As title really - been to Coed y Brenin, Nanty Arian etc in North Wales but not Llandegla yet - thinking of going this weekend - Worth the trip or better to travel a bit longer?
All comments appreciated
use the search function 🙄
forum search, been talked about a LOT!
Uh-oh!
I'll start then
I thought it was proper shit
Just go there, if you like it then it's a worthwhile trip and if you don't like it then it's a lesson learnt.
How good are you? People who are crap on bikes think it's rubbish.
Mostly fast wide(ish) swoopy - nothing like CyB. Some people find it artificial, thousands of others clearly love it, cos car park is usually nice and full. Good café, nice people.
To assess whether you will enjoy it or not, we need to know whether you sometimes wear sportswear around town, or 'talk common'.
It has been discussed a lot on here.
For what it's worth, I've been twice and enjoyed it. Would go again.
Very "man made" indeed, but a good laugh for a couple of hours, rather than a big ride in the hills type of thing. 🙂
samuri - like to think i'm pretty reasonable - been doing it since back in the day - before even suspension forks were thought about - never did go in for flouro lycra tho.!!
It's alright, better trail centres are available. Worth maybe an hours drive, wouldn't be my first choice again at 2hours.
Oh yeah, avoid sunny weekends if poss. (No problem there, then at the moment!)It gets rammed.
grumm - don't ever wear sports wear round town - i try not to even go in to town
I enjoyed it, not as 'techy' as some bits of CyB, but not bad by a long way.
If you're heading that way how about Penmachno?... bit more interesting
I liked it. Only been once.
It was a bit busy though & there were large groups of kids who insisted on stopping right in the middle of the trail & dumping their bikes. Up a steep switchbacky climb was the most annoying.
Almost worth a trip just for the cafe if you ask me....the burgers are the schizzle....(whatever that means).
I liked it. Only been once.
It was a bit busy though & there were large groups of kids who insisted on stopping right in the middle of the trail & dumping their bikes. Up a steep switchbacky climb was the most annoying.
Almost worth a trip just for the cafe if you ask me....the burgers are the schizzle....(whatever that means).
hp - there's a thought - trouble is my mate hasn't been riding much & i'm trying to drag him out on the pretense of it not being too heavy going
Don't expect any dusty trails.
Include the mast loop (returning via Offas Dyke) for a nice little singletrack extra.
Quite good for an inexperienced rider - the first climb might be a bit off-putting but just requires patience. The blacks aren't really black (one of the sources of criticism) so it can feel quite flattering to a newbie. I wouldn't take them down the jumps sequence though.
It's good, not techy but if you really go at it hell for leather it still gives enough "twitchy" moments.
I bet those who don't like it take about 2 hours to get round! 😉
MMMMM. Might give it a try - if it's wide trails we'll have to ride it fast! Or maybe Nanty Arian / Coed y Brenin again Or Penmachno
dusty how long will it take you to get there?
If its the same kind of journey I'd go for Nant y Arian every time - Mark of Zorro is that good.
[i]Up a steep switchbacky climb [/i]
Sorry, you are clearly mistaken.
There is a steepish switchbacky climb up from the bottom of the black bit?
the second black bit (or the third if u count the quick boardwalk thing) does have a switchback climb yes
Agree with samuri, slow riders think its crap, they will be the ones putting braking bumps in all the berms. Fast riders will always find it fun because its a trail that rewards fast riding.
Its only half an hour away for me so its a good midweek blast and you can mix up the trails a bit.
Maybe do it as well as another centre on a weekend, or get a map and check out trails out of the forest as has been suggested. You can head out over the moors and do a good route out to Llangollen and back.
If you dont like it, come on here and moan, its seems to be compulsory.
i would say its ok for a newish rider like your mate, i took my missus and we did the blue route it was a bit daunting for her at first but i soon had her stood up on the pedals and going for she really enjoyed herself so go for it what have you got to lose, gaz
I personally like it, I also like totally natural riding across "proper" mountains/hills all over the shop and blasting local woods too.
Don't go expecting a techy rock-fest or totally rad 'shore, and you'll have a good time.
It's a great place to introduce/re-introduce others to biking, and to have a blast round something different.
Burgers are killer too!
Do go expecting Cake Hunters.
I rode it for the first time yesterday, thought it was pants really but I can see why other people like it.
It's very accessible, mostly it's been designed around giving easy access to people from places like Chester and Wrexham. From the point of view of encouraging people to get out on a bike, it is really excellent.
The trails, all of them, including the black runs, are groomed to within an inch of their life. They are 'three quarters to dust', smooth and bullet hard like a BMX track. The black runs in particular are like pump tracks so if you can pump, they are sort of entertaining. They really need you to know where to carry speed though so on first approach it can feel a bit of a slog. I had to session a few places to really start to get any sense of fun.
There are clearly a lot of other pump/bmx like sections that are just waiting to be opened but are not yet rideable.
It's a very different place to CYB - it is very man made but it should be applauded for what it sets out to do.
Penmachno is more fun but a lot of it is getting very overgrown. I rode that on Monday and scratched my left arm to bits riding up against the brambles. That trail also really holds loads of water so even if its not raining, you can get soaked. But it is still a pretty good ride.
It's too bermed and jumpy for me. I'm not good at that sort of thing or riding wood so found it disappointing. Nice setting and I'm tempted to go again as it's a reasonable drive for me. Just makes me a little wary of train centres nowadays. I'm really looking for easy to navigate trails that mimic natural riding but maybe with extra singletrack and armoured so as to be weather resistant. I'm not looking to be forced to ride jumps/north shore etc.
Because it's so tame at low speed it is fantastic for beginners, they can comfortably ride it slowly and they feel like they've done some propper mountain biking. Then go faster or try more techy stuff elsewhere having gained a bit of confidence.
If you like trails that present a challenge to just ride along you'll hate it, if you can pump, jump and rail round the corners you can get enough speed up to properly scare yourself. Once you've come close to running off flat out into the trees a couple of times you start to see the other side of its split personality.
Ask the A&E dept at the Maelor Hospital if they think their 'customers' from Llandegla find it easy and pants.
I've done it (the black) in under an hour. Anyone who thinks it's easy and crap should try it at that speed and get back to me. If you're doing it slower no wonder you think it's crap.
Oh, on a singlespeed.
/waves willy
Quote: "A canal towpath is hard if you ride it fast enough. - Samuri."
The cafe is great, the red/black combined trail is good too, but like others have said its more like a BMX track its very over man made! i really hate the last bit climbing back up, and it seems so flat after with very little variation but up until the end of the black or red its a good trail for honing skills etc.
i didnt like it at all!!!and the cafe was a rip off!!
Crap riders think its good because they can then boast on STW forum that they are some kind of ally superhero on a bike because they've bimbled around a woefully mis-named 'black route'. If you don't like it too technical (and con tray to the sword-weilding oriental its anything but, no matter how fast you ride it) then its worth a visit but otherwise better is available. And yes, I've ridden it on a singlespeed (on my jump seeking DB Holeshot), on a 'normal' singlespeed at a fair old lick and on a Giant Trance in order to give it a fair chance in case I was over/under biked but at no time did it provide anything other than exercise. It is MBR subscriber fodder or somewhere for locals to get an easy ride in and little more. Of course if you do find it technical then I'd steer clear of proper black routes and don't even think of booking a trip to the Alps.
That's a little negative. It's a trail centre. One of the tamer ones at that. Appreciate it for what it is.
If you don't like it so much just be thankful that all the 'crap' riders will be there, rather than on your super gnarly hardcore trails.
Yes I have been to llandegla as I have with a number of other trail centres. I do prefer natural trails but places like llandegla are a good (safe) way for people to get into mountain biking and also an easy ride out for us mere mortals when we fancy a change of scenery.
dp
Technical doesn't necessarily mean rocks. It means you need technique. Like Brechfa green at high speed.. very technical!
Andyhilton - Sorry if that came acrosd a little harsh, to be honest it was worded such to counter 'Samuri' and his tired, oft-repeated tripe that if you don't enjoy Llandegla you must be riding a Halfords special bike at walking pace or words to that effect. I don't like it there, I've given it a few chances and I'm not a bad rider, fairly rapid on an xc bike and not too bad on the technical stuff. I can see its appeal to a certain type of rider, someone who wants a no-frills jaunt without the risk of ending up broken and awaiting mountain rescuse in the middle of nowhere but it really isn't that technical, but for anyone who thinks it is then its the perfect place for them.
For what is quite a small block of forestry they have done well to get the length of trail in there. I always liken it to a big BMX track and I found it fun. As it is in a Sitka Spruce plantation the planting of the trees makes it feel a bit odd. Nothing like CYB which is nothing like Penmachno vive la difference.
Super friendly staff in the Cafe, bit up themselves in the shop but that is the norm.
Wrote my dissitation about them.
