For me Llandegla is only an hour away.
Its a great blast and has helped with improving my fitness, ok may not be the most technical of places. The red route is really good fun with the option of the black route.
But with the skills area, pump track has put life back into the place, even if the 2 mile climb is a bit monotonous.
So as for your tyre choice, go with something fast rolling, and the cafe at the end of the ride has some great food for refuelling.