Going there for 3 days and want to make the most of it. What trails do you guys suggest ?
Want one to do after booking in at B&B Saturday, hopefully midday, from Brighton, so something to stretch our legs and reasonable length.
Haven’t been there for around 10 years and know trails like MBR have changed drastically.

I’d do Tarw Du as an afternoon blast.

For full days I’d do
– The Beast then see how you feel about more
– session some of the red/blue sections with time on the skills area
– MBR twice plus Tarw Du

Depends on how fit you are. MBR is worth riding more than once.

The Tarw Du is a fairly unrewarding trail in my opinion.

I’d suggest skipping that and taking a drive up the A470 to the Marin Trail

acidcunks, you’re a funny guy.

+1 Tarw Du – bigger wheels help with the 26″ gaps between rocks, a lot quieter than the other trails too as most seem to do the beast & MBR. The Mino is worth a blast just to see how far you can go without pedaling.

The new skills area is rather good too, worth a session.

the Beast is just the MBR combined with the Dragon’s Back XC route.

My ideal combo for a day’s riding would be MBR as far as the Pink Heifer section whereupon you take a turn (using the map) to the top of uncle fester and then the Adams family downhill sections.

but if you’re there for 3 days you can do the Beast in its entirety plus loads more. Although I’d look for some natural riding on the last day perhaps?

acidcunks, you’re a funny guy.

Without wanting to start an argument on someone else’s thread…Why?

I found the Tarw Du to be fairly boring compared to the Beast. The Marin isn’t far away and the descents are great fun. The OP asked for suggestions and I gave one.

My apologies for expressing an opinion that doesn’t agree with yours.

Slider, if you’re hitting the Beast on a weekend its worth taking a few pennies for the cafe that’s 2/3rds ish of the way round.

If I’ve got time to do the Beast, I do the Beast. But imo all the reds and blacks are worth the time. The skills area is cool too, actually pretty fierce.

We did the Tarw last time just because of time constraints, it’s a while since I’d done it- loved it. I think a lot of the north welsh trails have issues with value– you often feel like you have to put in a lot for what you get out. But if you can get past that and just focus on what you get out of it, then they’re ace.

Mind you I loved the Marin too, in the same way.

i guess you oughtta ride the beast since youve come all this way but i never bother, always prefer 2 laps of MBR. or MBR & Tarw Du. or MBR but session the descents and add the addams family bits… If i wanted the kind of riding the Beast offers i wouldnt visit a trail center for it…

Marin is a good shout but id also recommend a day at Antur Stiniog since your in the vicinity! especially if youve got 2 other days to get some mileage in.

Penmachno and Marin are all within easy driving distance of Coed-Y-Brenin, if you’re going for three days, spread out a bit…

Cadair Idris…just down the road also. If you get bored of the trail centre thing

Your suggestion was not to ride CYB but to do the Marin, not mentioning Penmachno.

I thought you were being funny, you thought you were being helpful, sorry if my opinion differs from yours.

Oh don’t forget Pont Scethin, (clockwise.)
Antur Stiniog is just up the road as well. If you have some bounce and fancy something different.

Well if we are widening the scope of the OP’s request by suggesting trails within driving distance….

Nant-yr-Arian is my favourite welsh trail centre. Well worth the drive there and back if you get a couple or more laps of Summit in.

I did the Tarw Trail last year and wished id not bothered, We rode the Beast on the Sat, Warmed up on the Minatour and then rattled round the Beast, Cafe stop then the extended loop after the cafe as oposed to the Short cut.

I’d agree with Acidchunks in that it is a pretty unrewarding trail, it was great back in the day on a hardtail when there was nothing else to compare it to, Only your Local trail back home in the woods, Fast forward 20 years and i honestly think riding it on a full susser ruined it.
it has no flow, its stuttery and cobbled together, there is plenty of stuff on the side to do, I’d do the Beast, then following day one of the other two or both. That way you get a taste on the first day big ride then get to do it all again and again in bits,

FOOTNOTE: not intended for the OP> I dont really care if your opinions differ from mine, i am giving the OP my view not yours spoken through the medium of telepathy.
Please feel free to use red pen on my punctuation to indicate how witty and succesful you feel by playing the Forum Riding GOD.

F uck it, id have 3 days at Antur!

On my bike, after 3 days at Antur, my arms would fall off.

Thanks guys. Really useful so far. Keep them coming please….

I’d say do Penmachno I would rate it better than Tawr at CYB.

The marin trail IMHO is on a par with TAWR. Not poor just I think that the other bits are better

The blue one MinorTaur is fun

I’d spend 2 days at CyB. Plenty to keep you occupied, but 3 would be wasted I reckon. Spend the other day at NyA for great trails and scenery or Penmachno to rinse your clothes out 🙂

Penmachno to rinse your clothes out

I see what you did there

Tarw is fine if you know the short cuts to cut out the fireroad and ride it balls out. Same with the Marin.

Get up early and do the Minotaur blue before the kids and novices get there. Good for reminding yourself how to ride and making sure the bike’s OK, plus it’s really fun done fast.

Echo points above. Although what is at CYB is good, there just isnt enough for 3 days riding. Considering you’re making the trek from Brighton, i would do both the Marin and both loops of Penmachno – which imho is the best Welsh trail centre trail. Also the final descent of Cli-machx is now open again.

We did the minortaur last time just to round the week off, tbh I thought the first loop was good but the second loop pretty meh, the 3rd loop I wish we’d not bothered. Just us?

i honestly think riding it on a full susser ruined it.
it has no flow, its stuttery and cobbled together, there is plenty of stuff on the side

Rode it on my HT and thought the same, except it might have been better on a FS.

Agree with most above – 2 days for CyB (Day 1 after travel MBR plus skills area; Day 2 Beast plus whatever you have the energy for); Day 3 Penmachno (poss just Loop 1 as Loop 2 is badly overgrown at the mo’ and then a drive to the Marin). Day 3 is made if easier if you like DH as Antur is dead close.

I would suggest
Day 1. Dragons back & redbull loop
Day 2. Penmachno
Day 3. Climachx trail
That way you’ll come away feeling that you’ve had an epic few days riding..

Tarw du is still good fun at CYB ,I raced there at the start of the year in the Welsh gravity Enduro.
I would do a day at CYB another day at The Marin Trail followed by Antur Stiniog

Day 3. Climachx trail

Don’t even think about it unless the final descent is open now which it hasn’t been for a while.

Llandegla is only 50 mins in the car. Tonnes of fun!

If your going between CYB & Degla then you had might as well visit the Farm Shop / Deli place for a home made burger, bacon sarnies etc……. That’s prob equi distant between the two?

Pont Scethin is well worth it. You don’t even need to drive to do it if stopping locally.

I thought Tarw Du was great – best trail at CYB IMO. Fairly rocky and techy for a trail centre, far less people than the other trails and feels a bit more ‘out there’ in the countryside.

For those saying it doesn’t flow I think you’re not riding it fast enough. 😉

I like Tarw Du too, similar view to grum on it, rode it a week or so a go and it was having my own trail it was deserted and it feels like escapism, I find it a good trail to get away from it and have some thinking time ont the climbs….. 😀 it’s technical enough to hold interest and I always feel I’ve burnt some good calories, fortunately there is a trail for everyone and not everyone will like it’s older trail feel, so luckily there are more trails on the other side that are different to Tarw Du.

If you’ve not been before and are going for 3 days, then you may as well do all of them and make your own mind up!

The main benefit of Tawr is that it doesn’t overlap with much else at CyB, unlike most of the other trails. It’s often recommended simply to add variety. However, unless you have heaps of time, I’d avoid riding it and head to one of the nearby trail centres (Penmachno is great, though I’ve never ridden Marin – heard it’s good). The Beast takes in most of these other trails at CyB in a 38km loop and is excellent – definitely not to be missed. If you prefer to split it up into two shorter rides, do Dragon’s Back on one day and MBR on the other – these two trails make up the bulk of the Beast.

Also, if you’re heading home East after Coed y Brenin, it’s worth considering stopping off by Coed Llandegla Forest trail centre near Wrexham – some really nice trails there!

Hopefully have time for that too, coolbeanz. Nice suggestion.
Thanks everybody for the advice. As I said, haven’t been to North Wales for a long time, been doing South and loving it but just fancied a change. Can’t wait now !

Llandegla is only 50 mins in the car. Tonnes of fun!

Rode there yesterday. Found it very disappointing. Won’t be in a hurry to go back again

Ok, so far done 4 trails and the WORST one was The Beast ! Totally rubbish. Doesn’t allow you to flow or get a feel for it. What the hell is all that pointless loose rock climbing about ? My mate did his back in early so I completed it on my own but wish I hadn’t bothered.
South Wales again next year !! I prefer to RIDE trails not stumble