBR afterwards while she has a brew.

Took the GF to North wales last year for my birthday, or she took me but I planed it etc…she’s competent but still a bit nervous. We went to Coed y Brenin, Llandegla and Penmachno, out of the three she loved Llandegla the most, thought CYB was boring as hell and had a nasty spill at Penmachno, Llandegla is the only one we cross the border to go back to, 6 hours round trip worth it every time for the smile on her face, defo recommend it, if they can see past the initial climb.

There’s a massive difference between what an mtber thinks is proper riding and what a novice thinks is proper riding.

The problem with total noobs is that even with videos, they don’t know what they’re looking at. They have no comprehension of body English, bike instability, or the physics of bikes at funny angles because their experience of riding bikes is confined to being permanently seated on tarmac to the shops, or a promenade somewhere, in a perfectly upright position, keeping the bike vertical all the time. If you’re lucky they might have commuted or used a road bike, but that doesn’t really travel across to dirt much anyway.

I’d not take noobs to Afan. Its all about the riding annd doesn’t offer much apart from clear fell and pine enclosures. Once they realise it’s alot harder that they think your day is going to be unpleasant without any other distractions like sea view, cafe/pub stops, etc…Surely theres a nice bimble locally you can do for half a day?

Really wouldn’t think BPW Wales is a good idea. Even if the blues are fine (which I somewhat doubt), uplifts with a van full of armoured up gnar-monkeys can be a tad intimidating.

My wife really enjoyed the blue/green at Brechfa years ago but CYB is probably a better bet nowadays with the Minotaur trail, great skills areas and a proper visitors centre. The red Dream Time section is also a nice step up to an easy red and close to the visitors centre.

Llandegla. I took my other half there as her first jaunt at ‘mtbing’ and I wasnt murdered at the end of it. Just make sure you set the expectation of the slog of a climb at the start. If you want to skip the boardwalks you could do first half red then blue back to the trail head.

Seen loads of couples there over the weekend actually.

One advantage of Minotaur at CYB is that there is no hideous climb out of the trailhead. It’s firmly aimed at novices and kids, although if ridden at speed, it’s a lot more fun than the start of the red/blacks.

timmys – Member

Really wouldn’t think BPW Wales is a good idea. Even if the blues are fine (which I somewhat doubt), uplifts with a van full of armoured up gnar-monkeys can be a tad intimidating.

this.

msWife didn’t really enjoy BPW, the blues are really reds (in a trail centre sense), and the less said about the testosterone-fueled uplift sausage-fest the better.

Brechfa Green is about the most fun it’s possible to have on a bike, if that’s a bit far then how about the minotaur at Coed Y Brenin? – another fantastic trail for mtb’ers new and old.

The blue at Llandegla is a bit meh. the climb goes on forever (or at least feels like it) and the descent doesn’t really make up for it. In my wife’s un-contestable opinion…

Llandegla. If they’re complete novice riders I would not take them to Stiniog.

As an alternative to trail centers go somewhere natural like Rhayader, end up at a nice pub.

+ Don’t make an epic day of it

Mrs hoppy is quite competent and I’d not take her to antur, it’s way more technical and intimidating than a newbie would be happy with.

I was there on friday (its ace) and after this winter even jympur is fairly rocky at the moment. Wild cart gave me a few wide eyed moments on the 1st run down. Didnt trouble the blacks.

Minotaur at CyB, Marin and degla blue are all worth a look if you wanted to go to n Wales.

T1000 – Member

+ Don’t make an epic day of it

this, lots.

for a newbie, 10k is a long way offroad.

I’m delighted when i’m proven wrong on this, but it’s better to be proven wrong by a cheery:

‘i think we could go a bit further next time…?’

than proven right by a complete melt-down after 16K.

For novices better stick to the green and blue trails. There is o lot of forestry road in CYB and betws y coed that you could cycle around, or the afon or minatour in CYB. Dont think Antur or Penmachno is suitable for novices, youll either put them offf cycling or they could get injured.

Try the minatour ir afon at cyb, mayby the easier sections of the red as pink heiffer if confident, or a spin around llyn elsi in betws y coed (some fitness required but not technical).

I’d be veering towards Gwydyr – great views, trails aren’t too full on, lots of other stuff to do in the area if the weathers crap.

total novices when it comes to mountain biking.
…
Antur Stiniog

No!

I consider myself a fairly competent rider, and the blue stuff at Antur was plenty hard enough for me. I remember Northwind skipping down the double black like it was no big deal, but I’m not that good! One guy in our group did the blue once, and then went to roll around the pump track for the rest of the day as it was too much of a step up for him. IIRC he was a ‘veteran’ Peak district rider, definitely not a novice, just a wheels on the ground type rider.

Does it have to be Wales? How about the Forest of Dean? That’s very swoopy and pretty good for a beginner, no huge climbs that I can remember.

Is there a CenterParcs in Wales?

You could take them up the cheeky trails?

Gwydir is my favourite forest, always drier on the ground than cyb and penmachno.

Picnic in a backpack at llyn elsi would be one of my choices for someone new.

Thanks for the ton of great advice and video, spoilt for choice.

Bails – Doesn’t have to be Wales but as its the bonk holiday thought we may as well go a bit further afield.

Think its going to be CYB or Llandegla, both seem perfect and have bike hire/camping near by.

On the up side, she can’t possible hate it as much as the cross country skiing we tried a while ago! Both of us total noobs, both f00ked after 8km and 2 hours

Doesn’t have to be Wales but as its the bonk holiday thought we may as well go a bit further afield.

Definitely Center Parcs given the above……

I rode the Minotaur at Coed y Brenin last year and wasn’t actually that impressed. The first loop was the sort of fun I’d expect from a blue trail but the second and third loops (I think there were three) didn’t really seem to provide much reward for their climbing. In its favour though the climbs aren’t particularly harsh. Compared to my local blue route at Glentress the Minotaur isn’t much fun but is probably considerably less brutal for novices when it comes to gaining altitude.

I hear the new Ebril Fwyl trail centre’s supposed to be quite good.

I only started mountain biking about 4 years ago so I have some fairly recent experience. I would go to Brechfa every time. It’s a fantastic place for a beginner. I would avoid CYB. Only the Minatour is suitable and only the first loop is any good. There isn’t enough there to keep a beginner interested for a long weekend.
Llandegla is fine but I would question how many times a beginner would want to do the opening climb over the course of a long weekend.

took my kid brother to Stiniog yesterday, he had a bmx as kid but is total novice on a MTB. he was flying down the Jympar run absolutely loving it. (apart from the time he followed me off Jympar onto Drafft where it goes straight into that quite fearsome rock garden and he had a pretty nasty OTB) he was hitting them doubles after the drop at the bottom by the end of the day tho and cant wait to go back!!