Tarw Du
Grade: Black
Distance: 20.2km (1.5-3 hours)
The Tarw Du (say Taroo Dee – Black Bull), was not only the original trail built in Coed y Brenin, but it was also the first, purpose built mountain bike trail in the UK, and probably the world!
For over 30 years this trail has been rattling the bones of adventurous cyclists. Much improved and reworked over that time but still featuring many of its original pioneering trail sections that helped make the trail centre model of development what it is today.
This is where it all started and the success of this trail is the reason why we have so many other great trail centres today. This is THE classic trail and still knocks the spots off many more modern offerings elsewhere. It’s rocky, it’s retro, it’s twisty, it’s technical, it’s fast and will really test your skills.
Originally known as the 'Red Bull trail' you'll find many a mountain biker who had their first trail centre experience here, its bone shaking rock sections, fast singletrack and epic mountain views make it celebrated and revered in equal measure.
Y Slab (The Slab)
A series of imposing angular rock slabs make up Coed y Brenin's newest trail section. There are 3 main slab sections, each a little bigger than the last. The rock surface is surprisingly grippy and forgiving but it still takes a deep breath an a little nerve to get over the edge.
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| trail grade | suitable for | trail & surface type | gradients & technical trail features (TTFs) | suggested fitness level |
| FOREST ROAD | A wide range of cyclists. Most bikes and hybrids. Ability to use maps helpful. Routes may or may not be way marked. | Relatively flat and wide. The trail surface may be loose, uneven or muddy at times. These roads may be used by vehicles and other users, including Horse riders and dog walkers. | Relatively flat and wide. The trail surface may be loose, uneven or muddy at times. These roads may be used by vehicles and other users, including Horse riders and dog walkers. | A good standard of fitness can help. |
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Beginner/novice cyclists. Basic Bike Skills required. Most bikes and hybrids. Some green routes can take trailers. | Relatively flat and wide. The trail surface may be loose, uneven or muddy at times. May include short flowing singletrack style sections. | Climbs and descents are mostly shallow. No challenging features | Suitable for most people in good health. |
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Intermediate cyclist/mountain bikers with basic offroad riding skills. Mountain bikes or hybrids. | As ‘Green’ plus specially constructed single track. Trail surface may include small obstacles of roots and rock. | Most gradients are moderate but may include short steep sections. Includes small technical features. | A good standard of fitness can help. |
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Proficient mountain bikers with good off-road riding skills. Suitable for better quality off-road mountain bikes. | Steeper and tougher, mostly singletrack with technical sections. Expect very variable surface types. | A wide range of climbs and descents of a challenging nature will be present. Expect boardwalks, berms, large rocks, medium steps, drop-offs, cambers, water crossings. | A wide range of climbs and descents of a challenging nature will be present. Expect boardwalks, berms, large rocks, medium steps, drop-offs, cambers, water crossings. |
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Expert mountain bike users, used to physically demanding routes. Quality off-road mountain bikes. | As ‘Red’ but with an expectation of greater challenge and continuous difficulty. Can include any useable trail and may include exposed open hill sections. | Expect large, committing and unavoidable TTFs. Sections will be challenging and variable. May also have ‘downhill’ style sections. | Suitable for very active people used to prolonged effort. |
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Riders aspiring to athlete level of technical ability, incorporates everything from full on downhill riding to big-air jumps | Severe constructed trails and/or natural features. All sections will be challenging. Includes extreme levels of exposure and or risk. Jumping ability obligatory. | Will include a range of small medium and large TTFs, including downhill trails, free ride sections and mandatory jumps | A good standard of fitness, but technical skills more important. |
| TRAIL | GRADE | NAME | DISTANCE/TIME | TIPS | DOWNLOAD |
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YR AFON | 10.8km / 1-3 hours | Suitable for novices and less confident riders. Mainly open forest road that contours the hill to take in a view of the waterfalls. Take care to control your speed when descending on forest roads. |
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MINOR TAUR | 12km 0.5-2 hours | If you are already confident on a bike then the MinorTaur offers the perfect introduction to mountain biking. Graded blue the trail offers a reasonably flat and wide (no narrower than around 1.5m). You'll find a little climbing and descending, some fun berms and bumps but no really major climbs or descents. The trail is in 4 loops (3, 5, 9 or 12km) so can be easily shortened to suit rider ability. Great for kids but still great fun for experienced riders the, the MinorTaur is a good place to start your Coed y Brenin adventure. |
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CYFLYM COCH | 11.2km / 1.5-3 hours | Looking for the next step up from the MinorTaur, Cyflym Coch (Fast Red) is our easiest red. The trail increases in challenge as it progresses and includes some fine trail sections like Dreamtime and Uncle Fester. A great trail for those with thewir sights on tougher terrain who are looking for somewhere to progress their skills. |
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TEMTIWR | 8.7km / 0.5-1 hour | A short route with a challenging final descent. Temtiwr is a tougher read that contains black graded TTFs (Technical Trail Features). An undulating travers followed by a long fire road climb, finishing on a fast trio of 'The beginning of the end', 'Glide' and 'Seven Sisters'. Rocky and demanding in places, you'll need to keep your nerve and pick a good line for a smooth ride. |
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DRAGON'S BACK | 31.1km / 3-5 hours | Our longest red, a classic technical cross country mtb trail which had been challenging and delighting riders for years. The route holds a few tough climbs and some long fast descents. The highlight is a top-to-bottom of the Adam's Family descents: Gomez, Morticia, Pugsley, Lurch and Uncle Fester. |
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MBR | 18.4km / 1.5-3 hours | MBR packs highlights from both the Dragon's Back and Beast trails into 18km of demanding but thoroughly enjoyable trail riding. Highlights include the modernised 'Able' with its rocky fly-offs and a recently updated 'false teeth'. In you want to pack a large ammount of quality, challenging trails into the shortest possible route then MBR is a great choice. |
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TARW DU | 20.2km / 1.5-3 hours | Coed y Brenin's oldest trail yet containing its newest 'must-ride' trail feature, the iconic 'Y Slab' rock slab sections. A Coed y Brenin classic featuring many old favourites. Rocky, retro, twisty and technical in places but still an absolute blast. |
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THE BEAST | 38.2km / 3-5 hours | Coed y Brenin's biggest challenge, it's got the lot, fast open, tight technical, flowing singletrack and bone shaking rocky sections. A real test of nerve and physical ability, The Beast is not for the faint-hearted or easily spooked but for those who are up to the challenge this is a major MTB milestone to tick off the list. Can you face the beast? |
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Y Ffowndri Skills Area
| AREA | GRADE | INFORMATION | DOWNLOAD |
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VARIOUS GRADES | With short sections of each grade of trail along with a individual trail feature challenges Y Ffowndri (The Foundry) is Coed y Brenin's dedicated skills area. Head here to get a taste of what you'll meet out on the graded trails and to brush up your mtb skills. Trail sections for all ability levels. |
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Tarw Du
Grade: Black
Distance: 20.2km (1.5-3 hours)
The Tarw Du (say Taroo Dee – Black Bull), was not only the original trail built in Coed y Brenin, but it was also the first, purpose built mountain bike trail in the UK, and probably the world!
For over 30 years this trail has been rattling the bones of adventurous cyclists. Much improved and reworked over that time but still featuring many of its original pioneering trail sections that helped make the trail centre model of development what it is today.
This is where it all started and the success of this trail is the reason why we have so many other great trail centres today. This is THE classic trail and still knocks the spots off many more modern offerings elsewhere. It’s rocky, it’s retro, it’s twisty, it’s technical, it’s fast and will really test your skills.
Originally known as the 'Red Bull trail' you'll find many a mountain biker who had their first trail centre experience here, its bone shaking rock sections, fast singletrack and epic mountain views make it celebrated and revered in equal measure.
Y Slab (The Slab)
A series of imposing angular rock slabs make up Coed y Brenin's newest trail section. There are 3 main slab sections, each a little bigger than the last. The rock surface is surprisingly grippy and forgiving but it still takes a deep breath an a little nerve to get over the edge.
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| TRAIL | GRADE | MORE | DIST. | DOWNLOAD |
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YR AFON | 10.8km / 1-3 hours |
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MINOR TAUR | 12km 0.5-2 hours |
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CYFLYM COCH | 11.2km / 1.5-3 hours |
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TEMTIWR | 8.7km / 0.5-1 hour |
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DRAGON'S BACK | 31.1km / 3-5 hours |
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MBR | 18.4km / 1.5-3 hours |
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TARW DU | 20.2km / 1.5-3 hours |
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THE BEAST | 38.2km / 3-5 hours |
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Which trail is right for you?
| trail grade | suitable for | trail & surface type | gradients & technical trail features (TTFs) | suggested fitness level |
| FOREST ROAD | A wide range of cyclists. Most bikes and hybrids. Ability to use maps helpful. Routes may or may not be way marked. | Relatively flat and wide. The trail surface may be loose, uneven or muddy at times. These roads may be used by vehicles and other users, including Horse riders and dog walkers. | Relatively flat and wide. The trail surface may be loose, uneven or muddy at times. These roads may be used by vehicles and other users, including Horse riders and dog walkers. | A good standard of fitness can help. |
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Beginner/novice cyclists. Basic Bike Skills required. Most bikes and hybrids. Some green routes can take trailers. | Relatively flat and wide. The trail surface may be loose, uneven or muddy at times. May include short flowing singletrack style sections. | Climbs and descents are mostly shallow. No challenging features | Suitable for most people in good health. |
|
|
Intermediate cyclist/mountain bikers with basic offroad riding skills. Mountain bikes or hybrids. | As ‘Green’ plus specially constructed single track. Trail surface may include small obstacles of roots and rock. | Most gradients are moderate but may include short steep sections. Includes small technical features. | A good standard of fitness can help. |
|
|
Proficient mountain bikers with good off-road riding skills. Suitable for better quality off-road mountain bikes. | Steeper and tougher, mostly singletrack with technical sections. Expect very variable surface types. | A wide range of climbs and descents of a challenging nature will be present. Expect boardwalks, berms, large rocks, medium steps, drop-offs, cambers, water crossings. | A wide range of climbs and descents of a challenging nature will be present. Expect boardwalks, berms, large rocks, medium steps, drop-offs, cambers, water crossings. |
|
|
Expert mountain bike users, used to physically demanding routes. Quality off-road mountain bikes. | As ‘Red’ but with an expectation of greater challenge and continuous difficulty. Can include any useable trail and may include exposed open hill sections. | Expect large, committing and unavoidable TTFs. Sections will be challenging and variable. May also have ‘downhill’ style sections. | Suitable for very active people used to prolonged effort. |
|
|
Riders aspiring to athlete level of technical ability, incorporates everything from full on downhill riding to big-air jumps | Severe constructed trails and/or natural features. All sections will be challenging. Includes extreme levels of exposure and or risk. Jumping ability obligatory. | Will include a range of small medium and large TTFs, including downhill trails, free ride sections and mandatory jumps | A good standard of fitness, but technical skills more important. |
Y Ffowndri Skills Area
| AREA | GRADE | INFORMATION | DOWNLOAD |
|
|
VARIOUS GRADES | With short sections of each grade of trail along with a individual trail feature challenges Y Ffowndri (The Foundry) is Coed y Brenin's dedicated skills area. Head here to get a taste of what you'll meet out on the graded trails and to brush up your mtb skills. Trail sections for all ability levels. |
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