First time at Coed-Y-Brenin, which trail / route?

Got around 5 hours to spend there on Saturday. Should I go with The Beast? Or some other combination?

Any tips, cheers.

Yep plenty of time for the Beast there to fit in all the best bits but minus the fire road climb and descent loop

Is this at point 118?

You could do the Tawr (?) trail over the other side in five hours as well, if you’re in reasonable shape.

There’s currently a detour toward the end of the Beast, which is poorly signed and will probably be confusing if you are new to the place.

Let us know if you want more info abotu that.

The Beast for me, timeless.

Having said that, Tarw is great too and you can tie it in with bits of the other routes to extend it. Though that’d depend on what the diversion that chakaping mentioned is.

Thanks, yes more info about the detour would be good please chakaping.

The “Puggsley” section is closed for felling, so it sends you down a fire road to bend with a smaller track spurring off of it.

Just down there is the top of “False Teeth”, another (very good) section you’ll already have done.

Ride down that, and when you get to the fire road at the bottom go left and continue past “Buggsy” to “Uncle Fester” – you’re now back on track.

If you’re really keen, you can turn sharp left up a fire road to the top of “Lurch” – a section you’ve missed out.

I don’t know if the diversion just intends you to ride down to fireroad to Lurch, the signage is rubbish, but doing False Teeth again is much better value anyway.

Beast plus Red Bull (tawr) is actually most of CyB.

The trail names and maps are a triumph of marketing over substance.

Still love the place but ( sum of named route lengths)/(length of trail) is a ridiculously high number IMHO

I’ve only been there once and did the MBR and Tawr Du one before lunch, one after.
My lasting impression is of a brutal day of rocks and climbing – the MBR had a long fireroad climb near the end of it that seemed to go on forever. So I wouldn’t recommend both of those trails in a day.

I think the beast is a combo of a red and a black so I’d be inclined to ride that if / when I go again.

We went a few weeks back and like the above poster did MBR and then tarw Du after.

I was absolutely done by the end of tarw Du and the last few sections are quite rocky and rooty iirc and was hard going.

Not sure it’s worth the 3 hour drive for me to be honest but it’s another crossed off the list.

Cheers, I think I’ll give The Beast a whirl then and try cutting out the fire road climb and also doing False Teeth at the diversion.

MBR has all of the killer of the beast without the filler.

I’d do Tarw, stop for lunch (you’re warmed up now) and do the MBR and make the most of it.

If the full Adam’s family is open it is worth a 3 hr drive imho. Does anyone know when the forestry work around those bits ends ?

IMO I prefer doing a shortened version of the beast where you cut over to the bottom of the road climb after the 3rd descent. That takes you up to the top of the Adams family and skips out the long dull stretch.

Tarw du is my favourite trail there though, love the slabs and the flat out rocky tracks on that side.

@enigmas I think that’s what I did when I went. Definitely worth a trip.

Kind of all the best bits.

On the adam’s family – it’s only pugsley’s bottom that’s shut (after Gomez and Morticia) – you take a right, then left on a fireroad (takes about 5 minutes) and you simply drop into the next section and finish off the rest of the Addam’s family.

Worth doing the beast in full. It’s great. I don’t think any of it is filler.

edit: although I do skip the fire road bit after the unofficial “cafe” too 😉

I’m over there on Saturday looking to do the hidden stuff with the boys then take the kids out on a minotaur/easy red mix up.

I’d recommend the Addams family/false teeth approach instead of following the proper diversion, it’s frustrating to lose the height on the fire road but still better value.

There is also an option to link down from snap, crackle & pop on Tarw, through Glanlwydd into the end of Big Dug for a giant loop option.

Worth doing the beast in full. It’s great. I don’t think any of it is filler.

The top fire road loop is scenic, but really not worth it riding wise, especially if you’re planning to ride Tawr as well.

I turn left at point 119, contour round and come back out on the road then immediately turn off right again and climb to point 124 to start Addam’s Family. Pugsley’s Bottom is a tiny black option so you’re not missing much.

Big Dug is one of my favourite sections, rides really well if you put a bit of legwork in to carry speed.

I generally find my enthusiasm for Tawr wanes a bit after the final fire road climb up to Beginning of the End. 🙂

If you take a look at the map for Tawr, its actually really easy to cut alot of the crap out but keep virtually all the good singletrack.

Which ever route has Pink Heifer in it 🙂

Another vote for False Teeth here – it’s great!

What would folk recommend as a next step up from the minotaur for the kids. The youngest is 9 and has done Cannock, Glentress, Llandegla reds.

Cwyflm Coch. Next progression.

Starts on the armoured bit through the big forks. First bit until the first road crossing is the toughest section – the “qualifier”.

If you can get ’em through that, they’ll be fine on the rest.

I took Hoppy jr and his mate (9 & 7) on a mix up of minotaur and cyflym coch. There are quite a few reds that run parallel at times that you can swap on to, dreamtime instead of the 2nd section of blue, a few options on the other side of the river, we might give pink heifer a go this time. I tend to miss out the loop up to the waterfalls if I do that though, save the energy for the trails.

Apart from a couple of rooty bits Big Dug is fun and not too difficult too.

Side note – has anyone ever parked at top of Beast fireroad loop? It touches a lane and would make the route work for mid morning start and lunch stop at the centre cafe……Appreciate it may be singletrack lane with no space if so we won’t, but wondered…

CYB benefits from familiarity or local knowledge. you can ride all the best bits without following the signs – obviously depends what your into but for me the beast is dreadful as a full loop!

Meh, I know what you mean and I’m working out how to mix it up – but I quite like a pedal and it’s satisfying to be going back and doing the same loop as 15 years ago, still getting quicker.

Must get back to CyB soon – really like it there. The old Red Bull (Tarw?) has some really good bits and whenever I’ve done it seems deserted vs the stuff on the visitor centre side of the road.

Had a blast riding the full Minor Taur and Cyflym Coach back to back yesterday. Had it not been for the consistent rain I’d have been doing The Beast today. Tomorrow looks better weather wise but undecided between there or Llandegla on the way home.

I was riding there on Saturday in LOTS of rain, and was amazed yet again at how well it rides in the wet.

Don’t even think about going to Llandegla instead, CyB is miles better.

Don’t even think about going to Llandegla instead, CyB is miles better.

Yep.
And given you’ve driven all that way.

Oh yeah, don’t overlook the skills area if you’ve got a little leg left,it has some great stuff in it.