1) Is crime really that bad? got a week to kill, probably staying in YHA’s with the bike in the back of the car, will it still be there in the mornings or is this a stupid idea?

2) What’s open and worth riding? Trail centers only to minimise time spent lost/pushing through bogs/broken in a ditch awaiting the next person to pass by next week.

1) Yes. Ppl have had bikes nicked out of the inside of the car, while they were sleeping in a tent next to it, at the cycle centre itself. If it ain’t nailed down.

2) IMO, Afan, Brechfa only. You’d be a mug not to do some of the ‘classic’ loops in the brecons and black mountains though. Most are pretty easy to navigate, the Gap loop is ruined, thanks to the Gap itself being regraded.

Afan sucks

In the southern trail centres (afan, cwmcarn) you’d be better taking the bike inside with you. Both are very close to large cities, and are in deprived areas. (You wouldn’t leave your bike in the back of the car in Manchester, London or probably even Milton Keynes)

Cwm Carn is worth doing, maybe try to hook up with some locals though as there is a lot of good riding close to cwm carn. (if you fancy a night ride you can join the monday or thurs Castle Bike rides from Caerphilly)

Afan, both skyline and W2 are currently open, I’d do W2.

Brechfa – the black was closed recently, not sure about the current status, but the red is also fun.

Then head north to Nant Yr Arian, then up to Mach for the Climach trail, finish at Ceod Y Brenin, which AFAIK is all open.

So a rough ittinerary could be

Monday; Drive to Wales and a couple of laps of Cwmcarn

Tuesday; W2 at Afan.

Wednesday; Brechfa Red loop as the blacks closed, and drive ‘oop North.

Thurday; Recomend me a Mid/North Wales Trail Center? Unless anyone happens to Fancy joining me for a jolly up Snowdon?

Friday; Llandegla in the morning before driving back to Derby, possibly stopping off to do Cannock on the way.

You’d be a mug not to do some of the ‘classic’ loops in the brecons and black mountains though.

I’d much rather ride natural stuff, but I’ll be on my own so really don’t want to end up hypothermic in a ditch waiting for the next person to find me.

If it ain’t nailed down.

Hmmm, might opt for the Pikey option of sleeping in the back of the car then!

Dont leave valuables in your car in/ around afan. honestly. i have lived here all my life, 99% of people are really friendly and there is no violent theft but there are some thieving bastards about who will be straight in your car if they see a nice bike. im sure most places will let you take a bike in if its clean and you ask nicely.
The wall is mostly closed bar the final descents (there is a short-cut to the top) all of whytes is open. all of brechfa is open. dont know about skyline but the final descents are open and can be linked to via whytes climb.
the raven is supposed to be open again now-http://mbwales.com/en/content/cms/Bases/Brechfa/Brechfa.aspx

Brechfa now fully open again.
You could also try Doethie valley which is nearby and a good natural route.

I believe from the Brechfa twitter feed that all trails are now open.

Agree with most the above re bike in car – don’t do it! YHAs should have at least a shed, or maybe a broom cupboard you could use, especially at a quiet time of year. All the Welsh B&Bs I’ve used have found safe bike accomodation for me.

Ahhh, their own website contradicts themselves!

So Brechfa is not about 40km of red/black trails which’ll fill a whole day for me.

Might do Cumcarn Monday, Afan (Whytes/Y Wal) Tuesday, Brechfa Wednesday, Afan (skyline) Thursday, Cannock Friday and home in time for tea 🙂

i can wholeheartledly reccommend cwm rhaeadr (phwoar i even spelt it right fist time :D). short, about 7km, but you do laps of it, and you get faster every time. its about an hour or so away from afan.

I would not bother with Cwncarn, unless you’re going to do the DH and the natural stuff nearby. I hate the XC loop, its rubbish.

I’d much rather ride natural stuff, but I’ll be on my own so really don’t want to end up hypothermic in a ditch waiting for the next person to find me.

I hear ya 🙂

If you’re near brechfa I think its worth a run around Cwm
Rhaeadr. Only 7km but great fun: bermy, jumpy, and less than an hour 🙂
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/CwmRhaeadrMtBkguide1.pdf/$FILE/CwmRhaeadrMtBkguide1.pdf

beaten to it by Float 🙂
But he’s right

Hmmm, tempted to book a days uplift just for a change from a week of long days in the saddle, but they’re only open in the 2nd half of the week which makes it logisticaly a bit out of the way (I’m starting in Reading and finishing in Derby).

Cwm Rhaeadr, not Coed Trallwm near Rhayader? Dam the Welsh and their similar sounding place names!

Cwm Rhaeadr, near Cilycwm.
Coed Trallwm, near Rhayader.
Simples

So

Monday; W2 (the bits that are open) or Skyline
Tuesday; Brechfa
Wednesday; Rhaeadr & a rest day?
Thursday; CwmDown
Friday; Cannock and home

Bin. Go.

chaps, is all of Brechfa open again defo?

chaps, is all of Brechfa open again defo?

Recent harvesting procedures have been completed and all trails at Brechfa are now open.

http://www.mbwales.com/en/content/cms/Bases/Brechfa/Brechfa.aspx

Brechfa is fully open & I can assure you won’t have any problems with crime there.

Looking at the forcast for next week (2degC and half an inch/day of rain) I reckon the theme of the week might be “Should have gone to Malaga”.

Cwmcarn is ace. It’s the one I ride time and time again. It’s far better than Afan imo.

I would do that and Brechfa. And also do some natural trails because I’m not a wuss. Or, see if anyone on here can come along and hold your hand 🙂

Or, see if anyone on here can come along and hold your hand

Might catch the cuties! ewwwwwwww!!!!!

There’s a detour at Brechfa on the blue descent that’s shared with the black (or was on Sunday) but won’t really be noticeable if you’re going to do the red and black together.

The weather forecast suggests that doing the Gap or the Doethie valley might not be a good idea.

Personally I’d miss out Afan and try and fit in some of the ones in the middle, something like;

Mon; Cwmcarn
Tue; Brechfa
Wed; Nant yr Arian + Climach-X
Thur; Coed y Brenin
Fri; Llandgeda (+ Cannock)

Just e-mailed Mike at Switchbacks, if he’s no room in Malaga then it’s time to go shopping for a dry suit and some gills by the looks of it!

13deg and Sunny, or 2deg and half an inch of rain every 24 hours, decisions, decisions.

Also do the Green/Blue route at Brechfa. It’s great, do it flat out and you’ll be grinning from ear to ear.

The thing with Afan is there are some stonking decents, I really really enjoyed them- but there is a lot of ‘filler’ too. I appreciate when I went a few sections of singletrack on W2 were closed due to logging which meant we did more fireroad stuff, but even so I think it needs a LOT more singletrack.

I also really like the ‘freeride’ section of Afan; I like the concept of being able to go back and session a section on a otherwise longish ride. There wasn’t an easy way to session the good downhills at Afan (That I saw)

How dare people suggest Afan is anything less than perfect! Its my back yard and I get very defensive when people ‘Dis’ Afan.. actually Im laughing here thinking how offended I am because somebody doesn’t like where I ride… Get a grip, I’m telling myself! 😉

The Wall, W2 were all open on yesterday.No diversions, in fact no bikers there either.:)

If your travelling, why not base yourself on Gower: – Do the natural stuff there and then your in between Brechfa & Afan.

Brechfa’s in my backyard, and I must admit that Malaga’s looking good 🙂

timmys – Member

Personally I’d miss out Afan and try and fit in some of the ones in the middle, something like;

Mon; Cwmcarn
Tue; Brechfa
Wed; Nant yr Arian + Climach-X
Thur; Coed y Brenin
Fri; Llandgeda (+ Cannock)

pick me up sunday afternoon, ta.

How dare people suggest Afan is anything less than perfect! Its my back yard and I get very defensive when people ‘Dis’ Afan.. actually Im laughing here thinking how offended I am because somebody doesn’t like where I ride…

Hmm.. so you’ll know the local natural trails then.. I bet there’s loads in those woods, isn’t there?

LOL, miss out afan but still ride Cannock?
Cannock would leave you very very disappointed after having ridden all the others. Don’t bother.

I really enjoyed White’s Level at Afan a few weeks back – if I’d had more time I’d definitely have done the full W2. Cwmcarn was fun the time I visited. Caveat: I’ve yet to ride a trail centre I didn’t enjoy – am clearly too easily satisfied to post on STW…

Well I’m off to the very South Wales, it’s so south it requires a flight to Malaga.

Sunshine and dusty trails here I come!

theroadwarrior – Member

Afan…needs a LOT more singletrack

Eh? Whites Level has perhaps 1.5km that ISN’T singletrack…?

Sitting in a very wet and windy South Wales, can I just say I hope it rains on you in Malaga 😉

Molgrips

you’ll know the local natural trails then.. I bet there’s loads in those woods, isn’t there?

Another local here – yes a fair bit of other stuff all the way from Port Talbot up to Glyncorrwyg, although a lot of it is pretty churned up at the moment and I’m finding myself largely sticking to the trail centre.

I notice a mention of Coed Trallwm in here. I have spent 2 weeks there and I have my opinions but…

What does everyone else think of the place?

Its great this time of year to have a few days off work and go riding, Always, always think about where you are going to leave your bike when you are in unfamiliar locations.
I did the South Downs in a day last Thursday and booked myself in Eastbourne’s Travel Lodge, third floor room and took my muddy bike up and left it in the bathroom for the night, not a problem with the staff 😆

Forecasts for Wednesday 21st :

Rain, Max 6°C, Min 3°C
Sunny, Max 21°C, Min 10°C

Guess which is Swansea and which is Malaga 🙂