Coed y Cain, Llanfyllin — woodland trails to level up young riders
Just over the border from us, tucked into the woods behind Llanfyllin School, is one of the best-kept secrets in the area for young mountain bikers. Coed y Cain — "Parc Beiciau" — is a community-built trail park, and it's exactly the kind of place that turns a cautious kid into a confident one.
It's a bit more of an adventure than a local pump track, so here's everything you need before you load the car.
The quick facts
- Where: Llwyn Woods, behind Llanfyllin School, Llanfyllin, Powys, Wales — a short hop over the border from north Shropshire.
- What it is: A woodland mountain-bike trail park with a clear progression, from first singletrack to more technical features.
- The trails: "Chicken" (green) for newer riders finding their flow, stepping up to "Llanthrillin" (blue) for a proper technical challenge — plus harder features as they progress.
- Cost: Free — but you must register to ride first (QR code on site, or via the website).
- Built by: Llanfyllin Community Initiative with the Town Council, Welsh Cycling and an army of local volunteers.
What it's actually like to ride
This isn't tarmac and berms — it's real woodland singletrack, and that's the appeal. The green "Chicken" line is a gentle, flowing introduction: swoopy, rooty in places, but nothing that'll scare a child who's happy pedalling off-road. It's the perfect first taste of what mountain biking actually is.
Once they've got the hang of it, the blue "Llanthrillin" trail is the step up — a bit steeper, a bit more technical, with features that reward looking ahead and staying loose. The genius of a progression park like this is that a child can spend a whole session pushing their own edge, then come back in a month and ride it faster and smoother. You can almost watch the confidence build.
Which bike, and who it suits
This one's for kids who are confident pedalling — roughly 6 and up — rather than balance-bike beginners. A light mountain bike with grippy tyres and proper brakes is what you want off-road, and the lighter it is, the easier they'll find the climbs back to the top for another lap.
Our Eastie range is built for exactly this — front suspension, disc brakes and trail-ready tyres, without the weight that wears little legs out. Confident older kids on a geared Hopton will have a great time on the green line too.
The bikes built for days like this:
Parent notes before you go
- Register first. You need to sign up to ride — scan the QR code at the site or do it online before you set off. It's free and takes a minute.
- Check the times — this one catches people out. It's closed during school hours. Ride weekdays from 4pm until dusk, or weekends and school holidays from 9am until dusk.
- Kit up properly. It's woodland trails, so helmets are a must and gloves, knee pads and sturdy shoes are well worth it. Expect a bit of mud — it's Wales.
- It's real riding. Younger or newer riders should start on the green line and build up. There's no shame in walking a feature first.
Make a day of it
Llanfyllin is a lovely little Powys market town, so there's a proper café stop within a couple of minutes for a hot chocolate and a bacon roll once they're caked in mud and grinning. The wider area — the Berwyn hills, Lake Vyrnwy a short drive on — makes it easy to turn a morning's riding into a full family day out in the Welsh countryside.
The bit we love most
Like the best local spots, Coed y Cain exists because a community rolled up its sleeves and built it. Volunteers, a town council and a shared belief that kids deserve somewhere brilliant to ride — that's the same spirit we're all about. More rolling, less scrolling. If your child's ready to take their riding off-road, this is a superb place to do it.
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