I do love coed-y-brenin. But I miss the original car park and cafe that used to be the opposite side of the A470. Dafydd and Sian used to run the old cafe. I am a slave to nostalgia.
This was one of the first trails Park I've ever done and I had a really good time and it's sad to hear they may be closing it people should start donating when they go riding to help the business keep going
Cheers Chris, Travesty is a very good way to describe it… god knows what’s going to happen but I hope it stays, feels like it’s a part of our history. Hope the family is doing ok… we need to get out for a ride mate 🫡👊🏻
been a few times this summer and the car park camera wasn't working so no cost to park it was full every time so it's not making any money because it's free to use
As long as people continue to pay for the parking this should cover the costs of any trail maintenance? I didn't use the cafe anyway, always went to Dolgellau Kebab after for a juicy cheeseburger
Nice post ride kebab sounds amazing… the parking is cheap tho compared to other trail spots not that I’d like to see it be more expensive but it t does make me think they’ve got their budgeting wrong maybe
I remember going here for the very first time with my friend Jolly when it first opened and it was absolutely amazing so good and it is a real shame to hear it might be closing 😢
I have so many fond memories it’s a bit of a trek for me to travel to I think natural resources should diversify and add glamping and other outdoor sports
You don't know why? Cost of living and energy increases since the start of the Ukraine war, mountains of government corruption and inflation as well, destroyed luxury recreational retail and the cycling industry got hit hard, the average person just doesn't see it affordable anymore.
All valid points but when mountain biking is still hugely popular and other trails like BPW, Dyfi and Degla etc seem to be still thriving where are they focusing on CYB 🤷♂️
@TheHeadAngle Which makes the least money to shareholders? That's all that matters now. We are cash cows. Especially since tory brexit and trading with Putin came home to roost. Is what it is. People voted for all this
Could be also to do that theres uplifts at Dyfi, BPW etc and people just dont wanna pedal as much. Ebikers even put their bikes on the uplift vans haha We went to CYB a couple of years ago and were disappointed as half the trails were closed or had huge road sections as detours, and there appeared to have been minimal investment in the centre for a long time. Its a shame really as it used to be great. You need to invest to get people to want and come to use it
@@thatpeskylimey I was thinking this a bit too, the trails are great but they're very specific to a certain type/style of riding, maybe not enough variety, no flow/jump line, no skills area or pump track for the kids... its all got to be considered.
Great place and love more natural trails over the newer wide flow stuff… just struggle to find accommodation near with e-bike charging and secure bike parking..
I was there years in 2016 and loved the cafe and set up there. But trails are being built differently now with more flow, table tops and berms and wider to suit the changes to bike geometry. The old narrow crunchy trails are a thing of the past.
I went last month, the trails are more oldskool than what the kids want these days, but I love technical cross country and this place ticked so many boxes… we don’t all want 800m runs full of gaps, step ups and northshore! The beast was a great way to spend the day, huge grinds uphill rewarded by fast, technical descents… perfect! I echo the previous comment on parking, about a fiver for the day… bargain!
Forest England now charge so much for event organisers to put on events that it is no longer economically viable. As a result the takings at the cafes are drastically reduced meaning they face closure. This is what’s happening at Gisburn Forest and because the cafe closes less people ride the trails, money for the trail repairs/development is cut as FE see reduced footfall and it’s a slow downward spiral. ☹️
I've been riding here since 2007. More recently I've been taking my son - we've done it 4 times since 2020, and he loves it too, especially on our new eMTB's 😊😊 I felt things were changing on our trip in August this year, where too much wasn't being charged for - The car park, the bike wash and the EV charging.
We were saying the same, paid only £6 for parking and the bike was free, compared to Cannock where it’s like £15 to park and the trails are no where near as big
@@TheHeadAngle It's only £11 for all day parking not £15 at cannock, also you can get a national membership pass it's £94 for the year which allows you to park for no extra cost at any forest that owned or run by forestry england, so if you do alot of mtb riding it pays for it's self pretty quickly. You could go and ride any trail owned or run by forestry england across the UK with that membership.
@@Chris7uk00 fair enough that is a good deal but I think the feeling that I get from the people I speak to is that CYB is significantly cheaper like for like and the trail network is much bigger… although Cannocks location I’m sure plays a big part to its popularity
I love Coed Y Brenin, if I lived closer I would visit more often , could a group of local volunteers keep an eye on the trails and the money from the car park go towards them, it will be a shame if it does close for good
They are only closing the centre down, not the trails! Same with nant yr arian. Trails will all remain open. Also they are looking for local's to take over the cafe's .
Ridden CYB many times over the years. I always enjoyed it but I think part of its problem was it didn’t move with the times and appeal to the evolving mtb community. Dalby feels like it’s going the same way. Rested on its early laurels. Maybe the appeal of trail centres has shifted too far to places like BPW.
@ I know about that mate. but when speaking with people in the industry NRW states they’re making around 300 redundancies to focus on their “core responsibilities” but NRW won’t comment if the 300 are all visitor centre staff or if a portion is also trail maintenance etc. Hence why the rumours are still the future of the trails is not 100% guaranteed… Truth is none of us no what’s happening for sure and that’s the whole question asked in the vid. 🤓 Hope you’re right tho… ultimately if the place was making money they’d be no worry I suppose 🤷♂️ Thanks for the comments tho, if you know anymore than I do let me know 👊🏻🫡💪
Absolutely, once the Visitor Centre and Cafe close, the numbers of visitors will reduce drastically. That begs the question, how much funding and resources will NRW put into the trails and where will their priorities lie? It’s a sad indictment all round 😢
@@TheHeadAngle About a third of those redundencies are unfilled positions anyway and the remainder is spread over NRW as a whole not just staff from the 3 centres no longer offering catering and retail. The trails will be maintained by NRW, they have to be its a liability issue. Their only other option is to deny public access to everybody (they are more than just MTB sites) Absolute worst case is that in the long term trail maintenance will fall onto volunteer groups managed by NRW just like it does in Dyfi which has been the case there for decades. Theres no shortage of guys n gals willing to do it, its a tried and tested method and in no way a bad thing.
Forestry wise they just don’t seem very consistent for me Cannock without off piste would be rubbish but if I go to fod I never leave the official trails well not yet 😂 £70 membership for Cannock and only £40 for Fod makes no sense from an mtb point of view, then there’s all these old golf courses ontrack have worked on that have stuff you can’t find at a trail centre outside of Fod..
Yeah there’s always been huge inconsistencies between different FC’s… I’ve spoken with so many race organisers over the years too, and their relationship with each forestry dept has a huge effect, some really welcome mtb and others just aren’t bothered…
@ well this sums it up I’m about 7 miles from Cannock so it’s my local and yet I’ve done a volunteer dig day at Fod it’s like 2 different cultures, Fod got an award for it’s volunteer community like a King Charles award 🤯😂
@@bindipper018 Are you serious? I cant tell if thats a joke or not! They harvest thousands of tons from that woodland every year the clues in the name Natural Resources Wales….. its the only reason they exist and even if they did lease it out (its not theirs to sell) the NRW still have the final say over which trees can and cant be harvested
1st images I see...you're on a hiking trail probably stolen from hikers and declared "a bike trail" so.....don't really care honestly I hike I ride I drive a sportscar 2 of those activites are regularly invaded by cyclists, cyclists well known to respect no roads nor sidewalks and now they steal forest and mountains trails..never paying for anything btw lots of hikers fund hiking associations, you'll think I'm a hater but I'm not those are undisputable facts, I also ride on hiking trails but I know I'm the intruder unlike pure mtb riders who think "stealing" hundreds of years old hiking trails is ok which I really can't stand being both a hiker and rider, I do not mind bike parks at all as long as they were purpose built for that great but cutting the only trail on the side of a mountain to "create a new business opportunity" hell no and that happens a lot I did 12'000ft of mountain ascent in 3 days last week on a ebike and lifted if for almost 2 miles on rocky terrain not a keyboard warrior but I'd rather keep wild trails wild than create highways for casuals
fun fact in my area there's an unofficial bike park no signs no nothing it's community maintained so as long as people are there to help build the ramps and clear the trail it'll be here AND it's next to the hiking trail not ON it big difference
I think you’re confused mate, I can assure you none of this was on any “hiking trail” it’s a mountain bike trail network which has existed since the 90s the only time we came off the trail was when we used bridle paths, one of which had become disused and impassable because of a fallen tree
I do love coed-y-brenin. But I miss the original car park and cafe that used to be the opposite side of the A470. Dafydd and Sian used to run the old cafe. I am a slave to nostalgia.
This was one of the first trails Park I've ever done and I had a really good time and it's sad to hear they may be closing it people should start donating when they go riding to help the business keep going
Another great video Andy. Been riding CYB since the 90’s when Sian & Dafyyd Roberts ran things, be a bloody travesty if it all folds!!
Cheers Chris, Travesty is a very good way to describe it… god knows what’s going to happen but I hope it stays, feels like it’s a part of our history.
Hope the family is doing ok… we need to get out for a ride mate 🫡👊🏻
Definitely, I need to get out, let’s arrange something, I’ll message you 👍
100% I keep doing loads of work at Prestwold and meaning to pop in but always so busy running around I need to run
@@TheHeadAngle❤
been a few times this summer and the car park camera wasn't working so no cost to park it was full every time so it's not making any money because it's free to use
Yeah I’ve heard that from a few people
As long as people continue to pay for the parking this should cover the costs of any trail maintenance? I didn't use the cafe anyway, always went to Dolgellau Kebab after for a juicy cheeseburger
Nice post ride kebab sounds amazing… the parking is cheap tho compared to other trail spots not that I’d like to see it be more expensive but it t does make me think they’ve got their budgeting wrong maybe
@TheHeadAngle I'd happily pay a bit more for parking
I visited for the first time in July with a group of friends and we all loved the Beast and plan to return.
It’s a great loop.
I remember going here for the very first time with my friend Jolly when it first opened and it was absolutely amazing so good and it is a real shame to hear it might be closing 😢
A shame indeed
I have so many fond memories it’s a bit of a trek for me to travel to I think natural resources should diversify and add glamping and other outdoor sports
Clamping etc is a great shout
You don't know why? Cost of living and energy increases since the start of the Ukraine war, mountains of government corruption and inflation as well, destroyed luxury recreational retail and the cycling industry got hit hard, the average person just doesn't see it affordable anymore.
All valid points but when mountain biking is still hugely popular and other trails like BPW, Dyfi and Degla etc seem to be still thriving where are they focusing on CYB 🤷♂️
@TheHeadAngle Which makes the least money to shareholders? That's all that matters now. We are cash cows. Especially since tory brexit and trading with Putin came home to roost. Is what it is. People voted for all this
Could be also to do that theres uplifts at Dyfi, BPW etc and people just dont wanna pedal as much. Ebikers even put their bikes on the uplift vans haha
We went to CYB a couple of years ago and were disappointed as half the trails were closed or had huge road sections as detours, and there appeared to have been minimal investment in the centre for a long time. Its a shame really as it used to be great. You need to invest to get people to want and come to use it
In that case it would be an advertising and publicity issue.@@TheHeadAngle
@@thatpeskylimey I was thinking this a bit too, the trails are great but they're very specific to a certain type/style of riding, maybe not enough variety, no flow/jump line, no skills area or pump track for the kids... its all got to be considered.
Great place and love more natural trails over the newer wide flow stuff… just struggle to find accommodation near with e-bike charging and secure bike parking..
That’s interesting 🤔
I was there years in 2016 and loved the cafe and set up there. But trails are being built differently now with more flow, table tops and berms and wider to suit the changes to bike geometry. The old narrow crunchy trails are a thing of the past.
You might be right
I went last month, the trails are more oldskool than what the kids want these days, but I love technical cross country and this place ticked so many boxes… we don’t all want 800m runs full of gaps, step ups and northshore! The beast was a great way to spend the day, huge grinds uphill rewarded by fast, technical descents… perfect!
I echo the previous comment on parking, about a fiver for the day… bargain!
Forest England now charge so much for event organisers to put on events that it is no longer economically viable. As a result the takings at the cafes are drastically reduced meaning they face closure. This is what’s happening at Gisburn Forest and because the cafe closes less people ride the trails, money for the trail repairs/development is cut as FE see reduced footfall and it’s a slow downward spiral. ☹️
You’re right it’s a domino effect
I've been riding here since 2007.
More recently I've been taking my son - we've done it 4 times since 2020, and he loves it too, especially on our new eMTB's 😊😊
I felt things were changing on our trip in August this year, where too much wasn't being charged for - The car park, the bike wash and the EV charging.
We were saying the same, paid only £6 for parking and the bike was free, compared to Cannock where it’s like £15 to park and the trails are no where near as big
@@TheHeadAngle It's only £11 for all day parking not £15 at cannock, also you can get a national membership pass it's £94 for the year which allows you to park for no extra cost at any forest that owned or run by forestry england, so if you do alot of mtb riding it pays for it's self pretty quickly. You could go and ride any trail owned or run by forestry england across the UK with that membership.
@@Chris7uk00 fair enough that is a good deal but I think the feeling that I get from the people I speak to is that CYB is significantly cheaper like for like and the trail network is much bigger… although Cannocks location I’m sure plays a big part to its popularity
I love Coed Y Brenin, if I lived closer I would visit more often , could a group of local volunteers keep an eye on the trails and the money from the car park go towards them, it will be a shame if it does close for good
That would be a good idea
They are only closing the centre down, not the trails! Same with nant yr arian. Trails will all remain open. Also they are looking for local's to take over the cafe's .
I think the worry that people are having is that if they close the cafes what’s next?
@@TheHeadAngle If fuckwit keeps posting stuff like this stirring up shit for clicks. Absolute bell end.
Ridden CYB many times over the years. I always enjoyed it but I think part of its problem was it didn’t move with the times and appeal to the evolving mtb community. Dalby feels like it’s going the same way. Rested on its early laurels. Maybe the appeal of trail centres has shifted too far to places like BPW.
My thoughts exactly, Dalby is a good shout too, it could be so much more than it is
Thumbs down for the clickbait. You know, I know and everybody else that can read knows the trails are safe. ONLY THE CAFE IS CLOSING
If you watch the full video mate you’ll see I discuss this and the other rumours in the press
@@TheHeadAngle They aren’t rumours NRW made their final decision public 2 weeks ago
@ I know about that mate. but when speaking with people in the industry NRW states they’re making around 300 redundancies to focus on their “core responsibilities” but NRW won’t comment if the 300 are all visitor centre staff or if a portion is also trail maintenance etc. Hence why the rumours are still the future of the trails is not 100% guaranteed…
Truth is none of us no what’s happening for sure and that’s the whole question asked in the vid. 🤓 Hope you’re right tho… ultimately if the place was making money they’d be no worry I suppose 🤷♂️
Thanks for the comments tho, if you know anymore than I do let me know 👊🏻🫡💪
Absolutely, once the Visitor Centre and Cafe close, the numbers of visitors will reduce drastically. That begs the question, how much funding and resources will NRW put into the trails and where will their priorities lie? It’s a sad indictment all round 😢
@@TheHeadAngle About a third of those redundencies are unfilled positions anyway and the remainder is spread over NRW as a whole not just staff from the 3 centres no longer offering catering and retail.
The trails will be maintained by NRW, they have to be its a liability issue. Their only other option is to deny public access to everybody (they are more than just MTB sites)
Absolute worst case is that in the long term trail maintenance will fall onto volunteer groups managed by NRW just like it does in Dyfi which has been the case there for decades.
Theres no shortage of guys n gals willing to do it, its a tried and tested method and in no way a bad thing.
Forestry wise they just don’t seem very consistent for me Cannock without off piste would be rubbish but if I go to fod I never leave the official trails well not yet 😂 £70 membership for Cannock and only £40 for Fod makes no sense from an mtb point of view, then there’s all these old golf courses ontrack have worked on that have stuff you can’t find at a trail centre outside of Fod..
Yeah there’s always been huge inconsistencies between different FC’s… I’ve spoken with so many race organisers over the years too, and their relationship with each forestry dept has a huge effect, some really welcome mtb and others just aren’t bothered…
@ well this sums it up I’m about 7 miles from Cannock so it’s my local and yet I’ve done a volunteer dig day at Fod it’s like 2 different cultures, Fod got an award for it’s volunteer community like a King Charles award 🤯😂
@@markroberts7866 that’s super interesting
I'll bet they have sold the woodland. To be felled
@@bindipper018 Are you serious? I cant tell if thats a joke or not! They harvest thousands of tons from that woodland every year the clues in the name Natural Resources Wales….. its the only reason they exist and even if they did lease it out (its not theirs to sell) the NRW still have the final say over which trees can and cant be harvested
What do you think they have the forest for?!
How sad
1st images I see...you're on a hiking trail probably stolen from hikers and declared "a bike trail" so.....don't really care honestly I hike I ride I drive a sportscar 2 of those activites are regularly invaded by cyclists, cyclists well known to respect no roads nor sidewalks and now they steal forest and mountains trails..never paying for anything btw lots of hikers fund hiking associations, you'll think I'm a hater but I'm not those are undisputable facts, I also ride on hiking trails but I know I'm the intruder unlike pure mtb riders who think "stealing" hundreds of years old hiking trails is ok which I really can't stand being both a hiker and rider, I do not mind bike parks at all as long as they were purpose built for that great but cutting the only trail on the side of a mountain to "create a new business opportunity" hell no and that happens a lot I did 12'000ft of mountain ascent in 3 days last week on a ebike and lifted if for almost 2 miles on rocky terrain not a keyboard warrior but I'd rather keep wild trails wild than create highways for casuals
fun fact in my area there's an unofficial bike park no signs no nothing it's community maintained so as long as people are there to help build the ramps and clear the trail it'll be here AND it's next to the hiking trail not ON it big difference
I think you’re confused mate, I can assure you none of this was on any “hiking trail” it’s a mountain bike trail network which has existed since the 90s the only time we came off the trail was when we used bridle paths, one of which had become disused and impassable because of a fallen tree
😊😊