[Closed] Nant yr Arian - Opinions?

Definatly worth a visit.

Take a OS map, if your really keen you can link to the "Mach" trails north of NyA.

There are no showers though and the cafe is a bit expencive, so take your own grub.

Summit trail is excellent - but maybe a little short. The Continental trail covers quite a bit of the Summit trail but also some more 'wilderness' type riding. I like close by and my choice would be the summit - more fun and if you are feelign excitable you could always do the fun bits twice.

I likes it. It's my next trail centre stop, as it happens, on a 3 day road trip.

It's a nice mix of wide open spaces, which you might call "proper mountain biking" and the playground fun and games of a trail centre. 'Mark of Zorro' is a hoot - Vid link here -

The cafe's a little full of the loo, brew and a view brigade, but they do nice cake!

Overall, a nice place. Well worth a trip. Plus, there's loads of really good open trail mountain action to be had around there.

worth a look definately, and also worth getting a copy of the route extensions ST published a couple of years back.

It's my back garden. I've only ridden here and Coed y Brenin so can't make any comparisons but it's a great XC trail centre with technical or fast flowing singletrack downhill sections.

The Pendam is good for a quick blast. It links most of the technical sections close to the centre and Pendam lake with short fire road climbs or lakeside singletrack.

The Summit is more of the same (uses most of the Pendam trail then goes further out) with longer XC sections and a longer climb in the middle (the Leg Burner).

I've not done the Syfydrin as it looks to take in a heck of a lot of road. Albeit unclassified roads. It heads right back down the valley to my village then back out to the centre again. I don't doubt that it gets up onto the uplands a little but it's not my cup of tea. I'd rather be on a trail.

All in all, It's a great centre with full bike cleaning facilities, a good cafe and plenty of outdoor space to relax and watch the kite feeding after a hefty ride. You'll not be disappointed.

Continental one of the best IMO, lovely wide open, lots of natural bits which i prefer.

It's very different from Brenin, Brechfa, Carn and Afan:

pleasant and not too bike specific (walkers and twitchers too)
chilled
pure fun
scenic, open and fast
mixture of "natural" and hand-built
The standard and condition of the singletrack is really high esp. Mark of Zorro.

We rode 2 laps of "Summit" as part of a Welsh weekend road trip with The Beast and Tawr at Coed Y Brenin. It was the highlight of the trip IMO.

Syfydrin does have a surprising amount of tarmac for a trail center ride but its worth doing for that 'remote' feeling & views are superb, but the final climb goes on forever.

Thanks everyone. Just organised a trip there for a bit later in the year. Plan is Summit on Friday and Syfydrin on Saturday with a group of six others. I can't wait now, after you've all praised it so highly.

its great but short - do 2 laps!

It's superb, although you could do the Conti (longer) loop AND the shorter Summit loop in a day without too much difficulty.

I don't remember a lot of tarmac particularly on Syfydrin, maybe compared to other trail centres though.

Felt more like a really good bridleway route - with added singletrack bits.

Love it personally, can't wait to go back!

I agree with Jimbo. If you have all day and it's nice, then do Continental and Summit with a nice relaxing coffee/lunch break in between.

The tarmac of the Conti loop is confined to the "back" section of it, if that makes sense.
Little bit of tarmac along the side of Nant-y-Moch, then a Km or two out through Bont Goch, IIRC.

When we visited we didnt encounter another soul just the red kites and the occasional sound of the RAF on training hugging the landscape. We combined it with a trip to Machynlleth for Climach x action - well recommended and a nice contrast to Nant Y Arian less techinical riding..

Didn't like it. Couple good sections but nothing special. All the fun is gone after the first 10mins. The open mountain bit is wide, straight and boring. You waste an absolute load of elevation!! I prefer singletrack to bridleways.

i don't enjoy 'the leg burner' but otherwise it's very natural, you even have to open gates!!! 🙂

"you even have to open gates!!! [:)] "

Exactly, I hate having to slow down!!!

Did the Syfydrin trail on saturday and dispite a fair bit of ice I thought it was excellent. Good mix of singletrack and XC with views, nothing very technical but well worth a visit.

Just wish it was closer to me!

I like it, the 'Italian Job' section is fun as is 'Mark of Zorro'.

A good combo would be to link it to a ride either in Machllyneth or from NYA to Machyllneth.

I did it (the Syfydrin inc. the Summit trail) back in October with a bunch of mates (13 in all), it rained for the whole 4 hours, and there was fog so thick you couldn't see more than 50m ahead for most of the ride.

There was alot of going up for not alot of back down again IMHO, but I'd defo give it another go on a nicer day.

The Climach is meant to be proper good fun too