I’ve created a segment for my training loop at Castell Coch, which I think also contains most of the good bits and most of the big climbs.

http://app.strava.com/segments/3770401

Feel free to have a go. If you’re faster than me it’ll give me something to aim for. If you’re slower then you can EAT MY DUST 🙂

If you’re not very familiar with the spot I can provide a text description…

Molgrips

You need to include the singletrack sections to make it worth doing!

How’s it riding at the moment? That final descent (the one on the other side of the road) is an all time classic, one of my favourite bits of trail.

[quote]dusty

There’s plenty of singletrack in there. Which bits are you on about?

And yes, it was dry, dusty and fast. Magic 🙂

That final descent (the one on the other side of the road) is an all time classic, one of my favourite bits of trail.

Agreed, it was alread a segment and I’m currently 9th on the leaderboard. 2nd is within easy reach, but 1st must have cheated and used the road I reckon. I used to stay on the castle side of the road and come down the blue horse trail to finish, which is a laugh being as fast as it is, but that trail is definitely better.

Need to watch out for horses on it though.
What’s the segment name, I can only find it as a climb…

I have no idea why it’s called Fireroad Descent, but here it is:

http://app.strava.com/segments/1433840

I’m only 7 seconds off the pace and I wasn’t going that fast. Definitely a challenge 🙂

So you’re encouraging people to race round a wood that is shared with dogs, walkers, horses and kiddies on the art trail? On trails that are mostly cheeky (but admittedly tolerated)?

😕

I’m encouraging people to go as fast as they can whilst being safe. Do I really need to add a disclaimer?

On that route you spend most of your time climbing; the main singletrack descent is a trail created by bikes so has few walkers; the bits that are shared are wide fire-roads.

It does not go on the art trail by the way, if you mean the bit that starts with the archway with the sculptures on it. I have never ridden on that.

Will no one think of the doggers!!!

Wasn’t having a go, I’m friendly with a few of the guys in Castell Coch and know they get a lot of complaints about bikers racing round there (even though it’s nothing to do with them, they’re CADW when the woods is FC land). Especially the rocky DH chute just above the Taff Trail coming in from the north-west. This is one reason why I don’t ride there during the day, only at night.

gwaelod, everyone knows the doggers use the top car park. Easy to avoid them!!

I’ve never seen a walker on the rocky gulley. Only passed a few on the fire roads that day, and normal smiles and waves were observed. Trail relations are more important than strava.

I too have never seen a walker on “rocky chute” I named it that on strava by the way. We’ll give this a go next time we’re up there. it’s dry and dusty up there at the moment

It looks like I’ve already ridden that route a year ago without realising?! I’m 2nd by the way

Cool 🙂 I think most people go straight up the climb I called Fallen Beech (for obvious reasons, if you’re a regular rider). I take a right just after it dips, then another right at that T junction which brings me up past the doggers and straight into the back car park.

Tough climb, the first part of that.

It seems to be a bit fluid in how it matches people to segments. The 3rd place guy has done a totally different ride on most (but not all) of the same trails. Daft. And your ride was also not the same, and partially backwards.

Yeah I did wonder how I’d done the exact same ride, I thought it was a bit too much of a coincidence. We usually start the other side of the road and start with the segment “first climb” which is the final descent on your loop, then “slippy singletrack” which takes you towards the doggers where we continue along the fence until rocky chute

Molgrips, I’ll be due back down to work at our welsh counterparts (GE nantgarw) just next to castell coch, I’ll be expecting you to shoe me round here!.

Trail relations are more important than strava.

Your doing it worng.

Nobeer – you’ll be most welcome 🙂

Are the trails around Castell Coch pretty easy to find/follow then?

I’ve done a bit of riding up there but mainly over the common towards the Maenllwyd so think I’ve missed most of the ones around the Castle.