kitch
journeyman
Reged: 03/04/2007
Posts: 60
Loc: London
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Here's at MBR Towers we're pulling together a feature about the UK's best trail centres. And we want your help. On the home page there's a poll where you can vote on our shortlist of venues, but there's no space to expand on the reasons why you like/dislike one place compared to another.
So we want you to post your reasons here, on our forum. A selection of the best comments will be used in the relevant issue, alongside the feature itself. If you can post a hi-res mugshot of yourself too, so much the better!
Cheers
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KITCH
Editor, MBR
www.mbr.co.uk
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Dan
journeyman
Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 55
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Afan at both trail centres seemed to have friendly staff. Good bike wash and showers. Good bike hire. Not at all any distance from the trail head. Enough facilites for any other parents/partner to have a good drink and cake while your going round. Not miles out of the way either. But most of all brilliant trails to ride
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Kinesis Maxlight XC
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prophet_1000
old hand
Reged: 07/09/2007
Posts: 1045
Loc: Staffs, half as posh as Congle...
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Dan, I have Never ridden Afan as its a long way for me to travel and North Wales is much closer so I can't comment on that one, but one day perhaps this summer?
KITCH
My favourite Man Made Trail to ride (for fun anyway) is Coed Llandegla, The trail is nothing short of Outstanding, it is the perfect mix of Up and Down and has been built at just the right gradient that you don't need to pedal on the downs and only have to lightly feather the brakes to check your speed coming out of the compression's and as it is not a technical trail, most riders with a degree of experience will feel comfortable on the RED's and after a few visits will easily tackle the BLACK runs and be going back around for another go. Even for Newbies looking to up their game a little the jumps are ridable at low speed, so if they don't yet feel confident in getting a little 'Air' they can simply ride the jumps without leaving Terra firma.
The parking is cheap, the trail centre and its staff are very welcoming with Huge Mugs of hot tea and fantastic hot sandwich's and cake, there is plenty of seating with a huge LCD screen to watch the latest mountain bike DVD's on. The bike wash is out back as soon as you get back from the trail and there is loads of space on the wooden frames outside the cafe to hang your bike on while you're inside the trail centre ( Thats something that is missing from the trail centre cafe at Coed y Brenin!)
The bike shop is really well stocked and the staff are really friendly, with hire bikes for large parties PLUS they have really good Demo bikes to hire at a little extra cost.
After Llandegla it has to be Coed Y Brenin!
With Stunning Scenery and long fire road climbs to test you fitness, expertly crafted Man made single track trails with tight switch backs to test your balance and skill. With a choice of trails to choose from beginner to expert and all well marked out you can't fail to have a great day or weekend of riding.
My favourite descents have to be the five ADDAMS family named sections on the 'BEAST' trail called 'Gomez, Pugsley, Lurch, Uncle fester and Morticia' as they all flow into one another and are fairly flowing then rocky then flowing again. I also like the last sections called 'Beginning of the end, Glide and life's good.
Also the last sections on the Tarw trail at Coed y Brenin are Awesome! They undulate up and around tree stumps and rocks, its like being on the best roller coaster at any theme park. Anybody who takes the shortcut route back to the car park/trail centre must be a fool as they will miss the Tarws best sections!
The trail Centre is Uber modern with a brilliant Cafe that serves up the biggest mugs of tea and a fantastic All day breakfast at a great price, there is showers and changing rooms down stairs and a small bike shop with very helpful mechanics that will get you out of a scrape should you break your bike!
Approx 2 miles up the road from the trail centre is the Trawsfynydd Holidays Log Cabins site which hire out 4-6 berth Cabins at a very reasonable price and on site is the Rhiw Goch Inn Public house which pulls a Great Pint and has a huge restaurant with very friendly staff serving up excellent food.
Cheers
Paul Grocott
Sorry about the Picture, this is about as good as biking pictures of me get as I'm usually the one carrying the camera!
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My site www.27gears.com
Edited by prophet_1000 (04/02/2008 23:58)
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hammersfan
stranger
Reged: 23/09/2007
Posts: 4
Loc: basildon Essex
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Going to Coed y Brenin in May any good accomodation that you could advise in the area.
regards
Mike C
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AndyWaterman
journeyman
Reged: 30/11/2006
Posts: 86
Loc: Croydon UK
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Nice one Prophet, I went to COed Y Brenin fopr the first time on Saturday. It was great. We planned to ride the Beast but missed the turn off on the Pink Heifer and ended up following the MBR trail back to the centre. So we went straight back out again and rode the Dragons Back. Great stuff — Big Dug and the Adams Family section made the journey well worthwhile.
Hammersfan — we drove up from London on Friday night and stopped at the Travelodge on the edge of Shrewsbury that night. It took about an hour and a half to drive to Coed Y Brenin from there. There are a bunch of adverts in the back section of MBR for accommodation right on the doorstep of the trail centre. Check it out!
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Dan
journeyman
Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 55
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Quote:
Dan, I have Never ridden Afan as its a long way for me to travel and North Wales is much closer so I can't comment on that one, but one day perhaps this summer
Sorry it was a one off ride for me. Sadly im over the otherside of the country so if im ever back in north wales as i was last year and wanting to go for a ride ill give you a shout.
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Kinesis Maxlight XC
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MTBLeague
enthusiast
Reged: 23/05/2007
Posts: 223
Loc: nr the big Falkirk Wheel.
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The Image that I posted here (below) is seems to be too Hi-Res, and does not seem to be re-sizing it's self in this forum, please delete this paragraph and image if this is giving any trouble with viewing/forum, as anybody can click on the link and see Internet Exploder open a new window and re-size it.
GT as some know it, for those who don't it's Glentress. It has something for everybody, newbie to nutter. Has all the facilities you could want.
Bike shop, you can even hire part's that you left behind, flat pedals if you forgot you're shoes, I even hired a saddle and seatpost when I forgot to put it in the car! or by a bladder when your's suddenly becomes incontinent etc..
Hire fleet, mostly Kona's but you can hire anything from small kiddies to serious DH rigs.
Cafe, you have reviewed this one often, no need to go into details.
FC are slowly working on new facilities, it can only get better.
Car parking, top car park is handy for kiddies on skills loop, or the same with free-ride bits, for those who really want to miss out on some sweet sections back to the cafe.
I can't begin to describe the Trails from green, skills, Red, Black and some "off Piste" bits, best see for your self
find some links to my Glentress Videos here:-
http://www.robinsmith.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
Under "Links to videos"
As I am the one with the camera most of the time and cannot work out how to post/paste here, here is a link to a photo that I am in that also shows the range of people catered for, a truly universal trail center.
http://www.robinsmith.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/1195468883_orig.JPG
http://www.robinsmith.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/1195468883_orig.JPG
<<<<<mod edit — image too big>>>>
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The path of least resistance is easier to follow.............If you are in contact with.....gravity..:)
Edited by AndyW (06/02/2008 13:21)
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prophet_1000
old hand
Reged: 07/09/2007
Posts: 1045
Loc: Staffs, half as posh as Congle...
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MTB League
Is that you Second from the Left? Nice ride you got there if it is!!
Watched some of your videos at Glentress, it looks AWESOME! I was planning a trip to Wales again this Summer BUT I think Scotland could be on the cards instead! Want to do the 7Stanes (as a must)
AndyW
They are all good trails as you know so it makes no difference if you do get lost EH? I would say the signage is 99% good except for one of the signs down near the river where you turn sharp left up the fire road on the way out BUT go straight on when on your way home, and it is not entirely clear so if you weren't paying attention on the way up you may forget and start the trail again instead of heading back to the Cafe (For HOT TEA )
Hammersfan
Check out this link
http://www.logcabins-skiwales.co.uk/
if enough of you go it works out really cheap, we stayed last summer for 2 nights (approx £20 each or somewhere there abouts) and they are mountain biker friendly.
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My site www.27gears.com
Edited by prophet_1000 (05/02/2008 23:01)
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AndyWaterman
journeyman
Reged: 30/11/2006
Posts: 86
Loc: Croydon UK
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Nice vids MTBleague, mind if I link to one of them in Vids and Skids feature in the mag? We're trying to get people to sumit vids on the forum.
Andy
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MTBLeague
enthusiast
Reged: 23/05/2007
Posts: 223
Loc: nr the big Falkirk Wheel.
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Second left is my bother-in-law's SC Heckler, that was it's first day out (Nov 07), I have the 08 Enduro The colour (Titanium)is better than last years all brown.
They are there for public consumption, actually it was an easy way to share them with some of the people I ride with who are in the vids and photos, saves all the tedious copy ing of files etc...
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The path of least resistance is easier to follow.............If you are in contact with.....gravity..:)
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prophet_1000
old hand
Reged: 07/09/2007
Posts: 1045
Loc: Staffs, half as posh as Congle...
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MTBLeague I downloaded your picture that was too big for the forum and resized it, Hope you don't mind?
P.S Some Really good pictures on your site, I really like the look of the Ewok Village. 
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My site www.27gears.com
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kitch
journeyman
Reged: 03/04/2007
Posts: 60
Loc: London
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So that's votes for Gelntress, Afan, Coed y Brenin and Llandegla. What about the English centres like Dalby, Sherwood or even Thetford - any one been there or want to have their say?
hammersfan - there's loads of hotels and B&Bs in Dolgellau, just down road from Brenin forest. I often stay at the pub on the main road south of the centre - the ideal place to roll down to covered in cack. check back of mag for details. that's from a fellow Irons fans...
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KITCH
Editor, MBR
www.mbr.co.uk
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prophet_1000
old hand
Reged: 07/09/2007
Posts: 1045
Loc: Staffs, half as posh as Congle...
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Kitch
Dalby is on the cards when I have a little more time to travel 'oop' north, I was on a course recently with a lad from that Area (rode a Pace, naturally) and he highly recommended it!
Sherwood is not that far really I suppose, must make an effort!
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My site www.27gears.com
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ExeterSimon
stranger
Reged: 14/05/2007
Posts: 15
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For me it's Cwmcarn.
It doesn't have the best facilities (yet), doesn't have the best trails, has a DH course that still scares the hell out of me when it's wet, is spaced out far too much but....I love it. And I can't quite put my finger on why.
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gorehound
veteran
Reged: 01/03/2008
Posts: 1330
Loc: co durham
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what about hamsterly forest.ok not the biggest but it is called the north easts premier mtb venue.
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I was a teenage werewolf!
andifalloffwithstyle!!!!!!
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Dan
journeyman
Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 55
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Quote:
What about the English centres like Dalby, Sherwood or even Thetford - any one been there or want to have their say?
As thetford is my local I will review that.
Trails- At thetford there is a black and Red trails along side other family cyle trails.
Due to erosion from previous winters they are in a bad shape. The red is currently being worked on by Timber which are doing a great job of sorting them out. Up till recently they have been doing most of the work by themselves so it has taken along time to get the sections of trail all surfaced but with new funding on the horizon FC are willing to put more money into the trails than previous which is great news for biking in thetford. The grading at thetford may be different than other places in the Uk this will be because it is flat which some people think it makes it easier. But at thetford the faster you go the more challenging the trails become so it is down to how fast you can go. For what thetford lacks in gradient it makes up for in quantity of flowing singletrack.
But if you find yourself becoming bored at thetford the beauty of the place is that you can go explore the forest and see if you can find any "off piste" trails the most well know part of thetford for this is brandon country park side of thetford.
Centres- The centre at theford is not specifically set out for biking. There is a restaurant that serves great food and a FC run shop. Adjacent to this building is the bike shop called Bike art who do bike hire as well as sales. All the toilets have underground heating so are nice and warm on the feet even in the coldest of months. In the summer if you are with other famaily members who want something to do that is adventurous try Go Ape which is a high wire adventure course.
For more information about Thetford Forest and High Lodge and what to do, go have a look at the Forestry Commission's website
May be a few spelling grammar in there.
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Kinesis Maxlight XC
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Dan
journeyman
Reged: 10/12/2006
Posts: 55
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Edit the timber link is wrong its www.timbermtb.org
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Kinesis Maxlight XC
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WillC
stranger
Reged: 21/06/2008
Posts: 2
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Anywhere except Moray! (See other post).
Seriously, all the Stanes are good with GT a clear winner and the best UK trail centre. Although Afan is now a close second and better than CyB. Absolutely loved Golspie - miles from anywhere but well worth it. And Laggan too.
The English centres are poor in comparison - Dalby, Grizedale and OK but nothing like as good as the Stanes or Wales.
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tucano
stranger
Reged: 04/06/2008
Posts: 10
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Agree with Will C about the Ben Aigan part of the Moray Monster Trails but the other trails at Whiteash and Ordiequish (sp?) are OK. Golspie is a fantastic trail but lacks decent facilities although this is not surprising when you consider it's remoteness. Laggan is a must if you're in the area and the cafe at the bottom does great food to boot. Dalby has always flattered to deceive in my opinion and is always sooooo muddy!
Cheers
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greeneye
veteran
Reged: 19/04/2008
Posts: 1272
Loc: sunderland
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hello, i have just came accross this post and see it starts with the votes for the best trail. there is to much to read from there on so maybe the conversation has gone wayward but i will get this in anyway.
i see that glentress won the trail but i have ridden that and i thought kirroughtree was better.
i just remember kirroughtree being none stop fun single track. then half way through was the rock. mint. i did dab more than once but it was so much fun.
basicly im trying to say that if you have done glentress and your wondering which stane to do now then im so sure that kirroughtree black run will leave you with a bloody big grin on the face.
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