Looking to head over to a Welsh trail centre this year,looking for good technical / fast flowing fun trails,not really into the long boring wide open fire roads though.Only ever ridden at Cannock before ,ride there a few times a week as its on the doorstep,so looking for a step up from that.Where would you recommend?Preferably somewhere with decent facilities.Thanks.
Afan + a drive "up the road" to Brechfa is an option. Not been to cyb for donkeys but from what I remember it was great.
Maybe
CYB was a bit rubbish last time I went (seems to have been changed a lot since I started going there a few years back).
My favourite is Penmachno, but not really a trail centre - more just a trail. Horses for courses, and loads of people love CYB - you can't really go wrong in any of the Welsh places.
CYB is excellent, also Penmachno and the Marin trail are worth a look if you're in the area.
Brechfa all the way for me.
They are all good in there own way, depends what you are looking for. Whites at Afan was one of my faves but think they've done some work there now. We did dragons back at brenin and was great fun, really good ride. Go on a round route and do brenin, betsy, brechfa in a week, then you'll know.
Landegla is not too far away and is a fun fast place and has top notch facilities, i am sure they took ideas from there and transfered them onto the monkey. Also like CYB but the fire road climbs can be a bore but the downs make up for it.
Never really got the CYB bug. But for manmade.. I loved WHites Level at afan, but Penmachno riden at FULL tilt all the way round ticked all my boxes.
Fast & flowing = Llandegla & Afan trails, especially Penhydd. Mix the White & Wall routes for a great circuit. Skyline final descent stonking, just a bit much fireroad along the way.
Brechfa ok, depends when going as it does get rather muddy in places.
Penmachno nice trail, no facilities on site though. Marin is ok, nice final descent, but a bit dull in places.
Machynlleth - bored the hell out of me - one good piece of rocky descent, otherwise unexciting - why drop all the back into town on the road? What a waste of height gain.
Climax trail just down the road is another story, stonking little trail with fast & flowing & technical sections.
Coed-y-Brenin - really like The Beast, although the old Karrimor was longer & tougher! Shame you have to ride the old Red Bull route to do Snap Crackle & Pop. MBR is a good circuit too - not too long & plenty going on. Miss the gully drop on the Beast, but new smooth section is fun.
Cwm Carn is another worthy of mention.
Only been to Glyncorrwg (lazy folk call it Afan) and it was brilliant. Highly recommended.
(double post)
Was living in Cardiff and am now up in North Wales. Best centre without doubt is CyB (when quiet). Although Cwmcarn is great fun, the best return on climbing investment is Penmachno. White's Level never flowed for me like the others, although the Wall decent was fantastic.
brechfa is ace, plenty of jumpy flowy features as well as some nice natural sections and great views
Afan if you like a mix between natural and features and a cafe trails are classic trail centre - (Watch your bike though it can be dodgy for theft)
Penmachno if you want fast flowy natural trails with a 'back country' feel no services though