So was I the only person not to know that you can park for free to ride the Wall, and also save yourself the 3 mile boring round trip on the old railway? Not that I particularly resent paying for parking to support the trails, but I don't really see the point in paying when the car park you pay for is less convenient (and no real point in parking there at all whilst the trail formerly known as 9feet is closed).

ssshhhhhhhh don't tell everyone or the free carpark will always be full 😉

Haha.Sorry,it's just That's where we always park.Nice BBQ spot when your done too, and a dip in the river when summers here. 8)

ah 🙂 thanks for that one 🙂

erm going there on saturday – where is it ?
🙂

Follow B4286 all the way through Cwmafan until you pass under a huge viaduct at Pontryhdyfen.Turn right at T junction,road narrows a bit, and as it bears around to the right, you follow the small road that heads up bearing left up a hill. its sign posted.

If you can't work it out from information given (before explicit directions were given!) you don't deserve to park there.

It is the first time I've been to Afan in years and the first time I've ever ridden the Wall – I've always been put off by comments about the boring fire road climb and very technical descent, and the original is just such a nice trail. Pleasantly surprised though – didn't find the climb that desperate and the down was well enough within my capabilities to be very enjoyable.

directions shouldn't have been given! can see this carpark getting filled up regularly from now on i think!
should be able to work it out fairly easily.

idiot….now next time i go their the car park will be full.

'Directions shouldn't be given' !?!?!??

Its a public car park you fool!

I miss Afan.

[/Australia]

If you can't work it out from information given (before explicit directions were given!) you don't deserve to park there

Oh, you're a nice piece of work

W*nk3r !

The car park in question being the one you cycle straight past if doing the 'proper' Wall trail i.e: using the railway cycle path 🙄 Yeah it's a real secret…..

Anyway, you don't have to that long stretch of cycle path along one side of the river and then past the end of the Wall descent.

After doing the first section of singletrack behind the Afan centre, go under the road bridge but don't turn left, turn right and take the steep path down to the river, up the other side and hey presto…you've cut a decent section of boring cycle path out! The remaining cycle path is then a decent warm-up before the climb starts.

Look….

How much is parking and which area(s) is unsafe for your car due to thieves?

Ermm… I was under the impression that the Wall was closed due to Forestry work (felling) for the net 12months? Along with the Penhydd Trail, or is it just the Penhydd Trail?

Hora…Afan centre is the best place to park. Cost is a couple of quid and more people are around than the other free car park. Plus there is the cafe there too….although not as good as The Drop-off.

It's laughable that people who drive a fair distance, to ride bikes worth ££££'s then try to save a couple of quid!!!!!!!

Simonb512…Only Penhydd is closed AFAIK.

Make up your mind whether you want to tell people or not aracer.

Or did you just want to show how clever you were for finding a car park that everybody rides past anyway?

aracer – Member

If you can't work it out from information given (before explicit directions were given!) you don't deserve to park there.

How strange !! You make it sound like some exclusive club that you have to give a funny hand shake, a secret password and then shag or kill a goat to attend or be allowed in.

It's a public car park…… for people to park their car. Duh !!

I think is strange that people object to the parking. I find the fire road spin from the car park warms up my legs for the climb and vice versa. Also it's supporting the forestry commision who build the trails. it's safe and cost wise a drop in the ocean compared to car/bike/petrol/bike part etc… costs.

I find paying paying to a local fishing club – or whatever – much odder at Glycorrwg.

Yeah, it's only Penhydd which is closed. I rode the wall saturday.
The ponty car park is fine if you just want to ride and go but the Afan car park is pretty cheap and it's forestry commission, so the money goes into maintaining the trails (unlike glyncorrwyg). There is a also a new 4X track being built (apparently the smallest jump is 8ft) at the top of the wall (after graveyard). It's privately owned and I think will be a fiver or so to ride. Anyone else ride the "big dipper" after 373? It's a little steep add on on the other side of the fence at the picnic area.

take a thermos, packed lunch and after your ride drive straight back home too. 😉

How strange !! You make it sound like some exclusive club that you have to give a funny hand shake, a secret password and then shag or kill a goat to attend or be allowed in.

🙄 The description in my first post made it pretty obvious where it was, and it's very obvious if you've ever ridden it – I wasn't really sure why people felt like they needed better directions!

I think is strange that people object to the parking.

As I said in the OP, I don't – never mind petrol costs, it was completely trivial compared to the amount of money I spent on the main reason for my trip down there. The thing is I was time limited (rode the Wall fast without stopping – though not trying to break any records – got back in the car and left), hence the facilities at the main centre which might be of interest normally were no use to me. Don't really feel I needed the spin to warm up, and could have got home earlier.