Despite what you may have seen in the cycling press, Coed y Brenin is still very much open and is still one of the best trail centres in the country.  In recent months, six new gravel trails have been opened, ranging from 9km to 36km.

And as I gravitate (see what I did there?) more towards the aggregate and away from mud and mountains, I have given a few of the routes a test ride.

I am very reluctant to drive to ride as apart from it going against my principles, I hate driving. But it’s a very pleasant drive to Coed y Brenin and the lure of waymarked routes is hard to resist. There’s a good combination of fire roads, singletrack and road, although some may feel that there are too many road sections in the longer routes. The views are great, as one would expect at Coed y Brenin, and best of all, no gates to negotiate.

Expect techy rocky climbs and descents, twitchy singletrack, treelined roads and lung busting climbs. It is really rather pleasant.

There’s another debate to be had about whether gravel/adventure riding is just another fad (see fat bikes), but for me, it is what I love about riding off-road. It’s that sense of adventure, of getting off the beaten path while exploring beautiful countryside. The heart rate and adrenalin surge are just as big as when negotiating a techy section on my full suss, and I don’t feel as though I’m taking my life in my hands.

I’m lucky to be able to get this by riding from the door but if I do get the urge for a change of scenery and can cope with the 40 minute drive, I could do worse than Coed y Brenin.