Am going to Afan for the first time next weekend. Would like to take my Blur LT but have it set as 1×9…….am I going to be pushing up a lot of steep climbs or will middle ring (as it were) be fine for most of it? Have 34t with 11-34 cassette.

Alternative is a Ti hardtail which is good for all day riding but it seems a waste to go to Wales and not take the full-suss.

Nothing really steep to climb at afan, the wall might be a long grind for you, but that depends on what you’re used to and term as steep…

Whites is fine on a ss, i’ve done it in a 44th which wasn’t too bad but sucked my legs dry for the afternoons july loop.

But i’d say 1×9 will be fine.

HT would be fine to, might depend too on what sort of ride you fancy on the downs, if you’re going with a rapid bunch the FS WILL be quicker

34 x 34 will be fine I reckon, personally I found 36 x 32 a bit heavy going, but I am no climber. There’s a dumb bit of fire road on the way up the Wall that’s a bit steep and required the services of my granny.

Oh, and I agree with Sharki if you’re going with others on FS, go FS too, you’ll have much more fun.

1×9 is fine for Afan although as Sharki says the fireroad on The Wall can be a bit of a grind if you’re doing it towards the end of the day.
The Whites climb is one of the few climbs I enjoy (almost) as much as coming down.

I’ve done all the welsh centres on an SS, and I’m no real climber, most of the stuff at Afan (both Penhydd and Whites) are pretty steady middle ring climbs anyway, just tap away at it, you’ll be fine

You’d have just as much fun on the ti HT mind…

2 on hardtails, one on a 575 (all very quick), and me….I just want to have a muck around and a blast on the descents so do want to take the Blur, sounds like it will be OK, thanks. Spent all day on a road bike yesterday so like to reward myself with some Pepsi-Max action.

With me its not so much hills that kill me on full suss as mud, presume Afan will drain pretty well being a lot of man made trails?

Are you all clipped in? I would imagine that helps.

i have clipless pedals and everyfing me…..

You’ll have no problem then, I’ve got flat pedals and almost everything..

cool……next question will be on Port Talbot as a leisure destination but I reckon that might need a thread all of its own.

My Welsh mate at work “What the **** are you going there for?”

PT as leisure destination…HA HA!

Get on a boat and keep heading south till you reach land…then ride some more or go to Butlins to watch some poptastic band.

Neath, or if you’re really not fussy, then Measteg for top chavvy welsh night life action…If you’re a supermodel, Swansea…*

I ride everything with a 1×9 and flats (Dyfi, W2 at Afan/glyncorrwg etc etc) you’ll be reet.

Bit of a Hijack here, but a few of us are off to Afan for the first time in 3 weeks . We are going to camp on site if poss. Does anything go on “after dark” or is it lights out after 10.00 PM after an ice bath and rub down~?

A few beers with like-minded souls would be a good end to the day?

Any pubs to recommend?

Any pubs at all 🙂

Far be it from me to have a pop at PT before I’ve even been there. Wiki page list an impressive collection of famous sons including one R.Burton.

But……..

…….Is it a proper sh1thole? Went to Merthyr as a squaddie so use that as a benchmark.

Dancake, the Cafe at Glyncorrwyg serves booze until 11, has bike films on etc. I think there is a pub up the road too. Be warned, the midges ate us alive last weekend and seemed pretty resistant to all of the repellants we had. If I was going again, It’d be B&B for me…