Been a few years since i rode Afan, just booked a winter weekend there and wondered if there are any major closures to worry about?

Thanks in advance 🙂

I was there towards the end of April. Penhydd is still closed.

White’s Level has changed but not for the worse and the new final descent is scary fun 🙂

Thanks, i think Penhydd was closed off a few years back when we went but we still had a blast!

Looking forward to a cold November now 😀

When are you going?

Skyline is ruined, and Penhydd is shut(re-opening end of this year along with another 30k trail called Blade, some old sections are stil rideable, same with Skyline, its all rideable), Whites has changed but is still superb. The wall has had lots of additional work, route options, extra loops and the bike park.

I would also throw Blaengarw into the mix if you’re doing a weekend in Afan. You can ride to it from Afan if you wanted some natural stuff.

Im local so know whats going on pretty well.

with another 30k trail called Blade

Link? can’t find any reference to it…

Blue w/red options isn’t it?
Penhydd is going to be a blue as well.
Can we have some bigger stuff please? More black would be great, but harder reds would be great too.
Proper welsh rocky goodness with drops and slabs and steps.

Go to Blaengarw for that. Also gethin will be open soon for that as well.

Link here, they sneakily added it to the trail notice, thats as much info as we know.

http://www.afanforestpark.co.uk/pdf/AFPMTBTrails120613.pdf

Thinking about it, i reckon its part of the new stuff they plan on doing as part of the windfarm thing, seen here… http://www.vattenfall.co.uk/en/penycymoeddwindfarm/file/FactSheet_Forrest_Users.pdf_23632419.pdf

Go to Blaengarw for that

Been a couple of times. Brilliant fun. Needs to be longer though!

wrecker – Member

Go to Blaengarw for that

Been a couple of times. Brilliant fun. Needs to be longer though!

2 loops of the Black and 3 of the Blue and I’d still only clocked 13km! Far too short.

if the new blue is going to be like the blue on the rookie route then not sure what the point is, tesco car park more of a challenge esp if you then went and jumped on the blue at somewhere like brechfa which is cracking.

But the Blue Rookie track is exactly that, Nipper, a rookie track. My wife was just about comfortable on it. Anything more difficult and she wouldn’t ride.

She wouldn’t cope on the blues at Brechfa or FoD.

Isnt a blue grade a blue grade wherever or whats the point.

No, there’s no standard grading so a Welsh red/black feels a little different from a Scottish red/black for instance.

The main thing with the Afan trails though is that the ‘rookie’ trails are described as that, so it’s a grading system aimed at newbies not experienced riders.

The Rookie trail in Afan isn’t blue, it’s green, which is one level below blue.

The new Penhydd will be blue, in the same way as blue trails in Brechfa, FoD and the Garw.

It’ll also have an optional red loop that will start half way around the blue.

so the blue section on the rookie trail is green and the new blue sections will be blue on a par with brechfa!

Is the final Skyline descent still open? Not done it for a while, and guessing that they’ve shut it along with the first climb.

Nope. Gone forever so I’m told 😥

November? Wales? Reds & blacks? Jumps & drops?
Bike park Wales!

Penhydd is shut(re-opening end of this year along with another 30k trail called Blade

Really??? When I was there last week the trail information said that Penhydd will be replaced by an 8km Blue trail with an optional Red 6km add-on.

Penhydd is dead, the 14k trail will be a poor imitation at best as all of the mountain has been re-landscaped by deforestation. However Sidewinder is still ride-able in some shape.

james_turk – Member

The Rookie trail in Afan isn’t blue, it’s green, which is one level below blue.

There is a green graded rookie trail which runs on tarmac along the same side of the river as the café and there is a blue graded rookie trail which drops down to the riverside on the other side of the valley.

From the Cognation website:

Afan’s first ever green trail is an absolute blast.

A winding, swerving and meandering trail the Rookie explores new parts of the old time valley. The trail is built in sections, allowing riders to experience as much or as little as they want.

This is a perfect introductory route for newcomers with a wide trail and slightly sweeping declines. The skills area that can be found on the trail offers riders the opportunity to develop their technical riding skills.

At the end of the green trail there is an optional 2.3km blue graded loop, opening soon, that provides a taster for those wishing to progress. Dropping down to the River Afan the loop exposes some secret spots.

Do I need to print a map as well? 😕

Yes its graded a blue but only because its slightly tougher than the green section. The blue at penhydd will be a proper blue imo. Similar to that of Blaengarw, fast and swooping.

Jeez, try and read the thread and then you’ll see the point I’m making. It’s a blue ROOKIE trail. ROOKIE! As in new rider. As in beginner. Nothing to do with Penhydd.

Get it?

“Rookie” isn’t a grade. It’s a blue. This could prove very confusing for the beginner considering that the verderers and brechfa (and penhydd) are also blue grades. Should have just graded it all green IMHO. It doesn’t get much easier than that.