From Bikegaydar;

The Penhydd mountain bike trail at Afan Forest Park will close on 12 April so Forestry Commission Wales can carry out tree thinning work.

Threaders. I really like penhydd and this leaves no realistic waymarked option for total beginners (in the whole of S.Wales).
They're looking at adding a blue route which would open in a year also.
Sorry if this has already been posted

Crap, better get a wriggle on if I'm going to do 'all of Afan' this year… Don't think I can fit it in before then 🙁

That's a shame – Penhydd is always a good one for a short spin (cutting out the crap loop early on) when your legs are knackered.

Poo. No more hidden valley.

Aggh! right, off to do a couple of laps of it tomorrow then, yeah I agree neil hidden valley is one of my favourite bits of trail.

For a year – how much 'thinning' are they doing – or is it just one man and a handcart doing the work?

It's not a massive loss to the world though really is it? There are sections that are quite nice, but it's not, you know, the "Greatest Trail ever…"

A year's a long time in mtbing

Not good news for the Afan argoed cafe/bikeshop either I wouldn't think. Especially when you can park at the bottom of the wall climb and miss out that cycleway.

where did you hear that? I was up there yesterday,no mention on any signs or anything?

Sorry, link;
http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/news/article/afans-penhydd-mountain-bike-trail-to-close-25489

Gutted, it's my local trail for taking out beginners and improvers.

But it's not the only "realistic waymarked option for total beginners" by any means. The blue/green trail at Brechfa is much better for total beginners.

Not really south wales though is it?
A good hour past afan.

I was about to mention Brechfa too as I'd still call that south wales.

Well brechfa definitely isn't North or Mid Wales and it's not really near aberystwyth and west wales, so therefore I'd have to say it's South Wales.

A bit of a bugger if you anywhere east of Cardiff certainly.

Arse, my first "proper" mtb ride was there, managed to get lost and go OTB 🙂 History repeats it seems. It's pretty easy to find your way around, so I'll probably still go up there while they're logging…

Was my first trail centre trail, will book a day off tomorrow to head down and have one more blast down the hidden valley and side winder,