Hi all,

got a few days away with the missus next week, just up the road from CyB. Its been ten years since my last visit so i realise the trails have changed somewhat even the visitor centre has moved!

my missus doesnt ride much (no sniggering at the back) and while determined if she wants to be, little fitness either if im honest (again, at the back)

So can anyone put the trails in order for me, particularly the reds, she will be fine with the green & blue

She wont like the climbing, technical climbing particularly…She is very much a wheels on the ground rider, so nothing that requires ‘commitment’ too.

so is there a best/easiest one to start with?

(one day we might be riding snowdon, she heard its only about nine miles so thinks that will be fine)

Penmachno….

The green look like it’s just fire road (not sure)

There is some mix and match stuff there under the purple route. Avoid the old Red Bull as it’s a heap of fire road for not a lot of singletrack.

There is a lot of rocky trail there if your not comfortable on that then it could be a long couple of days (or really short)

We did some mashups of the routes – download the maps and have a look and you can cut several sections together from different routes.

You’re both gonna die!!!!!!!!!!!!
Aaaaaaarrrgggghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!

Actually, you’ll both be fine but expect it to be more like Alton Towers than rural Wales.

Don’t take her up Snowdon with a bike. She’ll hate it by the sounds. I’d probably try the Tawr trail or something at CYB. There is a good blue route now I think too.
All the info is available when you get there, but, something for everyone.

If the Tarw has no diversions on it, I think it is the easiest of the red trails at CyB.

The Minotaur is nice & flowy for a blue, but you basically go down the whole way & then winch yourself back up the fire road…good for a warm up though.

you can also download the maps from the mtb wales site.

The mbr is a good ride but as some decent climbs in it.

Last time I went I did the Minotaur and to be honest, really enjoyed it. Can be ridden nice and fast with plenty of flow bt is also great or beginners to Akers nice and steady. Don’t believe the cynics just give it a try.

My mrs was not at all keen on the MBR, mainly due to the rocky bit at the start. It used to be graded red but is now black.

Don’t think a novice will like the Tarw as there are some rocky sections in it. I’d combine the new blue Minotaur and Cyflym Coch, both will be 20km.

Think cyflym coch is closer to 12km. Did it a few weeks ago for a quick blast on the way home from north Wales. Some nice sections in it and not too much climbing

The trail centre has maps of all the routes with a reasonably good description and distances. As they start and finish at the trail centre, you could start off doing a short easy one for an hour or 2, return to the centre for a brew and then do a slightly harder one. I agree with dyls about Cyflym Coch, that would be a good choice.
First time I went to coed y Brenin I’d only been mountain biking for less than a year but was with some experienced friends, and we did the Beast. I managed all the climbs but there were a few bits where I had to get off and walk!

The Minotaur’s fast brainless fun for the experienced and a great intro for the newbie. Then do Dreamtime which raises the ante just a tad but the newbie can still take it easy.

Cyflym Coch is good but a little short, if at the far end (just before you cross the 1st bridge) you hop onto the green and go up round Rhaedr Mawddach you can then add in false teeth to make it a bit longer.

lovely
sounds like minotaur for a warm up (first session) then onto cyflym coch to see what she makes of some rocks.

penmachno is a good shout too, didnt realise how close that is

i would love to do the Cli-Machx one day, if the missus is enjoying the riding she can join me, not sure how she will handle the final descent, but she will have had some practice by then – else she can amuse herself in Mach/CAT for a couple of hours

gonna try to persuade her to walk snowdon instead of ride as im pretty sure she will push all the way up and then maybe struggle on the way down – so whats the point in having a bike…

Take her to LLandegla the blue will be a blast for her its only 45mins to an hour from Coed Y Brenin. 😀

Off there next week with the OH, last time we went she was happy just riding up and down the blue route, a few laps, some lunch then a few more blue, trying to build her biking up slowly. Managed FOD a few later, since then she gave up for winter, too cold she keeps saying, so this week we try again!

Biggest choice for me do i take the camber or revert back to my hardtail for a few days.

Don’t ride badger out of the visitor centre.

Start on the blue then join the reds later or start on Cyflym Coch

I would not recomend Penmachno unless you are exagerating your wifes tastes

I think the Marin is more mellow. Its less popular with the gnarr but I think it has a nice bimbling through the woods feel

Take plenty of spare tubes and a spare tyre.

As above do the new blue/green stuff at CYB and she’ll enjoy it and you won’t be too bored. If you use the maps, there’s plenty of fireroad stuff that won’t be scary for her and is still scenic. From your description of her I would say do not take her on the other stuff – that includes Penmachno and the Climax descent (which is a bit rough in places after the logging) … you may not be forgiven 😉

Don’t ride badger out of the visitor centre.

Start on the blue then join the reds later or start on Cyflym Coch

This. I find the first red section out of the visitor centre one of the bumpier and more challenging ones, certainly not much fun for novices in places – many of the other bits if chosen carefully are much more flowy and fun – certainly the blue then dreamtime would be ace.

They were still building the Minortaur when we were there but it was shaping up nicely. I wouldn’t take a novice round any of the reds or blacks that we did at CYB tbh. Though maybe Cyflym Coch, if I remember it right, would fit.

Maybe you can cut around the more intimidating bits if you know the place, but to me it’s got too much that looks hard for a new rider, and too much that looks the same- once one bit’s been scary, lots will be scary (not saying it really is that hard but the stone pitching looks fearsome)

And yeah, Badger is great but it could be a horrible start for a less confident rider.

Don’t take the other half to Penmachno unless you want to put her off forever!

Other than that I would do what ‘dyls’ recommends.

to put ‘her’ riding into perspective, she was happy enough on penhydd when we went to afan a few years ago – the climb was a drag and involved a bit of getting off and pushing… but she was happy enough on the singletrack

to my amazement, and perhaps a little bit of ‘luck rather than judgement’

heh, turn the thread a bit….
CyB is a lot of rock, so would i be well advised to swap her conti vapors for a pair of racing ralphs ive got in the shed?

large up front, skinny in the rear.

[/actress_bishop]

We took a novice around MBR, Minotaur and Dragon’s Back this weekend. He managed it all (or at least only pushed when we did!), but he enjoyed Minotaur the most.

I’d recommend a tear around it anyway.

we will start with the easier stuff and see how far she wants to progress

if i remember i will get her thoughts and post up for future reference

Don’t think a novice will like the Tarw as there are some rocky sections in it. I’d combine the new blue Minotaur and Cyflym Coch, both will be 20km.

If you listen to anything, this ^^^^^

My missus when first starting to ride, rode at CyB with me, and vowed never to ride a bike again. The easiest trail at the time was the Tempter, which has bits of CyB black on it.

my memory of CyB was rocks and water.

so im going to fit a rear crud guard and bodge an inner tube on the fork, is that just a cable tie job?

also i remember from afan, she stabbed herself in the calf with the chainring (not carrying enough momentum up a slope that was a bit steep to dismount easily…) so i might see if ive got a spare bash lying around (she never uses the big ring anyway)

anything else?

Hello soobalias!

Myself and the better half are staying at betws y coed at the moment, not far from brenin. The trails are running sweet at the moment, not overly wet but bit slippy on the rocks in places.

We did Mbr on Saturday and Marin yesterday. Llandegla tomorrow and the red fox at cyb on Wednesday. It looks like they may have added some nice smooth, bermy swoops sections to the fox. You and your lady friend should say hi if you are around 🙂