Head to head…. Which wins it?

Have ridden at Coed Brenin yesterday and will probably head back there on Saturday to get a warm shower before heading for home….

Want to know which of the two trails (the longer rides at each location, 25km, 760m/ 30km, 800m climbing) you would ride?

Want more single trail. Don’t mind- in fact prefer – longer climbs for longer descents.
It’ll probably be wet tomorrow… Not sure if that should influence the decision….

Cheers.

Have risen

Should we hide?

covfefe?

#silly phone keyboard

I take it by Betws you mean what used to be called the Marin trail? I can’t remember what it’s called now, but I rode it last week as part of a longer ride and it was pretty good. However, the first half does involve a LOT of fire road. Second half is really good though, the new section is ace.

Yeah, old Marin….

Dont mind fire road as long as it is going up…. Bit of a waste when pointing down.

Rode the Twr Du (Bull Horn Trail?) at Coed Brenin and was a bit disappointed that quite a lot of effort was lost to a fire road descent.

There was a bit of FR descent in the first half, not quite enough to get you raging, but enough to be slightly annoying!

I don’t walking around or up either

Marin trail has a new section and a good downhill at the end.
If you want downhills go to antur stiniog far a half day uplift on the way back.

+1 for Marin Trail (Gwdir Mawr?). Rode both whilst doing the Wales C2C last year. Marin definitely the most fun for me, but depends what your after. Penmachno is an epic ride but felt more exposed due to remoteness once out in the wilds. Then again I was riding solo, so it all felt pretty remote to me!

Have ridden at Coed Brenin yesterday

Somebody was wandering around in a Black STW t-shirt yesterday

Did wonder

Double post

^ definately not me…. I’m way not cool enough for that.

Still undecided….

Oh…. and I thought midges was a Scottish phenomenon.

I thought midges was a Scottish phenomenon.

Coedy can be a nightmare for les midges if you time it just worng. I look like I’ve got measels from riding there last weekend and there weren’t even all that many about.

Marin ideal for setting up your suspension.

Penmachno, marmite love it or hate it. Loop 1 is v/different to Loop 2. The trail designers love to **** with you, an example is lull you into with a predictable set then just when you expect the next in the series, its something different.

You have to remember the Marin trail was built well early in the trait of purpose built MTB trails so a big chunk of it is more classic stuff.

Marin you’ll have lots more energy left than Penmachno 1&2

Easy enough to extend the Marin

http://flattyres-mtb.co.uk/route-guides/north-wales-mtb-routes/the-marin-and-moel-siabod-mtb-route-guide/

The Marin Cowlyd Killer

I was at penmachno last weekend and the best descent (main long fast one) is closed. I also did the loop 2 bit, omg what a waste of time and effort that was.

Marin is pretty good, but I havent ridden the new descent there.

If its been raining, like it is currently in the area (live in Llandudno) I wouldn’t touch Penmachno – its wild at the best of times and you find 1/2 of loop 1 is always wet even in the middle of the summer as the sun never really hits it.

Give Marin a go – it runs just as well in the wet as in the dry.

Rode Gwydir Mawr (Marin) last Saturday and it had rained overnight so every rock was very slippy to say the least but the trail is absolutely awesome and the new bit really does make up for the small FR down that’s left now. You could put that new bit in BPW and it’d fit right in. Awesome.

Once it’s proper wet rather than just a bit wet after dry it gets grippy again.

The midges were terrible too! Cover up. They were terrible in Llandegla on Wednesday night as well.

I love Penmachno loop 2 but I think you need very good fitness to enjoy it properly. I’ve only done it solo and it is superb. The last section at Penmachno is closed for felling ATM.

Marin is the better blast overall. The last awesome section is repeatable if you want to extend the ride.

I love Penmachno loop 2 but I think you need very good fitness to enjoy it properly. I’ve only done it solo and it is superb. The last section at Penmachno is closed for felling ATM.

Owww. Anybody got some ice for my burn?

I love Penmachno loop 2 but I think you need very good fitness to enjoy it properly to be prepared for the soulless and relentless slog that it can be.

fixed it…. 😆

Extending the Marin trail toward Colwyn Lake is a great ride, mix of both worlds (“wild” and man-made trials) and I like it. However looking at that route, I think the bit around both Lakes is the wrong way round.

Haha nice one, wasn’t trying to burn. It’s marmite. OP might enjoy it. I need to go and do L2 again, last few visits I’ve just done L1 for ‘duro practice but I’m not racing this year.

L2 is quite different to everywhere else and I love it for that. The traverse across the hill at the end is sublime. I can’t see what’s not to enjoy. Single track heaven for miles and amazing views.

Well on one hand the new section of Gwydyr is excellent and isn’t just a downhill, it replaces a fire road descent and tarmac climb.

On the other Penmachno is crap.

Not done the marin since they changed it. Way too much fire Road back then.

Penmachno loop 1 is ace when it’s open but I think it may die because of the storms felling the trees – I don’t see how they can not trash the singletrack whilst removing the trees. I bet it gets replaced by more of the soulless manmade jump park style cack like the new bits.

Loop 2 is a slog and dull unless you’re proper fit. Great on a hardtail if you are.

Currently I’m not 🙁

Penmachno has an old school bleakness about it that’s kind of nice. Did it years ago and found bits of it a tedious slog on fireroad and across open moorland. Final descent was really nice though.

Have heard they’ve added bits to reduce the amount of dull fireroad. Pictures looked a bit tarmac at the time but was told it will bed in over time and be more like what the old stuff is now.

Anyway, yeah apparently stuff is closed there at the moment from posts I saw on FB. Was considering going back on next trip round there, but will wait until it’s open. Wouldn’t make a long trip just to do Penmachno though.

I rode Penmachno loops 1 and 2 last summer and really enjoyed it.
I don’t agree at all with the “tedious”, “relentless slog”, “dull”, “crap”, “waste of time and effort” comments, but if that means that the place remains nice and quiet, carry on slagging it off :p

Rode Betws-y-Coed and found it pretty awzums… Preferred it to much of Coed y Brenin.

Nice climbs, big views, speedy descents and some nice sweepy, flowy stuff. Oh, and the twisty single-track climb was great.
Nice mix of obviously man-made and more natural feel trails.

Really rate the place…!

Rode MBR, the Fox trail and the Bull/Ox trail at Coed y Brenin and prefered the climbs and descents at Betws y Coed.

Only annoying thing is that the trail doesn’t actually start in Betws y Coed…! Fortunately we didn’t have to feed the parking machine as it was out of order…. 😉

Cheers guys…!