to say I was disappointed would be the understatement of the year, but maybe it’s just me.

I rode it today for the first time as well and loved it! 😕 the final descent back to the visitor is probably my favorite of any trail centre! Thought the trail had a bit of everything from really tight switchbacks to flowy berms and jumps and then the rough, rocky final descent!

It’s excellent

Love it!

Beacon View and Helter Skelter are my favorites and Joyrider is great too

did it once, not in a desperate hurry to do it again 😕

I rode it on a wet day in June.
Halfway through approx there’s a loop, took around 30-40 mins, I loved the trail all bar this loop. I’d advise anyone not to bother if the weathers grim, as it wasn’t worth it.

We weren’t blown away either, we’d of just shortcutted all the faff and pointless rubbish bits and turned right at the top and just done the final descent twice tbh.

Hmmm Didn’t work at all for me, way too much up for minimal down and lacked any real flow. Won’t be returning. Shame as could have done W2 instead. Each to their own I suppose.

I enjoyed it. Made a nice change to the other stuff at Afan. Final rocky descent is great

I rode it recently and loved it,mind you I was riding a 29er hardtail so what would I know!

Great trail!

I’m also a fan, get it a fan…afan…….

Loved it. Best trail there, great mixture of stuff. That final descent is brilliant.
In contrast, I HATE the new trail at cwmcarn. Boring rubbish.

Of the love and haters, are you more of a climber or descended?

Or if you love Blade, do you also love Raven at Brechfa? 😉

I’m surprised at the love for it, having reflected on it overnight I think that was the worst ride I’ve ever had, you have to really enjoy climbing for it to work. If you view a climb as a means to an end I think you’ll be disappointed. I do agree though the last rocky bit is very good indeed. Shame we couldn’t have just done that!

I like it,though I do turn right and join the skyline after helter skelter.

I like it. What is it people don’t like? It’s a bike ride. It has decent variety. Not every bit of it is going to be everyone’s cup of tea but that applies to everything. Do people really go out expecting something tailor made for their tastes? Just enjoy what is there rather than thinking how it might be better for you personally. Or take up go for something. But then you’d probably moan about that too…..

I’m glad you like it, I didn’t. You seem adversarial about this trail did you help build it or do you really not believe that some trails are better than others? What you call variety I call a mish mash of different styles that didn’t really flow into one another with constant gate breaks and descents that were way too short for the climbs involved. One 500 meter section does not a good trail make. I know there were a number of people who felt the same.

I think the last two sections which are great are a touch longer than 500 metres?

Rode it the first time a couple of weeks ago, and really enjoyed it. I think some of the sections are going to be trashed if they’re not armoured pretty soon.

I thought the climbing was OK, certainly compared to other trails in the area (yes, y-wal, I’m looking at you ) and the final decent happy days? and the rock? are excellent

i’m with wrecker, love the blade trail in the wet or dry. utterly despise the abortion at cwmcarn.

People whining about the climb, how unfit are you? It’s not that big and it’s not that long. When did it become ok for men to show weakness? Stop it, I don’t like this modern man, he’s weak and pathetic.

Fitness isn’t the issue, it’s just not fun. Some people seem to really enjoy climbs. I can climb away fine, but I just find climbs, especially fire road climbs, as boring as tarmac.

Does depend though. A wild remote moorland or mountain climb is interesting, maybe spectacular view and perhaps technical. A trail centre climb up a fire road or endless switchbacks that you swear would be way more fun coming down… dull.

Not sure what you want then as it goes up the whites climb which usually gets pretty good reviews. All the climbs after that aren’t particularly long or taxing.

I don’t “enjoy” climbs, but I get on with them. They are good for you and they get you to where you want to be. I don’t mind if its on a fire road particularly, it’s easier going on a fire road. I don’t mind if it’s single track the technicality usually keeps you a bit more focussed and you forget about the climb a bit. I’d hate to have to ride with someone who’s just going to whine about having to ride up a hill. There are plenty of flat cycle tracks around.

I hate it when trails aren’t steep enough, I want to go fast and I want to have to use my brakes. For this to happen, you are going to have to do some climbing.

True. The climbs are a means to the end. Whites climb is okay. More interesting and after that it’s mostly the pay off on Whites. What bugs me is when you climb all the way up, gets to singletrack and you think “great, let the fun begin”, and then it’s over in 10 seconds and back up another climb, then another very short singletrack descent, back to climb, and repeat (as I found with Raven). Basically no fun in the ride.

I agree with you that too much up down up down is annoying. But there are 2 very good sections (in my opinion) on blade that make it all worth it. but I’m pretty easily pleased, as long as it’s fast with some rocks, ruts and roots I’m happy.

Meh. Still think it’s pants but what do I know.

I liked the new trail at cwmcarn too!

Maybe I’m easily pleased. It was on a lovely hot day and the whole trail was bone dry – I can imagine some sections being a slog in the wet

I really liked Blade. Not sure about this “too much climbing” nonsense. It has ONE climb. Welsh trail centres generally go uphill to begin with. Simple physics.

Were you wearing a stormtrooper outfit and riding a downhill bike?

OK well I must have imagined it then. 🙄 Glad you like it, you’re welcome to it.

I don’t like onions,so I don’t eat them,life goes on.

Rule 55: earn your turns.

Great fun climbs are great and the decents ace fun to all in all I be back to Afan a lot more.

Not risen it yet bit I’d imagine it must have the same amount of down as up. Like the other trails

I rode it on Friday.

I thought it was excellent – especially The Rock and Happy Life.

The chap I passed on Happy Life on his ‘first ever mountain bike ride’ looked a little overwhelmed.

I thought it was brilliant, quite enjoyed the climb as climbs go.

Last descent is full on and excellent.

I’ve ridden it a few times now and I’m a fan. Needs some work as it doesn’t seem to be wearing that well and was holding a lot of water when the older trails were largely dry.. Combined with skyline gives a really varied ride. I like climbing but that’s by the by – don’t understand how there can be too much on a ride unless you lose height on fire road and you don’t do that.

The worst thing about it is the gates which must have been done by the work experience boy – they’re narrower than a 135mm rear. It’s a shame they’re necessary but I’d rather have them than trails trashed by mx’ers

Like new CwmCarn as well but have so far only ridden once shortly after it opened in the dry. Looked like it wasn’t armoured enough for welsh weather and heavy traffic.