You’re never too far from a picturesque place to ride your mountain bike in North Wales. There is a multitude of different terrains to sink your wheels into too across the region. Now, with the introduction of the new bike centre near Snowdon in Coed-y-Brenin, there’s yet more for you to explore.

The ambitious £1.7m project comes as an extension to the already bustling forest venue which attracts enthusiasts from across the country. With the building of the location in Dolgellau, newcomers to the sport will able to fine-tune their skills within The Foundry – a melting pot for all eager to take on the challenges.

After the inclusion of a new bike shop and hire centre, the expansion has almost doubled the size of the forest facilities. As one of four Snowdonian Centres of Excellence, the sport is looking like it’s found a permanent home in the center of North Wales.

The brainchild of the project, Natural Resources Wales, have opened it for public use throughout the year with Tim Jones of the company cited as saying: “We are committed to providing people with opportunities to access our countryside and to lead more active lifestyles and Coed-y-Brenin delivers on a grand scale, as the visitor numbers demonstrate.”

With the grand opening being fronted by Culture and Sports Minister John Griffiths, the location is sure to become even more of an attraction. After the opening of the original construct, tourism received a mighty boost in the area and is sure to receive further success.

Griffiths is also on hand for the grand unveiling of the MinorTaur trail, a fantastic initiative that’s aimed towards assisting people with disabilities get on the bike. He had this to say: “Visitors to Wales cite the natural environment as the primary reason for their visit and the contribution to the Welsh economy of outdoor recreation, particularly in rural areas, mustn’t be underestimated.”

“me mountain biking” by www.flickr.com/photos/brimelow/

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